By Mark Haynes | OBSERVER Correspondent
In its second big-time hire in three months, sources told The OBSERVER that Sacramento State is expected to name former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby as head coach of its men’s basketball team Tuesday.
The addition of the 46-year-old Bibby to the Hornet athletic department adds to the recent momentum of the program. In December, Sac State Athletic Director Mark Orr hired 37-year-old Brennan Marion as the school’s first-ever Black head football coach.
Now Bibby, one of the most beloved members in Sacramento Kings history will join the program.
Bibby is taking over a Hornets team that finished last season with an unimpressive overall record of 7-25 and 3-15 in conference play, which placed them tenth in the Big Sky Conference.
Sac State President Dr. Luke Wood and Orr’s hiring of Bibby is another courageous move that is sure to excite local basketball fans.
The 2025-26 season will mark the beginning of Bibby’s collegiate coaching career, however, this isn’t his first opportunity to coach organized basketball since retiring from the NBA in 2012. In 2013, he worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Shadow Mountain High School, and in 2019, he became the head coach at Hillcrest Prep High School, both located in Phoenix, Arizona. He has also been very involved with amateur basketball over the years and will likely bring talented players to the Hornet program.
Bibby is one of the most beloved and influential Kings of all time. In his tenure with the organization between 2001 and 2008, the former No. 2 pick in the draft played a vital role in the best years of franchise history.
As a member of the Kings, Bibby averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 assists per night on 43.9 shooting from the field and 37.7 from beyond the arc. He and Chris Webber led the Kings to the Conference Finals only to lose to Shaquille O’Neal, the late Kobe Bryant, and the Los Angeles Lakers in a memorable seven-game series.
Bibby won a NCAA basketball championship as a collegiate athlete at the University of Arizona under legendary coach Lute Olson. He was named first-team All-America as well as the Pac-10 Player of the Year.
Most recently, Bibby worked for NBC Sports California, covering the Kings. He also hosted the Straight Game Podcast with co-hosts former Kings guard Eddie House and Ty Ellis.