Men's Basketball
Hutson, Justin
Justin Hutson
- Title:
- Head Coach
THE HUTSON FILE
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
Spouse: Stacie Terry-Hutson
COACHING HISTORY
Fresno State
2018-present: Head Coach
San DIego State
2017-18: Associate Head Coach
2013-17: Assistant Coach
UNLV
2011-13: Associate Head Coach
San Diego State
2006-11: Assistant Coach
Cal Poly
2004-06: Assistant Coach
Bakersfield HS
2000-04: Head Coach
CSU Bakersfield
1998-2000: Assistant Coach
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
CSU Bakersfield
DII National Champion (1993, 1994)
EDUCATION
CSU Bakersfield (1994)
Bachelor's in Physical Education
CSU Bakersfield (1995)
Teaching Credential
CSU Bakersfield (1994)
Master's of Arts in Education
YEAR-BY-YEAR AT FRESNO STATE
2018-19: 23-9 (13-5 MW)
2019-20: 11-19 (7-11 MW)
2020-21: 12-12 (9-11 MW)
2021-22: 23-13 (8-9 MW)
2022-23: 11-20 (6-12 MW)
Justin Hutson, one of the West’s best recruiters and a veteran of the Mountain West conference, is in entering his sixth season as Fresno State’s 19th head men’s basketball coach.
In his five four seasons at Fresno State, Hutson produced a 80-73 record. Hutson has twice won 23 games in a season (2018-19 and 2021-22) and guided the Bulldogs while capturing the 2022 The Basketball Classic, presented by ERACISM, Championship.
Hutson, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., led Fresno State to a 23-9 record during his first season back home in the Valley to earn 2018-19 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year honors. The national award is presented annually to the top first-time head coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.
During the 2018-19 season, Fresno State ranked ninth nationally in 3-point field goals per game (10.7), 16th in total 3-point field goals and 24th nationally in both 3-point field goal percentage defense (225-735, 30.6 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage offense (342-897, 38.1 percent). The Bulldogs’ defense also led the MW in steals (228, 7.1 steals per game) and turnovers forced (13.7 per game). Three Bulldogs earned All-MW honors and senior guard/forward Sam Bittner earned the program’s first Academic All-American recognition. Fresno State was also one of two MW teams to go 7-2 on the road in conference play, which tied for the second-most MW road wins by a team in 20 seasons of MW basketball. Throughout the 2019-20 campaign, Hutson turned to a rotation, which featured six freshmen, who averaged a MW-leading 101.7 minutes per game and produced 33.4 points of the team’s 69.2 points per game (48.3 percent of the total points). Freshman forward Orlando Robinson (12.2 ppg) led the squad in scoring.
PRIOR TO FRESNO STATE
Hutson returned to the Valley after serving as a Division I assistant coach for 10 seasons at San Diego State (2006-11, ’13-18), two seasons at UNLV (2011-13), two seasons at Cal Poly (2004-06) and two seasons at CSU Bakersfield (1998-2000).
San Diego State
During his time at San Diego State, Hutson helped elevate the Aztecs to the national program it has become. In his first five seasons (2006-11), SDSU won three MW titles and earned postseason berths in each of those campaigns. In 2010-11, San Diego State won 20 straight games to begin the season, won the MW regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament before finishing with a school-record 34 victories. SDSU ended the year ranked No. 6/11 nationally.
Upon returning to San Diego State, the Aztecs won the MW regular-season championship in 2014 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament before finishing with a No. 13/12 national ranking. In the last four seasons, which have produced a pair of additional MW regular-season titles, the Aztecs appeared in the third round of the 2015 NCAA tournament, went to the semifinals of the 2016 NIT and won the 2018 MW Tournament to secure a NCAA Tournament first round appearance.
SDSU’s defensive numbers also improved to an elite level when he decided to rejoin the Aztec coaching staff. As the defensive coordinator, San Diego State finished in the top 15 nationally in both scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense in his first four seasons back. San Diego State finished second in scoring defense in 2014 and 2015, third in 2016 and 15th in 2017. As far as field-goal percentage defense, the Aztecs were eighth in 2014, seventh in 2015, first in 2016 and eighth in 2017.
UNLV
In his two years at UNLV, Hutson helped coach the Rebels to a pair of 25-win seasons and two NCAA appearances. He played a key role in helping UNLV bring in a highly regarded incoming class in 2012-13, which included the 2013 No. 1 overall NBA Draft selection, Anthony Bennett, a player Hutson recruited.
San Diego State
In both of his stints on the Montezuma Mesa, Hutson played a pivotal part in SDSU’s recruiting efforts as the team’s recruiting coordinator. He was the point person in recruiting future All-Americans and NBA Draft picks Kawhi Leonard, Jamaal Franklin and Xavier Thames, while also helping land D.J. Gay, who left SDSU as the school’s all-time leader in career wins, and Chase Tapley, who was a four-year starter. More recently, Hutson led the charge in the Aztecs inking Malik Pope and Jeremy Hemsley.
In a poll of Division I coaches conducted by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman in the summer of 2013, Hutson was considered the eighth-best recruiting assistant nationally and the best on the West Coast. More recently, ESPN’s Adam Finkelstein listed Hutson as a top up-and-coming recruiter (May 2014), while Miles Simon placed him on his west region ultimate coaching staff (May 2014).
