Fresno State Athletics
Justin Hutson Introductory Press Conference Quotes Page
Save Mart Center press room
April 5, 2018
President Joseph I. Castro remarks
Opening statement
“Good afternoon everybody. I want to thank all of you for being here today. After a search that yielded an abundant amount of talent and wish to lead our men’s basketball team, one person stands out among them and that is Justin Hutson. Welcome back to the Valley, Justin. Today is the beginning of a new and very exciting era for men’s basketball at Fresno State.”
On why Hutson was selected for the head coach position…
“Justin was selected because he believes, like Steve Robertello and I do, that we have very talented student-athletes who have unrealized potential. With his coaching skills, he will help us to unleash the extraordinary gifts that these young men have on and off the court. With his recruiting skills, he will help to attract the most talented men, with character and integrity, to join our University in the future and get them to graduate with a degree and move forward to be a part of the next generation of leaders. As we have done at Fresno State since 2013, we are attracting leaders who are passionate for being here in the Valley. For Justin, a Bakersfield native, this job is professional and personal. I look forward to working with Justin and supporting him in the coming years as our basketball program rises to success.”
Interim Athletics Director Steve Robertello remarks
Opening statement
“What an incredible day this is. It is such a thrill to see a packed room with our student-athletes here [in attendance] to support our brand new head coach. What an outstanding era we are about to embark on here at Fresno State. It’s been a fun process through the last three weeks to see Justin rise to the top and be an incredible leader for our student-athletes.”
“I do want to thank several people who were highly involved. It’s not just one person or two people that go through this process, there’s a lot of great people that were involved. First, I want to thank Dr. Castro for his incredible leadership for not just our university, but our student-athletes and coaches on a daily basis. He sets a high bar for all of us to follow and what he does and how he exudes leadership means a great deal to us, so thank you so much Dr. Castro.”
“Our search committee that Dr. Castro mentioned, I am going to mention our folks by name because they put a lot of great, high-energy effort into finding our next basketball coach. First and foremost, Dr. Frank Lamas, our VP of Student Affairs, he was on the search committee. Thank you, Frank. Coach Jamie White, in the back there. Coach Jamie, thank you. You provided some unbelievable insight and basketball knowledge. I think I told you through this process, I am going to join your bench now after learning all that I did about college basketball here in the last three weeks. Definitely a lot of fun. Also, from our HR staff, our Marylou Mendoza-Miller. Thank you so much, you provided tremendous leadership and guidance from a HR perspective through this process. Dawn Lewis, one of our faculty athletic representatives, who had incredible insight into our student-athletes and making sure we are doing all of the wonderful things there. And then, Omel Nieves. I’m sure a lot of you remember Omel from our NIT Championship Team. Thank you, Omel, for what you did for this process in helping us find our next basketball coach.”
“As we get through this process, there are a few other thank yous. First, Byron Jones. I do want to take a moment and thank Coach Jones for his incredible leadership in stepping into the interim role. He was outstanding with what he did in guiding our student-athletes through the last three weeks. We appreciate all that Coach Jones did during this time. Next, our student-athletes. What a great group of men’s basketball student-athletes we have. We had an opportunity to meet with the team with Coach Hutson and it was as I told them, an incredible honor as we went through this process. You guys gave me great feedback during this but also what I appreciate is that you trusted us to find your next leader. That means a great deal to us and I think we found a great one for you. The early signs, wow. I was in that room and what a great time that was. But thank you for all that you do in representing Fresno State in the highest of class and integrity. And not just on the basketball court, but academically and socially as well. So, thank you to each and every one of you.”
“As we go forward and as I look at the last bit, there is someone else who played a big role in this and that is Andy Bennett. Andy was there every step of the way as we went through the last three weeks. Thank you for what you did as well. And then, the last thank you is to the Fresno community for the great support of our men’s basketball program. A lot of you reached out and I can’t tell you how much it means to hear what you’re looking for in our next basketball coach. It was a tremendous honor to be involved in that. Thank you, Red Wave, for all of your support and passion for Fresno State’s basketball program and our community.”
