Vance Walberg hired as Fresno State head men’s basketball coach
Fresno State announced on Saturday the hiring of Vance Walberg as the Bulldogs’ new head men’s basketball coach. Walberg is the former head coach at Pepperdine and has spent the last eight years (21 total) as the head coach at Clovis West HS in Fresno.
“Vance Walberg has an impressive, winning record in our Valley and comes with deep community ties that will enhance our men’s basketball program and our student-athletes,” University President Saul Jiménez-Sandoval said. “With his decades-long track record as an authority in the field, his passion for Fresno State and his drive for excellence, Coach Walberg will take our men’s basketball program to new heights. I am very pleased that a Valley native will lead us to higher levels of greatness.”
Walberg has been a fixture in the California basketball landscape for decades, working at the high school, JUCO, college and professional levels. He has amassed a 559-104 record over two tenures (1989-2002, 2016-24) at Clovis West, and recorded an additional 138 wins over stints at Newark Memorial (1984-89) , Los Altos (1981-83) and Mountain View (1978-81). All told, he has won 16 league titles, 10 section championships and nine conference coach of the year awards.
He also coached Fresno CC from 2002-06, going 133-11 overall with a perfect 34-0 record in 2004-05. That success led to his hiring at Pepperdine, though he resigned during his second year with the Waves with just a 14-35 overall record. Walberg then had assistant stints at UMass and in the NBA befoore return to Clovis West in 2016.
“I am thrilled to embark on this journey with Fresno State as the new head men’s basketball coach,” Walberg said. “I am grateful to both Fresno State and President Jiménez-Sandoval for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity. I am committed to not only fostering a winning culture on the court but also to galvanizing the community around our program while supporting our student-athletes so they can thrive academically and athletically.”
Fresno State parted ways with former head coach Justin Hutson last month after six seasons with no NCAAT or NIT appearances. The Bulldogs went just 12-21 this past season, finishing 9th in the Mountain West.
credit to Fresno State Athletics for the image
