Former Kings star Mike Bibby is the next men’s basketball coach at Sacramento State
Mike Bibby, a central figure as a playmaking, big-shot-making guard for the Sacramento Kings teams of the early 2000s, is the next men’s basketball coach at Sacramento State.
Bibby, in response to ESPN’s reporting Monday, confirmed in a text exchange with The Sacramento Bee that he would take over the team, but didn’t comment further. He said he was advised by the college not to do interviews until he was formally introduced.
The university on Tuesday morning announced Bibby’s hiring in a post to its athletics department website.
“Mike will recruit talented student-athletes and develop a team culture that embodies success both on and off the court,” Mark Orr, Sacramento State’s athletic director, said in the post. “I am convinced that Mike will pour every ounce of his energy into Sacramento State and engage the entire Sacramento region.”
At a Hornet home football game Oct. 12, Bibby was seen talking to school president Luke Wood. He responded to a question about the post, “Yes sir. Want the Sac State job bad.”
According to ESPN, Bibby’s agent, Tyler Glass of CSE Talent, negotiated the terms of a multi-year contract “in recent days.”
Winner at all levels
Bibby has not coached in college. He spent six seasons as head coach at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, his alma mater and the program he led to its first state championship in 1996.
As coach there, Bibby led Shadow Mountain to five state championships from 2013-19, including four in succession in elevating the team to a national level.
Bibby starred at the University of Arizona, leading the Wildcats to the NCAA championship as a true-freshman starter. He played in the NBA from 1998-2012, averaging 14.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds.
Bibby enjoyed his best seasons with the Kings between 2001-08, all of them playoff seasons. In his Kings tenure, Bibby averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 476 regular-season games, and he hit the biggest shot in the history of the franchise in Sacramento, dating back to 1985.
Sac State’s struggles
Sacramento State has struggled for most of its time at the Division I level, which started in 1991, with coaches coming and going. The Hornets finished 7-25 this season. Under an interim coaching staff, Sacramento State went 3-15 in the Big Sky Conference with home games played inside the cramped gym called “The Nest.”
Sacramento State is in the process of upgrading and building an on-campus facility that will be ready by the start of the next academic year.
Rocklin High School star forward Mark Lavrenov said he was excited about the Bibby news. The 6-foot-8 forward signed an athletic scholarship deal with Sacramento State before the season.
“Just knowing his past accolades, playing experience and his knowledge for the game, that’s super exciting to be in a position to be able to learn and be coached by a guy like that,” Lavrenov said.
Bibby joins the coaching ranks in Sacramento as one of his teammates has. Doug Christie is the interim head coach for their former team. Bibby regularly appears as part of the Kings TV crew.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 6:12 PM.