SAN DIEGO – Brian Dutcher finally gets to move over one seat on San Diego State's bench.
The son of former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher spent 18 years as assistant to Aztecs basketball coach Steve Fisher, the past six with the "head coach in waiting" designation. He's waiting no longer after Fisher retired in April.
There was a time when Dutcher could have left, but the "head coach in waiting" showed he was serious about eventually succeeding Fisher, whom he'd been with since 1989 at Michigan.
"To me I think it's always about taking over something you helped build," Dutcher said as the Aztecs began preparing for what they hope is a bounce-back season. "Instead of going to take over something someone else built, I've been here all 18 years with [Fisher]. So I feel like I've been a piece of all the success. I've had my influence in here. So to take over something you feel like you've been involved building, is great satisfaction and gratifying."
With Dutcher at his side, Fisher turned SDSU from a hoops wasteland into a perennial postseason participant, at least until last season.
Dutcher was there for all 386 wins, 209 losses, eight NCAA berths and five NIT appearances in the Fisher era. He was there when SDSU reached its first Sweet 16 in 2011, with Kawhi Leonard, and then again in 2014.
As a head coach for the first time, Dutcher takes over the program on a down note. SDSU finished 19-14 last season and failed to make a postseason tournament or win 20 games for the first time in 12 seasons. The Aztecs finished sixth in the Mountain West Conference.
"I always felt like I contributed at practice and was a part of everything we did, but to step out there and be the final voice on everything is kind of exciting," Dutcher said. "It keeps me up a little bit more at night trying to find a way to word things — it's not the message, it's the way you deliver it. I think about ways to deliver a message that help us understand and try to help them get better."