Hutson is 24-2 all-time as a Division I head or assistant coach when coaching against one of his former teams.
Bakersfield High School
Hutson also served as the head varsity coach at Bakersfield High where he led the Drillers to a CIF Central Section title and four appearances in the playoffs in four seasons. His 2004 team was ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation and fourth in California, while his 2003 squad finished the season with a 25-5 record and won the section title.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
CSU Bakersfield
As a collegiate player, Hutson enjoyed a storied career, winning two NCAA Division II championships at CSU Bakersfield. In the 1993 championship season, the Roadrunners were undefeated with a 33-0 record and followed that up with a 27-6 record during the 1994 season.
In his five four seasons at Fresno State, Hutson produced a 80-73 record. Hutson has twice won 23 games in a season (2018-19 and 2021-22) and guided the Bulldogs while capturing the 2022 The Basketball Classic, presented by ERACISM, Championship.
Hutson, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., led Fresno State to a 23-9 record during his first season back home in the Valley to earn 2018-19 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year honors. The national award is presented annually to the top first-time head coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.
During the 2018-19 season, Fresno State ranked ninth nationally in 3-point field goals per game (10.7), 16th in total 3-point field goals and 24th nationally in both 3-point field goal percentage defense (225-735, 30.6 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage offense (342-897, 38.1 percent). The Bulldogs’ defense also led the MW in steals (228, 7.1 steals per game) and turnovers forced (13.7 per game). Three Bulldogs earned All-MW honors and senior guard/forward Sam Bittner earned the program’s first Academic All-American recognition. Fresno State was also one of two MW teams to go 7-2 on the road in conference play, which tied for the second-most MW road wins by a team in 20 seasons of MW basketball. Throughout the 2019-20 campaign, Hutson turned to a rotation, which featured six freshmen, who averaged a MW-leading 101.7 minutes per game and produced 33.4 points of the team’s 69.2 points per game (48.3 percent of the total points). Freshman forward Orlando Robinson (12.2 ppg) led the squad in scoring.
PRIOR TO FRESNO STATE
Hutson returned to the Valley after serving as a Division I assistant coach for 10 seasons at San Diego State (2006-11, ’13-18), two seasons at UNLV (2011-13), two seasons at Cal Poly (2004-06) and two seasons at CSU Bakersfield (1998-2000).
San Diego State
During his time at San Diego State, Hutson helped elevate the Aztecs to the national program it has become. In his first five seasons (2006-11), SDSU won three MW titles and earned postseason berths in each of those campaigns. In 2010-11, San Diego State won 20 straight games to begin the season, won the MW regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament before finishing with a school-record 34 victories. SDSU ended the year ranked No. 6/11 nationally.
Upon returning to San Diego State, the Aztecs won the MW regular-season championship in 2014 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament before finishing with a No. 13/12 national ranking. In the last four seasons, which have produced a pair of additional MW regular-season titles, the Aztecs appeared in the third round of the 2015 NCAA tournament, went to the semifinals of the 2016 NIT and won the 2018 MW Tournament to secure a NCAA Tournament first round appearance.
SDSU’s defensive numbers also improved to an elite level when he decided to rejoin the Aztec coaching staff. As the defensive coordinator, San Diego State finished in the top 15 nationally in both scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense in his first four seasons back. San Diego State finished second in scoring defense in 2014 and 2015, third in 2016 and 15th in 2017. As far as field-goal percentage defense, the Aztecs were eighth in 2014, seventh in 2015, first in 2016 and eighth in 2017.
UNLV
In his two years at UNLV, Hutson helped coach the Rebels to a pair of 25-win seasons and two NCAA appearances. He played a key role in helping UNLV bring in a highly regarded incoming class in 2012-13, which included the 2013 No. 1 overall NBA Draft selection, Anthony Bennett, a player Hutson recruited.
San Diego State
In both of his stints on the Montezuma Mesa, Hutson played a pivotal part in SDSU’s recruiting efforts as the team’s recruiting coordinator. He was the point person in recruiting future All-Americans and NBA Draft picks Kawhi Leonard, Jamaal Franklin and Xavier Thames, while also helping land D.J. Gay, who left SDSU as the school’s all-time leader in career wins, and Chase Tapley, who was a four-year starter. More recently, Hutson led the charge in the Aztecs inking Malik Pope and Jeremy Hemsley.
In a poll of Division I coaches conducted by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman in the summer of 2013, Hutson was considered the eighth-best recruiting assistant nationally and the best on the West Coast. More recently, ESPN’s Adam Finkelstein listed Hutson as a top up-and-coming recruiter (May 2014), while Miles Simon placed him on his west region ultimate coaching staff (May 2014).
Hutson is 24-2 all-time as a Division I head or assistant coach when coaching against one of his former teams.
Bakersfield High School
Hutson also served as the head varsity coach at Bakersfield High where he led the Drillers to a CIF Central Section title and four appearances in the playoffs in four seasons. His 2004 team was ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation and fourth in California, while his 2003 squad finished the season with a 25-5 record and won the section title.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
CSU Bakersfield
As a collegiate player, Hutson enjoyed a storied career, winning two NCAA Division II championships at CSU Bakersfield. In the 1993 championship season, the Roadrunners were undefeated with a 33-0 record and followed that up with a 27-6 record during the 1994 season.
