University of North Dakota men’s basketball head coach Paul Sather announced the hiring of Steven Aldridge as an assistant coach on Friday.
“Steven comes from a highly successful program that played for conference championships and made a run in the NCAA tournament while he was there,” said Sather. He brings a great deal of experience and energy to our program and has established recruiting relationships throughout the country, in particular the west coast. He has played for and worked with some tremendous coaches and has been highly recommended from all those he has spent time with. He’s a perfect fit to our staff and we’re excited about getting him to Grand Forks and helping us build North Dakota men’s basketball into Summit League champions.”
Prior to coming to North Dakota, Aldridge spent the previous two seasons at Eastern Washington as a graduate assistant where he learned under Shantay Legans, recently ranked 11th on ESPN’s “40 Under 40” list of the top-40 college basketball coaches under the age of 40. The Eagles went 39-16 with Aldridge on the staff, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2020-21 before nearly defeating No. 3 seed Kansas in the opening round.
“It’s a blessing and an honor to work with Coach Sather and join the staff at the University of North Dakota,” said Aldridge. “Paul Sather is a man of great integrity and loyalty with a passion for what he does as a basketball coach. He is a coach that knows how to build a winning culture and I know that we will continue to make the Fighting Hawks family and community of Grand Forks proud in our pursuit of excellence!”
Aldridge spent three seasons at Western Colorado University before heading to EWU, also guiding the Mountaineers to new heights. As an assistant coach, he helped Western return to the RMAC Tournament for the first time since Aldridge was a player for the Mountaineers in 2012, where he led the team in assists and was a team captain during his two years as a player.
He also spent time as a player and coach at San Diego City College, earning Pacific Coast All-Conference selections as a player and helping the Knights to a 41-19 record during his tenure as an assistant.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT STEVEN ALDRIDGE:
Former Eastern Washington head coach and current Portland head coach Shantay Legans:
“Steve is a hardworking, self-motivated coach with a very bright future ahead of him. He invests in relationships and it’s shown by how much the players love and appreciate him. He is going to be a great addition to the North Dakota.”
San Diego City College head coach Mitch Charlens:
“As a player, Steve was our team captain for two years. He was liked and respected by his teammates and coaches immediately. He was a fierce competitor and always cared about the team. As a coach, Steve is a natural leader. Our athletes were instantly drawn to him. Some of our guys were actually older than him but he is so great with everyone and naturally commands so much respect, that every single athlete loved being coached by him. Steve is loyal, hardworking, intelligent, competitive, and a lot of fun to be around.”
Western Colorado University head coach Bradd Schafer:
“I am extremely excited for Steve and what he will bring to North Dakota men’s basketball and Coach Sather’s staff. Steve has great energy and enthusiasm for the game of basketball and works very hard at making players better. He has a ton of experience in all phases of the coaching profession. I am looking forward to following the North Dakota men’s basketball program.”
Steven Aldridge named assistant coach for University of North Dakota men’s basketball program
