Viejas Arena. Photo credit: goaztecs.com
San Diego State has announced the addition of former Division I head coach Sam Scholl to the Aztecs staff as a basketball performance adviser.
The Gig Harbor, Wash., native coached the University of San Diego Toreros through last season.
“I’ve known Sam for a long time,” said head coach Brian Dutcher. “We were both assistants when I first came to town, me at San Diego State and he at USD, so we have had a long friendship. I’ve always respected the job he did, not only as an assistant, but also as a head coach and I’m really happy to have him on our staff and helping the Aztecs.”
Scholl has been coaching men’s basketball on the West Coast for the last 23 years. In that time, he has guided his teams to five postseason appearances, including one NCAA and one NIT bid.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of this team,” Scholl said, adding that “to now be part of this basketball family, its tradition and to work with these coaches and players, is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Scholl, a 2001 USD grad who also played for the Toreros, served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for seven seasons, then departed for Santa Clara University before returning to take over as USD’s interim head coach.
The job was made permanent, but his tenure ended in March with his firing after his team went 15-16.
In other SDSU hoops developments:
- The team will face Stanford University for the first time in 25 years, in a Nov. 15 contest on the road. Stanford will come to Viejas Arena next season.
- The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced that the Aztecs, along with Saint Mary’s College, will compete on Dec. 10 in the 2022 Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix. The teams played in last year’s event, with SDSU emerging victorious, 63-53.
In advance looks at the upcoming season, beginning Nov. 8, top college basketball commentators Seth Davis, Andy Katz and Jon Rothstein ranked the Aztecs at No. 22, No. 23 and No. 25 respectively. More recently, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello placed SDSU at No. 19 and Sports Illustrated at No. 14.