Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics announced the hiring of DJ Broome on June 6, 2025 as the next head coach of the Lumberjack men's basketball program. A proud alumnus, former student-athlete, and connection to the Humboldt community, Broome returns to Arcata bringing Division I and Division II coaching experience and a mission to elevate the program both on and off the court.
Broome played for the Lumberjacks from 2008 to 2012, helping lead one of the most successful eras in program history. During his career, the Jacks posted an impressive 90-32 overall record, including a dominant 53-7 mark at home inside Lumberjack Arena. He helped guide the team to four NCAA Regional Tournament appearances, two CCAA Regular Season Championships, and the program's first-ever CCAA Tournament Championship. He earned team honors as Most Improved Player (2011) and Most Inspirational (2012), all while serving as a team captain.
After his playing days, Broome remained rooted in Humboldt, beginning his coaching career as the Program Director and Head Coach of the Humboldt Wild AAU team. In his earliest coaching years, Broome also made an impact in the local high school ranks, leading Arcata High School's JV girls basketball team to a perfect 19-0 season.
Broome began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, serving as an assistant coach during the 2013–14 and 2016–17 seasons. He was responsible for on-court coaching, game and practice planning, opponent scouting, and served as the film and recruiting coordinator. He also co-directed summer basketball camps and handled team travel logistics.
In 2015, Broome joined the staff at Cal State Monterey Bay, continuing to build his coaching résumé with responsibilities in recruiting, scouting, practice preparation, and team travel. He then accepted his first head coaching position at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, where he led the women's basketball program through a complete rebuild, recruiting a full 12-player roster from a starting group of just two players.
Broome continued his collegiate ascent with a move to Sonoma State University, where he served as the head assistant coach from 2017 to 2019. There, he led all scouting, served as the lead recruiter, and managed day-to-day operations including practice plans, travel, and budget oversight.
From there, he became the Associate Head Coach at Academy of Art University in San Francisco from 2019 to 2021. Broome's leadership helped guide the team to a program record in wins in his first year and a postseason berth for just the second time in school history. He also coached multiple All-Conference selections while playing a major role in all aspects of the program.
Most recently, Broome spent four seasons with the University of Montana, where he initially served as Director of Student-Athlete Development (2021–23) before being promoted to Assistant Coach (2023–25). His tenure with the Grizzlies was marked by steady success, including a 2025 NCAA Tournament appearance after capturing both the Big Sky Regular Season and Tournament Championships. Montana finished the 2024–25 season 25-10 overall, 15-3 in Big Sky Conference play, and an impressive 15-1 on their home floor.
He led opponent scouting, coordinated recruiting efforts, and contributed to player development across all positions, while also managing academic performance — helping the team maintain a GPA over 3.0.
During his first season as an assistant at Montana, the Grizzlies posted a 24-12 record and won a postseason game for only the second time in program history, advancing to the quarterfinals of the CBI. In 2023–24, Montana set program records for total points scored (2,768) and free throw percentage (79.2%).
Montana has maintained winning records in all four of Broome's seasons with the program.
Broome now returns to Cal Poly Humboldt ready to write the next chapter of Lumberjack basketball—this time at the helm of the program that helped shape him.