“When we started this process, we were looking for some very strong attributes. Basically, we wanted to find the best coach we could find and someone that could recruit at a high level. But we also wanted to find that individual that first and foremost would take care of our student-athletes. Academically, socially, athletically, that was a big part of it. And then someone that came from a high-level program and someone that’s won at a high-level and knew how to win in the Mountain West. Obviously, 10 years that he was at San Diego State, his time at UNLV, he won championships. We talked a lot about being a program that goes from good to great and that’s exactly where Coach Hutson is going to take us as we go through the next years to come.”
“We had a lot of great interest in this position and a lot of wonderful people but coach rose to the top. Again, you look at his background, you look at what he’s done across college basketball. He understands the game and comes from a family that knows basketball. His father is a basketball coach. He gets the game and that’s so important to understand what it’s like to be a coach and be able to go home and have that mentorship and leadership. The other thing is, he understands the Valley. His passion for the Valley is so strong with him wanting to be at Fresno State and build a great program here. We’ve already got a great program in place and he’s going to take us to that next step. That connection to the Valley means so much to us because we want all of you at our game, and that’s a big part. It is my unbelievable honor and privilege to welcome the 19th head coach of Fresno State (men’s) basketball, Justin Hutson.”
Head Coach Justin Hutson remarks and Q&A
Opening statement
“Thank you everybody for coming out. First of all I have some people to thank for this unbelievable opportunity that I have today and want to start with Dr. Castro. We’re going to be bold and our academics and athletics are going to rise together starting with our program. Secondly, I want to thank Steve Robertello for having faith and confidence in me. It was a great search, I had a great time spending with you over the last three weeks and you were very thorough and I thank you. And also the search committee, I had a good time with them, they were educated and asked great questions, and it felt like a family. I told my family coming out of the search committee interview it felt like family. It didn’t feel like an interview. They were really trying to get to know me and I’m glad they did.
Secondly, I want to thank the San Diego State family. I was there 10 years and built some great relationships there not only with the players but with the staff. I want to thank JD Wicker, Jim Sterk, Brian Dutcher and lastly Steve Fisher. Everyone knows how good a coach Steve Fisher is, but he’s a better man than he is a coach. And I would not be here if it wasn’t for him.
Thirdly I want to thank my family. I was raised in Bakersfield by a single father, Mark Hutson, who was a math teacher and a basketball coach. And I learned right away that players were more than just basketball players with coach. I want to thank my daughters. There’s no way you can be successful in this business without having sacrifices of being gone. We’re gone a lot, traveling a lot, and they sacrifice for me. And I’m excited to be even closer to them where they can get down and see us play and I can get down and see more of their games. I have family here in Fresno, I have my two favorite aunts here in Fresno. I have my stepmom here in Fresno, so when I say I am from the Valley, I really mean it. It’s not just Bakersfield.”
“What excites me about Fresno, not too often do you get to have a great opportunity and your dream job mixed in one. That’s what I have here at Fresno State. Fresno State has great tradition; specifically its basketball program has a long history and a great history. It started with Boyd Grant, who built the foundation for this program. He was in my home recruiting a player named Otis Jennings and I remember watching Boyd Grant. I remember watching the rivalries with the Red Wave and UNLV and you're trying to watch the different shades of red and differentiate between them. Our red is better by the way. Moving right on to Coach Tarkanian who brought the excitement back to the program, and the vision of building the Save Mart Center. I want to be the coach that helps Coach Tark the Red Wave reach their vision of filling the Save Mart Center.”
“I want to thank coach Rodney Terry. How often do you get the chance to take over a program that isn’t broken? The cupboard is not bare . We have great student-athletes here, great young men. I want to thank him for that.”
“Today is a homecoming for me. I am a Valley guy. This is where I have my roots and family. Having the opportunity to come home and be the next head coach of the school I dreamed about is very special for me. I want to thank the President Castro and Steve Robertello for trusting me with this program. I am ready to get to work and lead this team.”
