Western Illinois University Athletics announced Derek Sapp as the inaugural head coach of the Leatherneck Women’s Bowling program, which is set to begin competing during the 2025-2026 season.
Sapp is a Leatherneck alumnus, who graduated from WIU in 2003. During his time as an undergraduate, Sapp competed for WIU’s men's club bowling program, earning some of the highest honors in the sport. Sapp was a four-time collegiate All-American, a two-time Intercollegiate Bowling Championship MVP (2001, 2002), a member of the two-time WIU Collegiate Club National Championship teams (2001, 2002) and the 2002 Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) Collegiate Bowler of the Year.
Sapp’s bowling career continued after his time at WIU, and he went on to win seven Professional Bowling Association Regional Titles, earn the 2008 Midwest Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year award, and became an exempt player on the PBA National Tour for the 2009-10 season.
Sapp finished third at the 2009 PBA Cheetah Championship, was a three-time member of Team USA (2000, 2004, 2005), won four gold medals and one Bronze medal in international competition for Team USA, was the 2003 ABC Tournament doubles champion, bowling an 857 series, which was a record at the time. He also has six top-five finishes at the ABC/USBC Open Championships to his credit. He has 100-plus 300 games and over 70 career 800 series.
Prior to returning to WIU, Sapp has served as head coach of the men’s and women’s bowling programs at Culver-Stockton College (CSC) since June 2020. During his tenure at CSC, the men’s teams have one tournament win, two second-place tournament finishes, and five third-place finishes. His women’s squads have a tournament win, one second-place, and four third-place finishes.
Sapp has coached four First Team All-Conference players, four Second Team All-Conference Players, an Honorable Mention NAIA All-American selection, a First-Team NAIA All-American, and the NAIA Rookie of the Year. He was named Women’s Conference Co-Coach of the Year in 2022 and Coach of the Year in 2024. He was also named Men’s Co-Coach of the Year in 2024. He led the men’s and women’s programs to a trio of USBC postseason appearances in four seasons.
