'Winningest' men's basketball coach retires after 16 years
Biggs retires with 223 victories, the most in CSUEB history. (Photo: Kelley Cox/KLC Fotos)
- April 16, 2013
The winningest coach in the history of the Cal State East Bay men’s basketball program is calling it a career after 16 seasons, as Will Biggs announced his retirement after 223 victories and a stint on the Hayward campus that spanned three decades.
Biggs came to CSUEB in 1997 as the program's seventh head coach. 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 Debby De Angelis, director of athletics. "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 CSUEB, 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. 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 CSUEB re-joined the NCAA Division II, overseeing the team’s transition to the 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.
Biggs has been a fixture in the East Bay basketball community for more than 30 years. He began his coaching career at Union City's 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 begin commencing a national search for a new head coach.