After an impressive playing career in a Sacramento State uniform, Zach Chappell will return to his alma mater as assistant men’s basketball coach. He will join interim head coach Michael Czepil, and assistants Hays Myers and Elijah Roth on the sidelines for the upcoming season.
Chappell recently completed a pro season of basketball in Germany after three highly successful years as a player at Sacramento State (2020-23). Chappell was an all-Big Sky Conference performer as a senior in 2022-23 while playing for Czepil, Myers and Roth.
“To have Zach return to campus and join our staff is a huge moment for the program,” Czepil said. “He is the perfect example for our young men to see what it should look like both on and off the court. Zach’s passion for people and wanting to help them be their best will elevate everybody here. He is going to be a fantastic basketball coach and we are thrilled he is a part of our staff.”
A Sacramento native who prepped at Capital Christian High School, Chappell scored 860 points in a Hornet uniform despite playing just 74 games over two and a half seasons (missed first half of 2020-21 with injury). His career averages with the Hornets include 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. A two-year starter, Chappell averaged better than 11 points each of his final two years.
That culminated in a senior season that saw him start 31 games while leading the team in scoring (13.5 ppg). A double figure scorer on 20 occasions as a senior, Chappell had a habit for hitting big shots, which included game-winning buckets in the closing moments against Long Beach State, Idaho and Denver. He was the College Insider National Player of the Week after hitting buzzer beaters against Denver and Long Beach State over a four-day span.
“I could not be more excited to return to Sac State and help grow the program,” Chappell said “As a player, it was the countless hours of film with Zep, Hays, and Elijah that gave me an advantage on the court. To now learn from them as a member of their staff and pass the same knowledge to our current players means the world to me. We’ve got an incredible group of guys who want to learn and get better every day, and for me as a young coach, I feel it’s a dream situation to be a part.”
During his Sacramento State career, Chappell scored in double figures 42 times. Prior to the Hornets, he spent two seasons at San Jose State (2018-20), and finished his collegiate career with 1,203 points.
A Big Sky Conference all-academic selection and NABC Honors Roll recipient, Chappell graduated from Sacramento State with a philosophy degree in 2022.