“Lastly, this is home for me. The ‘Green V’ means a lot to me, I remember where I was at, I was coaching at Bakersfield High at the time when I found out what the Green V meant. I didn't know what it was. They said the green is for agriculture, and the V is for the Valley. That gave me great pride. I worked in the melon sheds. I worked in the cotton fields. And our program is going to work that hard, because there are a lot of great people and hard workers in the Valley.”
“I want to thank the players for being here today and supporting me. I told them that this is the hard part, speaking in front of this group, you have to practice. I spoke to the them today for an hour, that was easy. That’s what I was born for, I was in my element. I want to thank them for coming out and supporting me. I’m excited that they're here. I know a lot about them personally. We have a good team coming back and I am looking forward to winning championships with these men that are right next to me, and graduating them. It’s a great day to be a Bulldog and Go ‘Dogs!”
On being the head coach at Fresno State...
"This is a dream job. It's absolutely wonderful. I never could have though it. When I interviewed with Coach Fisher, he said he would be just as happy being a high school coach in Southern Illinois. I said I would be just as happy being a high school coach in Bakersfield, California. Now, to be leading this program with such great coaches and tradition, it's an honor."
On his style of basketball...
“I promised Dr. Castro and Mr. Robertello that they wouldn’t be disappointed in our attitude and our effort. We are going to play great defense. We are going to play a fast style on offense that utilizes the three-point line in transition. I want to make sure we are playing an exciting style of basketball and exciting teams in the Save Mart Center that is part of getting the Red Wave back.”
On bringing the passion back to Fresno State basketball…
"It's going to start with me so I'm going to get out in the community, not just Fresno, but Hanford and Visalia, Bakersfield and Corcoran. I have to get out there. It's a great community, a lot of diversity. We have to get the old Red Wave back, and we also need to build some new Red Wave and get some excitement there. It starts with me and I'm excited to do it. One of the young men asked me that today and I'm saying now that we need you. We need a home court advantage here. There are a lot of home court advantages in the Mountain West and there is not going to be any better than the Red Wave. I remember those red cars going up and down the 99 freeway so lets go!"
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
April 5, 2018
President Joseph I. Castro remarks
Opening statement
“Good afternoon everybody. I want to thank all of you for being here today. After a search that yielded an abundant amount of talent and wish to lead our men’s basketball team, one person stands out among them and that is Justin Hutson. Welcome back to the Valley, Justin. Today is the beginning of a new and very exciting era for men’s basketball at Fresno State.”
On why Hutson was selected for the head coach position…
“Justin was selected because he believes, like Steve Robertello and I do, that we have very talented student-athletes who have unrealized potential. With his coaching skills, he will help us to unleash the extraordinary gifts that these young men have on and off the court. With his recruiting skills, he will help to attract the most talented men, with character and integrity, to join our University in the future and get them to graduate with a degree and move forward to be a part of the next generation of leaders. As we have done at Fresno State since 2013, we are attracting leaders who are passionate for being here in the Valley. For Justin, a Bakersfield native, this job is professional and personal. I look forward to working with Justin and supporting him in the coming years as our basketball program rises to success.”
Interim Athletics Director Steve Robertello remarks
Opening statement
“What an incredible day this is. It is such a thrill to see a packed room with our student-athletes here [in attendance] to support our brand new head coach. What an outstanding era we are about to embark on here at Fresno State. It’s been a fun process through the last three weeks to see Justin rise to the top and be an incredible leader for our student-athletes.”
“I do want to thank several people who were highly involved. It’s not just one person or two people that go through this process, there’s a lot of great people that were involved. First, I want to thank Dr. Castro for his incredible leadership for not just our university, but our student-athletes and coaches on a daily basis. He sets a high bar for all of us to follow and what he does and how he exudes leadership means a great deal to us, so thank you so much Dr. Castro.”
