Men's Basketball
Gus Argenal
- Title:
- Head Men's Basketball Coach
- Email:
- agustin.argenal@ucr.edu
Gus Argenal enters his second season as head coach of the UC Riverside men's basketball program in 2026–2027. One of the most respected leaders in college basketball, Argenal brings 22 years of coaching experience across the Division I and II levels, with a proven track record of success in both postseason competition and player development.
Argenal guided UC Riverside to the second-most wins by a first-year NCAA Division I head coach in program history. Under his leadership, Andrew Henderson earned All-Big West Second Team honors, while Marqui Worthy Jr. was named All-Big West Honorable Mention.
Worthy was one of the most improved offensive players in the nation, nearly tripling his scoring output from the 2024-2025 season (5.8 pts) to the 2025-2026 campaign in which he averaged 16.4 points. He also improved his 3-point shooting percentage by nearly 20 points, shooting 33.1% from 3 during 2025-2026.
Known for empowering players and helping them to career-best years, Argenal helped Henderson increase his scoring average from 17.3 points per game in 2024-2025 at Cal State San Bernardino to 18.1 points in 2025-2026 despite transitioning to the Division I level.
Argenal’s focus on development extended to the classroom as well, and the Highlanders earned a 3.09 GPA during the 2025-2026 season.
In addition to his coaching talents, Argenal has taken the program’s fundraising and community engagement efforts to the next level. He is the driving force behind an ambitious philanthropic campaign aimed at positioning the Highlanders for sustained success amid a changing college-sports landscape. Argenal has prioritized local outreach as well, with various youth and skills camps bringing scores of Inland Empire families to campus, a successful Tip Off Dinner held in October for more than 100 guests, and renewed engagement with men’s basketball alumni.
Prior to joining UC Riverside, Argenal spent two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino, where he guided the Yotes to back-to-back NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, a Final Four berth, a West Region Championship, and a CCAA regular season title. His two-year tenure saw CSUSB post 50 wins, and under his leadership, the program ranked among the NCAA's top 50 nationally in 11 statistical categories.
Before his time at CSUSB, Argenal served as an assistant coach at several Division I programs, including Arkansas, Nevada, Cal State Fullerton, Rice, and UC Davis. He helped guide teams to six NCAA Tournament appearances and seven NCAA Tournament wins, including deep runs to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 while at Nevada and Arkansas. His recruiting efforts helped Arkansas land nationally ranked recruiting classes, including multiple four- and five-star prospects.
A standout point guard during his playing days at UC Davis, Argenal set the program’s single-game record for assists (13) and graduated with a degree in history before earning his master’s in education from Arizona State. His coaching career began soon after, and he quickly established himself as a talented developer of elite players, having coached nine players who advanced to the NBA or G League ranks, including Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, Philadelphia 76ers' Ricky Council, and Dallas Mavericks' Caleb Martin.
Argenal was named to Silver Waves Media’s “50 Most Impactful High Major Assistants” lists in 2022 and 2023, and the “Elite 75 Future Head Coaches” list in 2025.
Originally from Lafayette, California, Argenal and his wife, Hannah Turner — a former UC Davis women's basketball standout — have two sons, Bo and Ace.
Argenal guided UC Riverside to the second-most wins by a first-year NCAA Division I head coach in program history. Under his leadership, Andrew Henderson earned All-Big West Second Team honors, while Marqui Worthy Jr. was named All-Big West Honorable Mention.
Worthy was one of the most improved offensive players in the nation, nearly tripling his scoring output from the 2024-2025 season (5.8 pts) to the 2025-2026 campaign in which he averaged 16.4 points. He also improved his 3-point shooting percentage by nearly 20 points, shooting 33.1% from 3 during 2025-2026.
Known for empowering players and helping them to career-best years, Argenal helped Henderson increase his scoring average from 17.3 points per game in 2024-2025 at Cal State San Bernardino to 18.1 points in 2025-2026 despite transitioning to the Division I level.
Argenal’s focus on development extended to the classroom as well, and the Highlanders earned a 3.09 GPA during the 2025-2026 season.
In addition to his coaching talents, Argenal has taken the program’s fundraising and community engagement efforts to the next level. He is the driving force behind an ambitious philanthropic campaign aimed at positioning the Highlanders for sustained success amid a changing college-sports landscape. Argenal has prioritized local outreach as well, with various youth and skills camps bringing scores of Inland Empire families to campus, a successful Tip Off Dinner held in October for more than 100 guests, and renewed engagement with men’s basketball alumni.
Prior to joining UC Riverside, Argenal spent two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino, where he guided the Yotes to back-to-back NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, a Final Four berth, a West Region Championship, and a CCAA regular season title. His two-year tenure saw CSUSB post 50 wins, and under his leadership, the program ranked among the NCAA's top 50 nationally in 11 statistical categories.
Before his time at CSUSB, Argenal served as an assistant coach at several Division I programs, including Arkansas, Nevada, Cal State Fullerton, Rice, and UC Davis. He helped guide teams to six NCAA Tournament appearances and seven NCAA Tournament wins, including deep runs to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 while at Nevada and Arkansas. His recruiting efforts helped Arkansas land nationally ranked recruiting classes, including multiple four- and five-star prospects.
A standout point guard during his playing days at UC Davis, Argenal set the program’s single-game record for assists (13) and graduated with a degree in history before earning his master’s in education from Arizona State. His coaching career began soon after, and he quickly established himself as a talented developer of elite players, having coached nine players who advanced to the NBA or G League ranks, including Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, Philadelphia 76ers' Ricky Council, and Dallas Mavericks' Caleb Martin.
Argenal was named to Silver Waves Media’s “50 Most Impactful High Major Assistants” lists in 2022 and 2023, and the “Elite 75 Future Head Coaches” list in 2025.
Originally from Lafayette, California, Argenal and his wife, Hannah Turner — a former UC Davis women's basketball standout — have two sons, Bo and Ace.
Thursday, May 21
Monday, May 04
Friday, May 01
Tuesday, March 24
