Gus Argenal named CSUEB's head men's basketball coach
Gus Argenal is the eighth men's hoops coach in Pioneer history. (Photo: Courtesy Rice Univ.)
- May 30, 2013
Bay Area native Gus Argenal has been named head coach of the Cal State East Bay men's basketball.
Sara Lillevand Judd, CSUEB's new athletic director, announced the hiring as one of her first actions in her new assignment.
Originally from Lafayette, Argenal brings coaching experience at both the NCAA 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 (California Collegiate Athletic Association),” 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 basketball camps.
His first coaching stint was in Texas, taking a position as basketball operations coordinator at the University of Texas-San Antonio. After two seasons there, 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 then gain their first-ever conference tournament victory while focusing 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 in 2011. He again 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 coaching position at Rice. Argenal's impact with recruiting at Rice was evident quickly; he coached freshman point guard Max Guercy to the Conference USA All-Freshman team.
Cal State East Bay's new head coach was a highly regarded student-athlete himself. Argenal was 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 UCD squad post an 18-9 overall 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 will immediately begin the process for the 2013-14 recruiting class in preparation for the upcoming season.
“I'm extremely excited for Gus,” Judd said, “and even more excited for the future of Pioneer basketball."