“Our search committee that Dr. Castro mentioned, I am going to mention our folks by name because they put a lot of great, high-energy effort into finding our next basketball coach. First and foremost, Dr. Frank Lamas, our VP of Student Affairs, he was on the search committee. Thank you, Frank. Coach Jamie White, in the back there. Coach Jamie, thank you. You provided some unbelievable insight and basketball knowledge. I think I told you through this process, I am going to join your bench now after learning all that I did about college basketball here in the last three weeks. Definitely a lot of fun. Also, from our HR staff, our Marylou Mendoza-Miller. Thank you so much, you provided tremendous leadership and guidance from a HR perspective through this process. Dawn Lewis, one of our faculty athletic representatives, who had incredible insight into our student-athletes and making sure we are doing all of the wonderful things there. And then, Omel Nieves. I’m sure a lot of you remember Omel from our NIT Championship Team. Thank you, Omel, for what you did for this process in helping us find our next basketball coach.”
“As we get through this process, there are a few other thank yous. First, Byron Jones. I do want to take a moment and thank Coach Jones for his incredible leadership in stepping into the interim role. He was outstanding with what he did in guiding our student-athletes through the last three weeks. We appreciate all that Coach Jones did during this time. Next, our student-athletes. What a great group of men’s basketball student-athletes we have. We had an opportunity to meet with the team with Coach Hutson and it was as I told them, an incredible honor as we went through this process. You guys gave me great feedback during this but also what I appreciate is that you trusted us to find your next leader. That means a great deal to us and I think we found a great one for you. The early signs, wow. I was in that room and what a great time that was. But thank you for all that you do in representing Fresno State in the highest of class and integrity. And not just on the basketball court, but academically and socially as well. So, thank you to each and every one of you.”
“As we go forward and as I look at the last bit, there is someone else who played a big role in this and that is Andy Bennett. Andy was there every step of the way as we went through the last three weeks. Thank you for what you did as well. And then, the last thank you is to the Fresno community for the great support of our men’s basketball program. A lot of you reached out and I can’t tell you how much it means to hear what you’re looking for in our next basketball coach. It was a tremendous honor to be involved in that. Thank you, Red Wave, for all of your support and passion for Fresno State’s basketball program and our community.”
“When we started this process, we were looking for some very strong attributes. Basically, we wanted to find the best coach we could find and someone that could recruit at a high level. But we also wanted to find that individual that first and foremost would take care of our student-athletes. Academically, socially, athletically, that was a big part of it. And then someone that came from a high-level program and someone that’s won at a high-level and knew how to win in the Mountain West. Obviously, 10 years that he was at San Diego State, his time at UNLV, he won championships. We talked a lot about being a program that goes from good to great and that’s exactly where Coach Hutson is going to take us as we go through the next years to come.”
“We had a lot of great interest in this position and a lot of wonderful people but coach rose to the top. Again, you look at his background, you look at what he’s done across college basketball. He understands the game and comes from a family that knows basketball. His father is a basketball coach. He gets the game and that’s so important to understand what it’s like to be a coach and be able to go home and have that mentorship and leadership. The other thing is, he understands the Valley. His passion for the Valley is so strong with him wanting to be at Fresno State and build a great program here. We’ve already got a great program in place and he’s going to take us to that next step. That connection to the Valley means so much to us because we want all of you at our game, and that’s a big part. It is my unbelievable honor and privilege to welcome the 19th head coach of Fresno State (men’s) basketball, Justin Hutson.”
Head Coach Justin Hutson remarks and Q&A
Opening statement
“Thank you everybody for coming out. First of all I have some people to thank for this unbelievable opportunity that I have today and want to start with Dr. Castro. We’re going to be bold and our academics and athletics are going to rise together starting with our program. Secondly, I want to thank Steve Robertello for having faith and confidence in me. It was a great search, I had a great time spending with you over the last three weeks and you were very thorough and I thank you. And also the search committee, I had a good time with them, they were educated and asked great questions, and it felt like a family. I told my family coming out of the search committee interview it felt like family. It didn’t feel like an interview. They were really trying to get to know me and I’m glad they did.
