Derek Retos joined the Tufts University Men’s Basketball staff in the Summer of 2015 and is now in his sixth season.

Retos has been a part of three NCAA teams at Tufts. In 2019-20, he was on the Jumbo staff as the team won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship and advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16" before the tournament was canceled due to COVID. The Jumbos finished with a 23-6 record - tying  the school record for victories - and featured NESCAC Player of the Year Luke Rogers. In 2016-17, Retos helped coach a Tufts team that advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16" and finished with a 22-7 record. They were the number one seed in the conference tournament after finishing with an 8-2 mark against league opponents. The Jumbos finished the year at #10 in the D3hoops.com national poll. In 2015-16, the Jumbos were on the verge of the NCAA "Final Four" after hosting NCAA Regional and Sectional games at Cousens Gym and reaching the "Elite Eight" before losing. Tufts finished the year as the #9 ranked team in the D3hoops.com national poll. That team has a share of the school record with 23 victories. 

Retos is a graduate of Brandeis University, where he was a three-year captain and four-year member of the men's basketball program from 2010-2014. He would go on to graduate as the school's all-time leader in three-pointers made and free throw percentage. In addition, Retos earned the Athletic Director's award in his senior year, which is given to a student who has displayed general excellence in representing Brandeis Athletics.

Retos earned his degree at Brandeis in Business in 2014. Originally from Foxborough, Massachusetts, he graduated from the Brimmer & May School in Chestnut Hill in 2010 as the school's all-time leading scorer.