RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The UC Riverside men's basketball program announced key additions to its coaching staff today, Tuesday, July 6.
Having served as one of the program's key assistant coaches for the last three seasons,
Mike Czepil has been promoted to associate head coach under head coach
Mike Magpayo. Additionally, Rob Jones joins Magpayo's staff from Saint Mary's College as the Highlanders' newest assistant coach.
Czepil's role on the Highlanders' staff has revolved largely around his elite skill development and high basketball IQ. In his three years in the Inland Empire, the Aussie's deep international ties have enabled UCR recruit program-elevating playmakers in
Flynn Cameron,
Wil Tattersall and
Callum McRae.
Jones' coaching history goes back to his alma mater in Saint Mary's, a west coast powerhouse that has churned out numerous high-level coaches and players. A former All-West Coast Conference honoree with overseas playing experience, Jones brings to UCR a winning mentality and high-level mid-major experience after serving as the Gaels' Assistant Athletic Director for Men's Basketball and graduate assistant.
"Our ability to recruit incredibly talented student-athletes here at UCR and build a winning program is largely attributed to our ability to bring in high-caliber coaches who have coached and won at all levels and Czep is one of those coaches," Magpayo said. "He is incredibly talented and has been instrumental to our success here at UC Riverside. His ability to develop our student-athletes and get them to compete at the highest level is outstanding. Every step of the way, he continues to build our program."
"Rob Jones is another great addition to our coaching staff," Magpayo added. "Rob played a key role in and experienced a tremendous amount of success over the last decade at Saint Mary's, both as a student-athlete and as part of the men's basketball staff. We are pleased to have Rob on board and are already seeing the impact and difference he is making."