Secondly, I want to thank the San Diego State family. I was there 10 years and built some great relationships there not only with the players but with the staff. I want to thank JD Wicker, Jim Sterk, Brian Dutcher and lastly Steve Fisher. Everyone knows how good a coach Steve Fisher is, but he’s a better man than he is a coach. And I would not be here if it wasn’t for him.
Thirdly I want to thank my family. I was raised in Bakersfield by a single father, Mark Hutson, who was a math teacher and a basketball coach. And I learned right away that players were more than just basketball players with coach. I want to thank my daughters. There’s no way you can be successful in this business without having sacrifices of being gone. We’re gone a lot, traveling a lot, and they sacrifice for me. And I’m excited to be even closer to them where they can get down and see us play and I can get down and see more of their games. I have family here in Fresno, I have my two favorite aunts here in Fresno. I have my stepmom here in Fresno, so when I say I am from the Valley, I really mean it. It’s not just Bakersfield.”
“What excites me about Fresno, not too often do you get to have a great opportunity and your dream job mixed in one. That’s what I have here at Fresno State. Fresno State has great tradition; specifically its basketball program has a long history and a great history. It started with Boyd Grant, who built the foundation for this program. He was in my home recruiting a player named Otis Jennings and I remember watching Boyd Grant. I remember watching the rivalries with the Red Wave and UNLV and you're trying to watch the different shades of red and differentiate between them. Our red is better by the way. Moving right on to Coach Tarkanian who brought the excitement back to the program, and the vision of building the Save Mart Center. I want to be the coach that helps Coach Tark the Red Wave reach their vision of filling the Save Mart Center.”
“I want to thank coach Rodney Terry. How often do you get the chance to take over a program that isn’t broken? The cupboard is not bare . We have great student-athletes here, great young men. I want to thank him for that.”
“Today is a homecoming for me. I am a Valley guy. This is where I have my roots and family. Having the opportunity to come home and be the next head coach of the school I dreamed about is very special for me. I want to thank the President Castro and Steve Robertello for trusting me with this program. I am ready to get to work and lead this team.”
“Lastly, this is home for me. The ‘Green V’ means a lot to me, I remember where I was at, I was coaching at Bakersfield High at the time when I found out what the Green V meant. I didn't know what it was. They said the green is for agriculture, and the V is for the Valley. That gave me great pride. I worked in the melon sheds. I worked in the cotton fields. And our program is going to work that hard, because there are a lot of great people and hard workers in the Valley.”
“I want to thank the players for being here today and supporting me. I told them that this is the hard part, speaking in front of this group, you have to practice. I spoke to the them today for an hour, that was easy. That’s what I was born for, I was in my element. I want to thank them for coming out and supporting me. I’m excited that they're here. I know a lot about them personally. We have a good team coming back and I am looking forward to winning championships with these men that are right next to me, and graduating them. It’s a great day to be a Bulldog and Go ‘Dogs!”
On being the head coach at Fresno State...
"This is a dream job. It's absolutely wonderful. I never could have though it. When I interviewed with Coach Fisher, he said he would be just as happy being a high school coach in Southern Illinois. I said I would be just as happy being a high school coach in Bakersfield, California. Now, to be leading this program with such great coaches and tradition, it's an honor."
On his style of basketball...
“I promised Dr. Castro and Mr. Robertello that they wouldn’t be disappointed in our attitude and our effort. We are going to play great defense. We are going to play a fast style on offense that utilizes the three-point line in transition. I want to make sure we are playing an exciting style of basketball and exciting teams in the Save Mart Center that is part of getting the Red Wave back.”
On bringing the passion back to Fresno State basketball…
"It's going to start with me so I'm going to get out in the community, not just Fresno, but Hanford and Visalia, Bakersfield and Corcoran. I have to get out there. It's a great community, a lot of diversity. We have to get the old Red Wave back, and we also need to build some new Red Wave and get some excitement there. It starts with me and I'm excited to do it. One of the young men asked me that today and I'm saying now that we need you. We need a home court advantage here. There are a lot of home court advantages in the Mountain West and there is not going to be any better than the Red Wave. I remember those red cars going up and down the 99 freeway so lets go!"
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.