Following-up on a report from last night…Here’s the official statement from Cal Baptist on the departure of head men’s basketball coach Rick Croy:
Rick Croy, California Baptist’s head coach for the past 13 years, has accepted the position of Associate Head Coach at Arizona State University. Croy exits Riverside as the all-time wins leader in CBU Men’s Basketball history, and most recently guided the program to its first appearance in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
“We are grateful for the 13 years Coach Croy spent in Riverside, and for the success we experienced during his tenure,” said Dr. Micah Parker, Vice President of Athletics. “We wish the Croy family well as they begin this next chapter of their lives in Tempe.”
The Lancers finished the 2025-26 season with 25 wins, the most in the program’s Division I history, and ended their run against Kansas in the first round of March Madness.
During his 13 seasons in Riverside, Croy compiled a record of 275-137 (.667). Croy, the only head coach of CBU’s Division I era, led the Lancers to 143 wins at the Division I level, including his final win at CBU, a 63-61 victory over Utah Valley in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship Game.
“Riverside is our home, and building this program alongside all of (Lancer Nation) has been one of the great privileges of my life,” said Croy. “CBU is an extraordinary institution committed to the Great Commission, and Jamie and I will forever be grateful for the years we were able to raise our family in this remarkable community.”
Croy added, “Thank you to President Ronald Ellis and Senior Vice President Kent Dacus for believing in me and entrusting me with this opportunity in the spring of 2013. From Van Dyne Gymnasium to the Fowler Events Center, your vision and commitment made it all possible. Your leadership — and your friendship — have left an eternal mark on me.”
Croy joined the Lancers in 2013, and guided CBU through its final five years as an NCAA Division II program. The Lancers finished 18-2 in conference play in Croy’s first season, resulting in the first and only PacWest Regular Season Championship in program history.
Two years later, in the 2015-16 campaign, Croy guided the Lancers to the first PacWest Tournament Championship in program history.
In five seasons at the Division II level, Croy led the Lancers to 132 wins, two conference championships, and five NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances. The Lancers reached the Division II Sweet Sixteen in 2015, Croy’s second season in Riverside, and then finished in the Elite Eight in 2018, CBU’s final year in Division II.
CBU transitioned to Division I in 2018 and saw immediate success, posting five consecutive winning seasons, including a 21-10 mark in the 2019-20 campaign that stood as the best season in program history until this past season.
The Lancers qualified for the WAC Tournament in six consecutive seasons and won their first WAC Tournament game in 2022, defeating UTRGV 81-80. CBU advanced to the WAC semifinals for the first time in 2025, and then in 2026, CBU reached the WAC Championship Game for the first time in program history.
CBU entered the 2026 WAC Tournament as the 2-seed, the highest in program history. The Lancers advanced to the championship round with an 86-72 victory over Utah Tech in the semifinals and then punched their ticket to the Big Dance with the championship game win against Utah Valley.
Two CBU student-athletes, Milan Acquah (2020) and Dominique Daniels Jr. (2026), were named WAC Player of the Year during Croy’s tenure. Croy will be inducted into the Riverside Sports Hall of Fame in May.
“We are grateful and energized to step into this next opportunity God has placed before our family,” added Croy. “It is the people that make the journey, and we are thankful for every relationship that has shaped our lives.”
California Baptist University thanks Coach Croy for his time leading the Lancers. A national search for the next head coach of CBU Men’s Basketball is underway.
