Athletic director Amy Henkelman announced the hiring of Justin Argenal to lead Dominican men’s basketball heading into the 2021-22 season.
“Justin has all the coaching qualities we are looking for and we can’t wait to get him on board,” Henkelman said. “As a player, Justin played at the NCAA Division II level and has been a coach at multiple levels and in many different positions. His knowledge and experience will allow him to be a great mentor and leader of our student-athletes, helping them reach new heights on and off the court. We can’t wait to bring his energy, basketball knowledge and diverse skill set into our program.”
Argenal comes to Dominican after spending the past five seasons as the head coach for De La Salle High School, leading the Spartans to a 113-33 record. He was named NorCalPreps Northern California Coach of the Year and NorCalPreps NCS Division I Coach of the Year in both 2017 and 2019. De La Salle won three NCS Division I Championships (2017, 2019 and 2020) and an EBAL Championship (2019) under his guidance. The Spartans were Open Division semifinalists in 2017 and 2019.
“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to be the men’s basketball coach at Dominican University,” Argenal said. “Joining an athletic department and university that aligns with my vision and values is a dream come true for me and my family. I will work tirelessly to provide our student-athletes with an experience of growth: academically, socially, and athletically. I’m looking forward to the process of building a program that is a source of pride for Dominican University for years to come.”
Prior to his time with De La Salle, Argenal spent one season as the head assistant basketball coach at NCAA Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills. He served as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level for Southeast Missouri State and The Citadel from 2013-2015. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ole Miss in 2009-10 helping the Rebels to a 24-11 record and a finish in the NIT Final Four before three seasons as a director of basketball operations at The Citadel and Louisiana Tech.
A native of the Bay Area, Argenal was a point guard at De La Salle High School before moving on to a college career at UC Riverside and Chico State. Argenal left the Wildcats as the program and conference’s all-time career leader in assists and steals, earning All-CCAA Second Team honors.
He resides in the Bay Area with his wife Suzanne and their two daughters Sky and Isla.
Argenal named Dominican men’s basketball head coach
