Cal State East Bay has named Gus Argenal as the next head coach of Pioneer men’s basketball. Sara Lillevand Judd announced the hiring on Wednesday in one of her first acts as the new Director of Athletics. A native of Lafayette, Calif., Argenal brings coaching experience at both the Division I and Division II levels to CSUEB, most recently as an assistant coach at Rice University.
“Gus’s varied coaching experiences have prepared him well for this opportunity to return home to the East Bay and lead our men’s basketball team to new heights in the CCAA,” said Judd. “He’s passionate about the game and committed to the academic success of our student-athletes.”
"It’s a dream come true to be the head basketball coach at Cal State East Bay," Argenal said. "My family and I are extremely thankful for the opprtunity to be part of a special athletics department, campus, and community. We will work hard to be a source of pride for the surrounding Bay Area, particularly the East Bay students and alumni."
Argenal began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arizona State for the 2004-05 season. The following year, he returned to his alma mater, UC Davis, to serve as an assistant coach. As the Aggies transitioned to NCAA Division I, Argenal was responsible for recruiting, film exchange, academic monitoring, game and practice planning, and running camps.
In 2006, he began his first coaching stint in the state of Texas, taking a position as Basketball Operations Coordinator at the University of Texas at San Antonio. After two seasons, Argenal returned to Northern California to become an assistant coach at Chico State.
In three years, Argenal helped build the Wildcats into a CCAA contender and record their first-ever conference tournament victory as he focused on coaching the guards. He recruited four All-Conference players, including Jay Flores, the 2011-12 CCAA Most Valuable Player. In his final year at Chico, the team won the University Foundation Board of Governors Award for Academic Excellence (given to the men’s team with the highest grade point average).
Argenal returned to UC Davis once again in 2011. He served as an assistant coach for one season and was involved in managing all aspects of the program. He then began his second stint in the Lone Star State, accepting an assistant coach position with the Rice Owls. Argenal’s impact with recruiting at Rice was evident quickly, and he coached freshman point guard Max Guercy to the Conference USA All-Freshman team.
East Bay’s new head coach was an outstanding collegiate student-athlete himself. Argenal is one of the top point guards in UC Davis history and still shares the school’s single-game record for assists (13). As a senior, he led the Aggies in assists and steals, helping the 2003-04 squad post an 18-9 record. Argenal graduated from UC Davis in 2004 with a degree in history. He then earned a master’s degree in education from Arizona State in 2005.
Argenal prepped at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., where he was a three-year starter and a dominant defensive point guard. As a senior and team captain in 1999, he led the Spartans to the Northern California Regional Finals and was named BVAL Most Valuable Player.
Argenal will immediately begin the process of the rounding out the 2013-14 recruiting class and preparing for next season. “I’m extremely excited for Gus,” added Judd, “and even more excited for the future of Pioneer basketball.
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