SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State University and men's basketball head coach Brian Katz have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, Athletic Director Mark Orr announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Katz, 62, just completed his 12th season with the Hornets, leading them to their second best single-season record in school history since becoming a Division I program.
Sacramento State is 123-209 under coach Katz dating back to the 2008 season. The Hornets have only enjoyed two seasons above .500 in the D-I era, both of which were led by Katz, who graduated Sac State back in 1980.
"I am thankful to Mark Orr and President (Robert) Nelsen for believing in me and our basketball program," Katz said. "I'm excited to continue my coaching career at Sacramento State, and with our current group of players, coaches and incoming recruits, I feel like we can build on what we were not able to finish this past season."
The Hornets's season was cut short in the Big Sky Conference Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the remainder of the season, including the NCAA Tournament, were canceled.
Katz led the program to a 16-14 overall record, thanks to a first round win in the conference tournament over Weber State. The Hornets were going to meet Eastern Washington in the next round before the tournament was canceled.
Katz has been an energetic spark to the athletic program and has a strong community support throughout the city. His Hornets have protected their small basketball gym — known as the Nest — with an impressive 77-34 record on the home court dating back to 2012.
During Katz's tenure, 38 of the 39 players to expire their eligibility have graduated, and all four of this year's seniors — Chibueze Jacobs, Izayah Mauriohooho-Le’afa, Osi Nwachukwu and Joshua Patton — are on track to gradate this spring. The team currently has a 3.002 overall grade point average.
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"I am excited to continue a partnership with Coach Katz in leading Hornet basketball to compete for Big Sky championships," Orr said. "Brian and his staff have developed outstanding student-athletes, and truly care about their educational experience at Sacramento State.
"While we were all disappointed the team was unable to finish the 2020 Big Sky Tournament, we were proud of the way the team finished the season, and look forward to continuing that momentum into next year. Sacramento State, Brian, and I are committed to advancing the program further in the upcoming years, and hope for a large number of Hornet fans returning to the Nest to support next year’s team."
Follow Sean Cunningham on Twitter: @SeanCunningham
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