Chris Acker was hired in 2024 as the 17th head coach of the Long Beach State Men’s Basketball program. A dynamic recruiter with experience developing both offensive and defensive strategies, Acker was announced as the new leader of the program on April 2, 2024.

Faced with a full roster rebuild for a second straight season, Acker delivered with an impact recruiting class, as freshman Gavin Sykes developed into a true star. The Big West Freshman of the Year, Sykes ranked sixth in the nation among freshman scorers, averaging 19.4 points per game. Sykes broke both the single-game freshman scoring record at Long Beach State with 39 points against Cal State Bakersfield as well as 542 total points, each previously held by Long Beach State legend Lucious Harris.

A second-team All-Big West selection, he was joined by another incoming recruit in Petar Majstorovic in receiving All-Big West recognition, as the Beach improved on their finish and record in the second season under Acker.

Acker was able to bring in a number of key recruits during his first season, including leading rebounder and shot blocker Derrick Michael Xzavierro as well as All-Big West selection Devin Askew, who ranked ninth in single-season program history with 603 points scored during the 2024-25 season that included a five-game winning streak featuring road wins over Cal State Fullerton, San Diego and Pepperdine.

Acker spent the five prior seasons as an assistant coach at San Diego State, playing a crucial role in the team’s recent success. The Aztecs reached the NCAA tournament in each of Acker’s last four seasons and were 30-2 in 2019-20 prior to the COVID shutdown. In 2022-23, SDSU reached the National Championship game and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2023-24. In his five seasons as an assistant coach at SDSU, the Aztecs went 134-34 overall.

In all five of Acker’s seasons at San Diego State, the Aztecs played in the Mountain West Championship game and continue to compete at a very high level. In 2023-24, the Aztecs averaged 74.7 points per game led by Wooden Award Finalist Jaedon LeDee who has been one of the dominant players in the country. LeDee ranked in the nation’s Top 10 in scoring at 21.5 points per game, highlighting seven players averaging over five points per game for San Diego State. The Aztecs ranked in the nation’s Top 50 teams in offensive efficiency in 2023- 24 under his guidance.

Acker has proven that he can create prolific offenses even without a dominant scorer. In San Diego State’s run to the title game in 2022-23, the Aztecs had eight players averaging 5.8 points per game and none higher than First Team All-Mountain West performer Matt Bradley’s 12.8 points per game.

During that season, the Aztecs scored a program record 2,775 points and saw their bench score over 1,000 points during the season, posting a 28-5 record when the team’s bench outscored their opponents.

Prior to his arrival, Acker spent two seasons at Mountain West rival Boise State, where his emphasis was with the defense under head coach Leon Rice. In his first season with the Broncos, Boise State ranked in the nation’s Top 50 in defensive efficiency. In each of his two seasons in Boise, the Broncos ranked third in the Mountain West in points allowed.

Boasting Big West experience as well, Acker started his Division I coaching career at Hawai’i, where he helped guide the Rainbow Warriors to one of their best seasons in 2015-16. Hawai’i finished the year with 28 victories and reached the NCAA Tournament before upsetting fourth-seeded California in the school’s first postseason victory.

Acker’s move to Division I came on the heels of two successful stints in the junior college ranks. As the head coach of West Los Angeles College, he rebuilt the program in two years, taking 11 freshmen in his first season and leading that group to an 18-9 record and a CCCAA Regional playoff berth within two years.

In his first coaching position with Citrus College, Acker spent six seasons at Citrus, winning the 2008 California State Championship and posting a dominant 92-9 record during his tenure, first as an assistant and then as the associate head coach of the program.

A Los Angeles native, Acker closed his collegiate playing career at Chaminade University in Hawaii, before playing professionally for four seasons in Europe and the United States.

Acker earned his bachelor’s degree in Human Services Management from the University of Phoenix in 2010 and was later awarded a master’s degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2012.

He and his wife Stephanie have four children, Malakai, Elijah, Colt and Elliot.

Name	Title	Email Address
Chris Acker	Head Coach
Anthony Santos	Assistant Coach	Anthony.Santos@csulb.edu
Phillip Scott	Assistant Coach	Phillip.Scott@csulb.edu
Ali Tavakol	Director of Basketball Operations	Ali.Tavakol@csulb.edu
Jacob Eyman	Director of Player Relations	Jacob.Eyman@csulb.edu

Long Beach State University Athletics

2026-27 Men's Basketball Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff