The winningest coach in the history of Pioneer men’s basketball is calling it a career after 16 seasons at Cal State East Bay. Will Biggs has announced his retirement after 223 victories, nine winning seasons, and a stint on the Hayward campus that spanned three decades.
Biggs came to CSUEB in 1997 as the seventh head coach of the men’s basketball program. He will retire as the longest-tenured coach in Pioneer history, holding school records for coaching victories and winning percentage (.514).
“I want to thank Coach Biggs for his years of hard work and dedication,” said Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis. “He has brought many excellent student-athletes to Cal State East Bay during his career, coached them to be better athletes, and mentored them to become positive citizens in our community. It’s never easy to lose the winningest men’s coach in school history, but Will’s legacy will carry on through all the players and future coaches he has influenced over the years.”
For eight consecutive years, Biggs’ teams finished no lower than third in the Cal Pac Conference. In his first 12 seasons, the Pioneers won two conference titles and advanced to the NAIA Division II National Championships five times.
In Biggs’ second year at East Bay, he guided the Pioneers to a 22-6 record, the second-most wins in program history. His 2004-05 team went 19-9, averaged a staggering 93.8 points per game, and set 12 school records. The following season, his 2005-06 squad led the nation in steals per game (12.8) and turnover margin (+7.1).
In 2009, Biggs was at the helm as Cal State East Bay re-joined the NCAA, and he oversaw the team’s transition to the extremely competitive California Collegiate Athletic Association. In four seasons, Biggs produced an All-CCAA selection (Mark Samuels, 2011-12) and a CCAA Newcomer of the Year (Jacari Whitfield, 2011-12), as well as seven Academic All-CCAA honorees. On March 16 of 2010, a victory over Cal State Monterey Bay made him the first Pioneer coach to reach 200 career wins.
Biggs has been a fixture in the East Bay basketball community for more than 30 years. He began his coaching career at James Logan High School, where he led the Colts to five league titles and three straight trips to the Northern California championships. Biggs then served as head coach at Ohlone College for two seasons before coming to CSUEB.
The University will immediately be commencing a national search for the new head coach of Pioneer men’s basketball.
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