OFFICIAL: Chris Acker hired as head coach at Long Beach State

Confirming the news that first broke last week, Long Beach State has announced that Chris Acker has been hired as its next head men’s basketball coach. Acker has been an assistant at San Diego State since 2019 and was with the Aztecs for their 2023 NCAA Runner-up finish.

“Our search committee placed a premium on identifying a candidate with a championship pedigree, a desire to support the holistic development of the young men in our basketball program, and a connection to the tremendous community of Long Beach,” AD Bobby Smitheran said. “Chris Acker exemplifies all of those qualities, and his brand of leadership is exactly what is needed for the next era of Beach Basketball. He is passionate, intentional, gritty, and a man of great integrity, and we look forward to seeing what he can build in the next chapter of this storied program.”

Acker, 44, is a Los Angeles-native who has spent most of his coaching career on the West Coast, including a stint as head coach at West Los Angeles College (2013-15). Over the last decade as a D-I assistant at SDSU, Boise State and Hawaii, he has developed strong offenses and earned a stellar reputation for player development. He has been a key member of Brian Dutcher‘s staff since his arrival in 2019, helping lead the Aztecs to three Mountain West titles and four NCAA Tournaments.

“My family and I are thrilled to be part of the Long Beach State community and we look forward to developing an elite basketball program the city of Long Beach will proud of,” said Acker. “With Long Beach State’s rich history and traditions, we will work together to connect current and past players, students, campus stakeholders, and the greater community to once again become a premier program in Southern California.”

Long Beach State is coming off of an NCAA Tournament appearance that they earned by winning the Big West Tournament after former head coach Dan Monson’s firing had already been announced. Monson led the Beach for seventeen seasons, winning 275 games and going to two NCAA Tournaments and four NITs.

credit to Long Beach Athletics for the image