Bio

Darrin Stalling was announced as the head coach of RCSJ-Cumberland in July 2018.

Since his hire, Coach Stalling has instilled a culture of accountability and toughness that has led to back to back postseason appearances in the 2018-2019 season and 2019-2020 season.  Stalling led the Dukes back to the Region XIX Final Four in his first season before falling to eventual champion, Middlesex College.  At the conclusion of the 2018-2019 season, Stalling successfully guided guard Kevin Clark to the NCAA Division 2 Level as the Miami,FL native committed to Dean College in Franklin, MA.  He also mentored first-team All-Region guard Taylor Clarke who was amongst the nation's leading scorers.

In Year 2, Stalling did not skip a beat.  Led by sophomore forward Phil Cisrow, the Dukes continued their winning ways with a 16-12 record and a return to the postseason.  Cisrow would become part of the 1,000 point scorers club as one of the most accomplished student-athletes to represent RCSJ-Cumberland.  He would go on to be named the 2019-20 RCSJ-Cumberland Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for his performance on the basketball court and in the classroom.  Cisrow would go on to attend Central Methodist University in Missouri, but has since transferred to Hastings College in Nebraska.  Alongside Cisrow would be Alfonso Smith and Max Cruz.  Smith would average nearly a double double for the Dukes in his sophomore season.  Smith signed a professional contract in the Fall of 2021 to play in the Florida Basketball Association for the Lakeland Royals.  Cruz was a highly touted freshman guard from Clayton HS and stabilized the Dukes offensive attack.  A natural born leader, joining Cisrow and Smith was critical in Stalling's second year success.

For the 2020-21 season, Stalling's third campaign was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.  As NJCAA Division 3 Basketball was cancelled due to a large percentage of teams not sponsoring basketball out of caution, 6 teams in Region XIX held an abbreviated "Club" season.  The Dukes were one of the stronger teams of the group as they completed 7 of the 10 scheduled games with a 5-2 record, both losses to Division 2 County College of Morris.  Max Cruz led the Dukes during the difficult season, which eventually led him to Western Connecticut State in Danbury, CT.  Cruz would be the third player to sign with a 4-year school under Stalling's watch in as many years.

Stalling made his way to the Vineland campus after a very successful run as lead recruiter and Associate Women's Head Basketball Coach at Stockton University in Galloway, NJ. Prior to his arrival at Stockton, the program did not surpass 15 wins in recent years. Stalling joined the staff in 2012 and had an immediate impact as the Ospreys qualified for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) tournament in his first year. That season would kickstart one of the most successful eras in Stockton Women's Basketball history that included six straight NJAC Tournament appearances and a Finals appearance in 2014. In the 5 seasons prior to Stalling joining the staff, the Ospreys earned a .507 winning percentage. During Stalling's tenure, which spanned 6 seasons, Stockton enjoyed a 103-59 record that included the impressive NJAC success and two NCAA Tournament appearances (2015, 2016) in which they would advance to the Second Round in both appearances.  

Stalling's recruiting efforts would be the foundation of the recent era of success at Stockton. Stalling was able to recruit a high-powered trio to the Galloway campus that would lead the Ospreys to NCAA and NJAC success. Lead guard, Lea Mendolla, was an All-Conference performer for the Ospreys as she finished her career 5th all-time in steals and scored over 1,000 points at Stockton. Mendolla is also the all-time leader in 3-points made and attempted at Stockton. Included in the trio was forward Nahja Treadwell. Treadwell garnered multiple postseason accolades at the conclusion of the 2017-2018 season. Treadwell was First Team All-NJAC, Second Team All-ECAC, and Third Team D3Hoops.com All-Mid Atlantic as she reached the 1,000 rebound plateau while leading the NJAC in field goal percentage (62.7) which also placed her 4th in the NCAA. That number also places Treadwell as the all-time leader in field goal percentage at Stockton. To complete the "Stalling Trio" was forward Sasha Williams. Williams finished her decorated career by receiving multiple accolades including All-American Honorable Mention D3Hoops.com, All-American Honorable Mention Women's Basketball Coaches Association, First Team All-NJAC, First Team All-ECAC, First Team D3Hoops.com All-Mid Atlantic, NJAC Defensive Player of the Year (her 4th time receiving the award), and Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey College Basketball Player of the Year. Williams finished her career as the school's 4th all-time scorer (1,442) and its all-time leader in rebounds with 1,185. Additionally, Williams ended her career as just the third player in NCAA Division 3 history to reach 500 blocks in a career. She recently signed to play professionally overseas in Spain.

Stalling's recruiting abilities as well as his long-standing history in the Mid-Atlantic region will serve the program well as he enters this exciting era of Dukes Basketball. Stalling has been coaching in the South Jersey area since 1990 when he joined the Men's basketball staff at Paulsboro High School. For the next two decades, he would win a Group 1 State Championship at Paulsboro prior to moving to the Women's Basketball staffs at Delsea High School and Williamstown High School, where he would win a Tri-County Division Championship before landing at Stockton in 2012.

Legendary St. Augustine Prep Head Coach, Paul Rodio, who coached Darrin in high school had this to say about his former player: "Darrin is a good honest young man who has a great work ethic. I'm certain he will be a great influence on the young men of Cumberland County."

Cumberland County College Athletic Director, Keith Gorman, expressed his excitement with the addition of Darrin Stalling by saying: "The Department and College are extremely excited to welcome Darrin to our Family. He is well-known throughout the Mid-Atlantic Basketball community and has all the qualities needed to usher our Men's Basketball Program to new heights. We are excited for Darrin, but most especially, we are excited for our student-athletes as they will be led by a man with high standards and the ability to lead them on and off the court. This is an exciting time to be a part of Cumberland County College Men's Basketball."

Stalling takes over a Men's program a year after its most successful season in program history. The Dukes earned a 23-7 record in the 2017-2018 campaign and reached the Region XIX Championship Game. The 23 wins is the most games won by a Dukes Men's Basketball team in school history.

Stalling also serves on the Executive Board of the Al Carino Women's Basketball Club. He currently lives in Franklinville, NJ with his wife Nicola and has three children, Anthony, Denise, and Layla. Stalling also has three grandsons.