Wayne State hires former Michigan standout Derrick Alexander to coaching staff

Former Michigan standout Derrick Alexander has a new job — and it’s close to home.

Alexander is heading to Division II Wayne State as the program’s new wide receivers coach, the Warriors announced Tuesday. He started his coaching career at Wilmington College in Ohio in 2015 before working at Avila University in Kansas City from 2016 to 2019 and at Morgan State from 2019 to 2021.

“I am extremely excited about Derrick Alexander joining our football staff,” Wayne State coach Paul Winters said in a statement. “He brings experience at the highest level.  He has coached and played at that level and will do a great job of teaching the wide receivers the finer points of playing the position.”

Alexander starred for Michigan from 1989 to 1993 and became a two-time first team All-Big Ten selection. He ended his career in Ann Arbor with 1,977 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, but turned in his biggest year as a junior in 1992. That season, he caught 50 passes for 740 yards and 11 touchdowns to help the Wolverines to a 9-0-3 record, including 6-0-2 in Big Ten play. He garnered third team All-American honors after that season for his efforts.

After his senior year, the Cleveland Browns selected Alexander as the No. 29 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. He was named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team that year, totaling 828 yards and two touchdowns for Cleveland. He stayed with the Browns after they left Cleveland to become the Baltimore Ravens in 1995 and had a strong two years there, putting up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Alexander then headed to the Kansas City Chiefs from 1998 to 2001 before ending his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2002. After retirement, he worked in information technology before getting into coaching in 2015.