STEVE FISHER RETIRES AS AZTECS MEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH; BRIAN DUTCHER TO TAKE OVER

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Fisher is Mountain West all-time winningest coach to work in athletic department; former head coach in waiting takes over for retiring Fisher

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

April 11, 2017 (San Diego) - Steve Fisher, San Diego State’s all-time winningest coach and the winningest coach in Mountain West history, announced today that he is retiring as the head basketball coach at SDSU. Fisher, 72, will continue to work at the University in a part-time capacity.

Fisher, who guided the Aztecs to a 386-209 record in 18 seasons, led San Diego State to a Mountain West-record 10 conference titles, eight NCAA tournaments and 13 postseason appearances.

Combined with his previous school, Fisher led his teams to 570 victories, three Final Four appearances, six Sweet 16 appearances (two at San Diego State), including the 1989 National Championship. He is a two-time national coach of the year (including 2011 Naismith, NABC and Adolph Rupp honors). He is also the recipient of the prestigious 2015 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.

Entering today, Fisher was the ninth-longest active tenured Division I coach and San Diego State’s streak of 12 consecutive seasons with at least 19 victories is tied for the ninth-longest active streak.

When Fisher arrived at San Diego State prior to the 1999-2000 season, few could have anticipated the metamorphosis the program would soon realize. In the season prior to his arrival, SDSU went 4-22 and was 15 years removed from its last NCAA tournament appearance.

Prior to Fisher arriving on the scene, San Diego State had never won a Division I postseason game (NCAA or NIT) and had not even advanced to the semifinals of a conference tournament since 1987.

He leaves SDSU having guided the Aztecs to six NCAA tournament victories and eight postseason NIT wins. Additionally, the Aztecs now own the highest winning percentage in Mountain West tournament play (27-14, 65.9 percent) among active members. San Diego State is also the league’s all-time winningest program in conference wins (168).

San Diego State had never been ranked in the top 25 as a Division I program prior to the 2010-11 campaign. Since that time, the Aztecs have been nationally ranked in five of the last seven seasons, spending 66 weeks in the AP Top 25 poll. Since 2011, only 16 schools in the nation have accumulated more weeks in the AP Top 25 than the Aztecs.

As previously mentioned, Fisher inherited a team that won four games the season before. In three short years, he guided the Aztecs to the 2002 MW championship and NCAA tournament. In 2006, Fisher coached SDSU to the MW regular-season and tournament titles en route to another NCAA appearance. That effort served as a catalyst to a string of 10 straight postseason berths.

In 2010-11, Fisher led San Diego State to the finest season in school history when the MW champion Aztecs won their first-ever NCAA tournament games and advanced to the Sweet 16 before finishing with a 34-3 record. That team ascended to No. 4 in the national rankings. Just three seasons later in 2013-14, SDSU turned in another Sweet-16 performance and posted a mark of 31-5, which included an MW regular-season title and a No. 5 national ranking.

One reason for the program's success has been a remarkable continuity among the assistant coaches and staff. Associate head coach/head coach in waiting Brian Dutcher recently completed his 18th season at San Diego State, serving as Fisher's top assistant for his entire tenure. In 2011, he was named Fisher's successor as the next head coach.

In addition to Dutcher, assistant coaches Justin Hutson (nine seasons as an assistant coach) and David Velasquez (15 seasons with the program and four as an SDSU assistant) are long-time members of the SDSU family. Other tenured staff members include, assistant to the head coach Mark Fisher (15 seasons at SDSU), director of basketball operations Matt Soria (17 seasons with the program, 10th at his current position) and director of player of development Tim Shelton (10 seasons at SDSU and fourth in his current role).

ng-time San Diego State men’s basketball assistant coach Brian Dutcher has become the program’s 15th head coach following Steve Fisher’s retirement announcement today. Dutcher, who has been on Montezuma Mesa for all of Fisher’s 18 seasons, held the title of associate head coach/head coach in waiting the last six years.

Over the course of his time at San Diego State, Dutcher has helped the Aztecs reach the postseason 13 times, including eight trips to the NCAA tournament, win a conference-best 10 Mountain West titles and record 12 seasons of at least 20 victories.

Since 2008-09, Dutcher and SDSU twice advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2011, 2014) and NIT semifinal round (2009, 2016), won at least 25 games seven times and captured seven MW championships (five regular season, two tournament).

Dutcher arrived at SDSU shortly after Fisher was hired on March 26, 1999. In his first year in “America’s Finest City,” the Aztecs won only five games, but improved upon their win total from the season before. After that, San Diego State posted a 14-14 record in 2000-01, before winning the 2002 MW Championship, earning an NCAA tournament bid and finishing with a 21-12 record. The 2002-03 campaign saw SDSU receive an NIT invitation, which culminated in the program’s first Division I postseason victory.

