After Chris Acker left San Diego State for the Long Beach State head coaching job, SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher needed to bring in another assistant to complete his staff. 

Former UC Irvine associate head coach Ryan Badrtalei is set to leave the Anteaters, where he coached for 19 years.

In 2020, Badrtalei became the associate head coach under Russell Turner. In the last 13 years, Badrtalei helped the Anteaters win over 265 games, including two NCAA Tournament appearances.

“Ryan brings a wealth of coaching and recruiting experience to our program and immediately stood out when this process began,” head coach Brian Dutcher said in a release from the university. ”I have known Ryan for 19 years and have high expectations for him and our program heading into the upcoming season and beyond.”

Badrtalei has an incredible story as an assistant coach for UC Irvine, which included working with the legendary Kobe Bryant. In 2005, Badrtalei was hired to the UC Irvine staff as the Director of Basketball Operations and video coordinator. Two years later, the friendship with Kobe began. 

The Aztecs’ new assistant coach allowed Kobe to use the UC Irvine facilities starting in 2007 and then helped develop Kobe until the end of his career in 2016. During his time working with Kobe, the Hall of Famer won two NBA championships, an MVP award, and two gold medals with Team USA. 

His relationship with Kobe was something special. 

Badrtalei joined the Anteaters staff in 2009 as an assistant and held that position for 11 years until being promoted to associate head coach. After the 2019-20 season, Stadium Sports named him the top assistant coach in the Big West. He comes to San Diego State with experience and has a chance to be an integral part of the coaching staff. 

“I am absolutely thrilled and deeply honored to join the men’s basketball staff at San Diego State,” Badrtalei said in the same release. “The opportunity to work alongside Coach Dutcher and his incredibly talented staff is a dream come true. The program’s commitment to the student athlete’s experience and pursuit of excellence are values that align with my own. I look forward to contributing to the rich legacy and am excited for the journey ahead.”

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.