Keith Brown - Men's Basketball Coach

Keith Brown

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
kbrown@mail.fresnostate.edu

Last Updated: June 26, 2023

Keith Brown is in his sixth season as an assistant coach for the Fresno State men’s basketball program after joining head coach Justin Hutson's coaching staff in 2018.

Brown helped lead Fresno State to a 23-9 record and rank 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.

Brown has deep connections throughout the Valley and spent 14 seasons at CSU Bakersfield (1997-2011), including the final six seasons (2005-11) as the Roadrunners’ head coach. Brown joined Hutson’s staff after spending two seasons (2016-18) as a special assistant to UNLV head coach Marvin Menzies and the previous six seasons also with Menzies as an assistant coach at New Mexico State.

While Brown was an assistant coach at NMSU, the Aggies won back-to-back Western Athletic Conference Championships in 2015 and 2016, earning both regular season titles with 13-1 records in conference play. He helped lead New Mexico State to four consecutive WAC Tournament Championships (2012-15) and five consecutive postseason runs. The Aggies appeared in four straight NCAA Tournaments from 2012-15 and made their first appearance since 2000 in the NIT in 2016.

Brown directed the offense for the Aggies during their 23-11 campaign in 2015-16, while in 2014-15, New Mexico State won both the WAC Championship and WAC Tournament with another 23-11 record and a NCAA Tournament berth. In 2013-14, he helped guide the team to a 26-10 record, the WAC Tournament Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 2012-13, he helped drive NMSU to a 24-11 record, a WAC Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. And in his first year in Las Cruces (2011-12), Brown helped the Aggies to a 26-10 overall record, the WAC Tournament Championship and a NCAA Tournament appearance.

Brown was also instrumental in the development of Pascal Siakam, the 2016 WAC Player of the Year and the 27th pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 2016 NBA Draft.

During this time at CSU Bakersfield, Brown helped the Roadrunners make the transition to NCAA Division I and was promoted to head coach after serving as the head assistant coach for eight years (1997-2005). As an independent school, Brown guided CSUB to a challenging schedule that included wins over programs from the WAC, West Coast, Big West and Big Sky Conferences during his tenure. He led the Roadrunners to a 21-8 record and NCAA Division II Regional Semifinal appearance in 2005-06.

Brown spent five years as the head coach at Colorado School of Mines (1992-97) in Golden, Colo., following a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Washington (1990-92). He was also the head baseball coach at Colorado School of Mines his first three years there. Brown was also an assistant coach at Lewis and Clark College (1989-90) and UC Davis (1986-89).

He started his career at the high school level as head coach at Tokay High School in Lodi, Calif., from 1984-86, and was the sophomore coach at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif., from 1979-84.

Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Pacific in 1978 after playing baseball for the Tigers. He also earned a master’s degree in education/curriculum and instruction from Chapman University in 1988.

Brown has two children: a son (Garrett), who played basketball at Bakersfield College and Grand Canyon, and a daughter (Jordan), who was an honors student at CSU Bakersfield.