After helping attract the first McDonald’s All-American to the 2002-03 squad, Dutcher assisted in securing the signatures of future starters and all-league performers Brandon Heath and Marcus Slaughter. The duo started their first two seasons on The Mesa, leading to the 2005-06 season that produced the school’s first Mountain West regular-season and tournament title sweep. The Aztecs advanced to the NCAA tournament and ultimately won a then-school-record 24 games. That appearance led to a string of 10 consecutive postseason berths.

From the 2006-07 campaign through 2008-09, San Diego State registered 20 or more wins and went to three straight NITs. In 2009, the Aztecs advanced to the NIT semifinals and broke the previous school record with 26 victories.

The run to the NIT semifinals was a springboard to the most successful run in SDSU basketball history. Led by future NBA first-round draft pick and NBA champion Kawhi Leonard, the 2009-10 Aztecs won the MW Championship, advanced to the NCAA tournament and fell four points shy of moving on to the second round before finishing with a 25-9 record.

The NCAA experience from the 2009-10 squad proved fruitful in 2010-11 when it returned all five starters, including Leonard, and a freshman named Jamaal Franklin, who would turn out to be a future MW Player of the Year and NBA draft selection. With Dutcher on staff, SDSU won its first 20 games of the year, shared the MW regular-season title and captured the MW tournament crown. The Aztecs moved on to the NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed and won the program’s first Division I NCAA tournament game. San Diego State, which was ranked as high as No. 4 and received first-place votes at one point in the season, advanced to the Sweet 16 and fell to the eventual national champion, finishing with a school-record 34 wins, a mark that still stands today. The Aztecs’ also found themselves in the final top-25 polls, ranking sixth in the AP and 11th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Five months after SDSU’s record-setting 2010-11 campaign, the University elevated Dutcher from associate head coach to associate head coach/head coach in waiting.

In his first season with his new title, Dutcher and the Aztecs advanced to the 2011-12 NCAA tournament as an at-large team and recorded 26 wins. The next season, SDSU was again an at-large selection to the 2013 NCAA tournament, moved on to the round of 32 for the second time in three years and finished with 23 victories.

Another NCAA Sweet 16 run was in the cards in Dutcher’s third season as the head coach in waiting. The Aztecs opened the season by winning 21 of their first 22 games, including 20 in a row at one point, and were led by seniors Xavier Thames, who would become an NBA draft pick, and Josh Davis. SDSU won the program’s second outright Mountain West regular-season title and later swept through two games in Spokane, Washington, to secure its second Sweet 16 appearance in four seasons. San Diego State compiled 31 wins and finished the season ranked 13th in the AP and 12th in the Coaches after rising to as high as fifth nationally in both polls.

The 2014-15 campaign saw the Aztecs spend their fifth straight season in the top 25. In the process of winning 27 games, San Diego State grabbed its second straight MW regular-season crown and earned an at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament where they defeated St. John’s in the round of 64. One season later, the Aztecs found themselves in the NIT after winning the MW by three games with a 16-2 record. Nevertheless, San Diego State won three games and qualified for the NIT national semifinals, eventually logging 28 victories.

More recently, San Diego State completed the 2016-17 slate with a 19-14 record despite experiencing a rash of injuries. The 2016 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic champions will enter 2017-18 as one of 12 teams to have won at least 19 games in 12 consecutive seasons.

Before Dutcher arrived at San Diego State, he served as assistant coach and later associate head coach at Michigan under Fisher. He spent 10 seasons on the Wolverine staff, establishing himself as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches. His first year in Ann Arbor was 1989 and resulted in a national title for Michigan as he assisted then-interim head coach Fisher on the bench.

The Bloomington, Minn., native led UM’s recruiting efforts in 1990-91 when the Wolverines inked Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose and Chris Webber. The “Fab Five” is considered perhaps the best recruiting class in NCAA history. Dutcher helped lead that group to nearly 100 wins, two berths in the NCAA championship game and a regional final over a four-year period. He was also on the Michigan staff for an NIT championship (1997).

Dutcher’s recruiting prowess, however, was demonstrated by more than just the “Fab Five” haul. Michigan had the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class in 1993-94 and in 1994-95, with a group that included Maurice Taylor and Jerod Ward. The accomplishment marked the first time that a university had the nation’s top class in consecutive years, according to recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons.

Dutcher was born Oct. 30, 1959, in Alpena, Mich. He attended Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minn., and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Minnesota in 1982. While an undergraduate, he worked for his father, then-Gopher head coach Jim Dutcher. He then spent one season in the prep ranks at Apple Valley (Minn.) High School before becoming a graduate assistant at Illinois, where he earned his master’s degree in physical education and athletic administration.

While in Champaign, Dutcher helped Lou Henson lead the Illini to a Big Ten championship, two appearances in the Sweet 16 and one regional final.

Dutcher’s first full-time coaching job came at South Dakota State, where he spent three seasons helping turn around the Division II program before departing in 1988 for Michigan.

His final season in Ann Arbor ended with the Wolverines claiming the first-ever Big Ten Tournament championship.

