The 2025 season marks Dereck Slesh’s 22nd as offensive coordinator and 25th overall at CWRU. Slesh joined the staff in 2001 and spent his first three seasons as the defensive coordinator. He has also served as the program's recruiting coordinator since January 2009.
The Spartans' offense has consistently been one of the most effective in Division III with Slesh at the helm. The 2024 squad ranked sixth in Division III in passing offense (317.0 yards per game) and he helped to develop wide receiver Noah Coyne, who went on to attend the New York Giants' rookie mini camp. Slesh helped to mentor 2019 D3football.com All-America honorable mention wide receiver Colt Morgan, as the team finished the campaign with a 9-2 overall record and qualified for the NCAA playoffs for the fifth time under his tenure. In 2018, he helped coach freshman quarterback Drew Saxton to all-region honors and the UAA Offensive Player of the Year award. The 2017 squad led all PAC teams in points per game (39.9) while ranking 45th in Division III in yards per game (437.7). The squad set program records for total yards and points during the 2017 campaign. Slesh helped mentor AFCA All-American center Gage Blair, and D3football.com All-Region quarterback Rob Cuda and running back Jacob Burke during the season. The 2016 squad set a school record for rushing yards and ranked 14th in Division III with 257.9 rushing yards per game.
Slesh was also influential with the 2009 squad that ranked fifth in the nation in scoring (42.4 ppg) and seventh in yardage (470.8 ypg). Slesh also produced a three-time (2007-09) UAA Offensive Player of the Year and 2009 AFCA All-American in quarterback Dan Whalen.
Before he arrived at Case Western Reserve, Slesh spent three seasons (1996-97, 2000) on the staff at John Carroll University. He also served in the local high school ranks as head coach at Benedictine High School from 1998-99 and as a staff member at Beachwood High School from 1990-95. In 1988, Slesh began his coaching career at his high school alma mater, Hawken School.
Slesh was a football and baseball student-athlete at Marietta College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management in 1988. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University in 1996.
