June 23, 2006
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State men's basketball head coach Steve Fisher announced Friday that assistant coach Mark Hughes has accepted a position with the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Hughes will join the Kings' staff as an assistant coach under new head coach Eric Musselman, who was hired earlier this month.
Hughes spent two seasons on Fisher's staff, helping the Aztecs to the 2005-06 Mountain West Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a berth in the NCAA tournament.
"We're tremendously excited for Mark and his family. He came to us from the NBA and has a goal to be an NBA coach," head coach Steve Fisher said. "He will be greatly missed, but the contributions he made to our program will continue. We now have a relationship with another NBA coach, which will help San Diego State basketball and all of us surrounding it. Even though he will be in Sacramento, he will always be a part of what we have done and what we will continue to do here at San Diego State."
Prior to his stint at SDSU, Hughes served as head coach of the CBA's Grand Rapids Hoops from 1997-2002, then moved to the NBA where he joined Doc Rivers' Orlando Magic staff as an assistant from 2002-2004.
Before becoming a coach, Hughes was a senior co-captain on the Michigan squad that won the NCAA title in 1989. In 1990-91, he was a member of the Detroit Pistons and then played professionally overseas in Italy and France for four seasons. Following his stint in Europe, Hughes was a player-coach for the Hoops during the 1995-96 campaign before assuming full-time coaching responsibilities the following season.
"It's a great opportunity for me and my family. It was a tough decision because I enjoyed my time here at SDSU," Hughes said. "I will miss the players, Coach Fisher and all the great people at San Diego State. I'm excited to work with Coach Musselman and the Sacramento Kings organization."