Brian Dutcher Year-By-Year (Division I Only)

                                                            Overall                           Conference

Year            School                            W-L             Pct.             W-L             Pct.             Postseason/Championships

1988-89     Michigan                        30-7            .811            12-6            .667            NCAA Champions

1989-90     Michigan                        23-8            .742            12-6            .667            NCAA Second Round

1990-91     Michigan                        14-15         .483            7-11            .389            NIT First Round

1991-92     Michigan                        25-9            .735            11-7            .611            NCAA Runner-Up

1992-93     Michigan                        31-5            .861            15-3            .833            NCAA Runner-Up

1993-94     Michigan                        24-8            .750            13-5            .722            NCAA Regional Finalist

1994-95     Michigan                        17-14         .548            11-7            .611            NCAA First Round

1995-96     Michigan                        20-12         .625            10-8            .556            NCAA First Round

1996-97     Michigan                        24-11         .686            9-9              .500            NIT Champions

1997-98     Michigan                        25-9            .735            11-5            .688            NCAA Second Round/Big Ten Tournament Champions

10 Seasons at UM                           233-98       .704            111-67       .624            8 NCAA Tournaments, 10 Postseason Appearances

                                                            Overall                           Conference

Year           School                            W-L             Pct.             W-L             Pct.             Postseason/Championships

1999-00     San Diego State            5-23            .179            0-14            .000

2000-01     San Diego State            14-14         .500            4-10            .286           

2001-02     San Diego State            21-12         .636            7-7              .500            NCAA first round/MW tournament Champions

2002-03     San Diego State            16-14         .533            6-8              .429            NIT second round

2003-04     San Diego State            14-16         .467            5-9              .357           

2004-05     San Diego State            11-18         .379            4-10            .286           

2005-06     San Diego State            24-9            .727            13-3            .813            NCAA First Round/MW Regular-Season, Tournament Champions

2006-07     San Diego State            22-11         .667            10-6            .625            NIT Second Round

2007-08     San Diego State            20-13         .606            9-7              .563            NIT First Round

2008-09     San Diego State            26-10         .722            11-5            .688            NIT Semifinals

2009-10     San Diego State            25-9            .735            11-5            .688            NCAA First Round/MW Tournament Champions

2010-11     San Diego State            34-3            .919            14-2            .875            NCAA Sweet 16/MW Regular-Season, Tournament Champions

2011-12     San Diego State            26-8            .765            10-4            .714            NCAA Second Round/MW Regular-Season Champions

2012-13     San Diego State            23-11         .676            9-7              .563            NCAA Third Round

2013-14     San Diego State            31-5            .861            16-2            .889            NCAA Sweet 16/MW Regular-Season Champions

2014-15     San Diego State            27-9            .750            14-4            .778            NCAA Third Round/MW Co-Regular-Season Champions

2015-16     San Diego State            28-10         .737            16-2            .889            NIT Semifinals/MW Regular-Season Champions

2016-17     San Diego State            19-14         .576            9-9              .500           

18 Seasons at SDSU                        386-209     .649            168-114     .596            8 NCAA Tournaments, 13 Postseason Appearances

                                                            Overall                           Conference

                                                            W-L             Pct.             W-L             Pct.             Postseason

28-Season Career Totals                619-307     .668            279-181     .607            16 NCAA Tournaments, 23 Postseason Appearances

Steve Fisher Year-By-Year at San Diego State

Year           School                          W-L            Pct.            Postseason/Honors


1999-00    San Diego State        5-23           .179         

2000-01    San Diego State        14-14         .500

2001-02    San Diego State        21-12         .636            NCAA First Round; First NCAA trip since 1985

2002-03    San Diego State        16-14         .552            NIT Second Round

2003-04    San Diego State        14-16         .483

2004-05    San Diego State        11-18         .379

2005-06    San Diego State        24-9           .727            MW regular season and tournament champs; NCAA berth

2006-07    San Diego State        22-11         .667            NIT Second Round

2007-08    San Diego State        20-13         .606            NIT First Round

2008-09    San Diego State        26-10         .722            NIT Semifinals

2009-10    San Diego State        25-9           .735            NCAA First Round, MW tournament champions

2010-11    San Diego State        34-3           .919            NCAA Sweet 16; MW champions (co-reg. season, tourney), MW COY

2011-12    San Diego State        26-8           .765            NCAA Second Round; MW co-reg. season champs; MW COY

2012-13    San Diego State        23-11         .676            NCAA Third Round; Fifth straight season with at least 23 wins

2013-14    San Diego State        31-5           .861            NCAA Sweet 16; Outright MW regular-season champions

2014-15    San Diego State        27-9           .750            NCAA Third Round; MW champions (co-regular season)    

2015-16    San Diego State        28-10         .737            NIT Semifinals; Outright MW regular-season champions (16-2); MW COY

2016-17    San Diego State        19-14         .576            12th straight season with at least 19 wins (T-9th longest streak)

18 Seasons at SDSU                    386-209    .649            8 NCAA Tournaments; 13 Postseason Appearances

 

 

 


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