San Diego State and coach Brian Dutcher have signed a contract extension through 2027-28, the program announced Wednesday. Dutcher is 173-55 over seven seasons with the Aztecs and helped lead them to the 2023 national championship game.
“I’d like to thank President de la Torre and Athletics Director John David Wicker for the opportunity to continue to mentor and lead the outstanding young men that we have in our program at San Diego State,” Dutcher said in a statement. “Our success began 25 years ago when my friend Steve Fisher came to The Mesa and along with my assistant coaches, we have built a program that competes on a national level every night. I got into coaching to affect the lives of young people and to be able to do it at a school and in a city I love, is all anyone can ask for.”
There’s no one we’d rather have leading our program!
Coach Dutcher has signed a contract extension through the 2027-28 season!!
📰: https://t.co/ZoSJb3UyPN#GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/0nPi9vAAiZ— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) March 6, 2024
Dutcher’s 173 wins are the most through seven seasons in program history. His 75.9 percent winning percentage is also the best of any Aztecs coach. San Diego State is 13-9 against AP Top 25 teams under Dutcher.
“Dutch has been an integral part to building the successful basketball program we have today and last year’s run to the national championship was a defining moment for him and our institution,” Wicker said. “But more than success on the floor, Dutch has built a program based on bringing young men in who also excel in the classroom and the community. I look forward to continuing to see the successes of our student athletes, staff and coaches under Brian’s leadership for the foreseeable future.”
What Dutcher’s extension means for San Diego State
In any coach’s career — even the most successful ones — there are only so many realistic opportunities to jump up a proverbial “rung.” Consider San Diego State’s Final Four opponent last season, Florida Atlantic, and the Owls’ coach Dusty May, who turned 47 in December. Realistically, he could coach for another two decades, if he wants to, which is a big reason why he’ll be one of the most sought-after coaches in the country this offseason. He’s already been linked to Ohio State’s opening, and should other high-major jobs free up — like Louisville, or even Indiana — then expect May to be in the mix there, too.
But Dutcher, by comparison, is 64. He’ll be 65 when next season starts. Sure, a program could’ve thrown a bag of money at him last offseason, after the Aztecs’ national championship game appearance, but none did. That’s largely because you’d realistically only get another decade out of Dutcher — and that’s only if he wants to go that long. But secondly, who would want to leave San Diego? On my recent visit with the program, Dutcher explained the hypothetical, using his alma mater, Minnesota, as a foil. If he loses a road game in the Big Ten in January, his plane lands that night in … Minnesota, likely amidst snow and freezing temperatures. But if he loses a road game in the Mountain West in January, his plane lands that night in … beautiful San Diego. Easy choice.
Plus, consider: Dutcher waited 17 years for his current opportunity with the Aztecs, as Steve Fisher’s longtime assistant (and eventually as the Aztecs’ coach-in-waiting). He has roots in San Diego now. His kids are there. And he’s coming off a season in which he proved he can win at the highest level exactly where he’s comfortable. Where he is now.
This extension may take Dutcher through the end of his career — he’d be 68 then, going on 69 — or maybe he adds another few years on after this. Regardless, it allows him to close out his career in the place he’s most beloved, and with a significant pay bump.
The last thing worth noting is that San Diego State has gone the coach-in-waiting route before. Is that something the program would want to pursue again, especially for the sake of continuity? Assistant coach Dave Velasquez is now in his 22nd season with the Aztecs. He was a manager, player, director of player development and an assistant for the last 11 years — and is heavily involved with designing/coaching SDSU’s patented defense. He’d still be in his early 40s by the end of Dutcher’s extension.
If another school hasn’t tried poaching him yet. But this could set things up nicely for all parties involved: Dutcher gets security (and a raise) to finish his career on his terms; Velasquez gets to learn under his mentor for another few seasons, before possibly ascending to head coach; and San Diego State gets to keep the whole thing in the family, without ever losing the program’s identity. — Brendan Marks, college basketball staff writer
Required reading
(Photo: Jordan Prather / USA Today)
