Arizona has added former Texas assistant Brandon Chappell to its coaching staff as the replacement for Steve Robinson, who retired after nearly 40 years of being on a college bench as a coach.
Chappell completed his third year as Assistant Coach at The University of Texas and brings 12 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Arizona staff. In his first two seasons in Austin, Chappell has helped the Longhorns post a 62-37 (.626) overall record. Texas made three NCAA Tournament appearances (2023 Elite Eight and 2024 Round of 32) and claimed the 2023 Big 12 Tournament title.
During the 2023-24 season, Texas posted a 21-13 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. With its victory over Colorado State in the NCAA Round of 64, the Longhorns won their NCAA First Round game for the third consecutive season. This marked the first time Texas has accomplished the feat since UT won four-straight NCAA First-Round games from 2006-09.
UT finished at No. 25 in the final KenPom team rankings, recorded five Quad 1 wins and earned three victories against AP-ranked opponents, including a 75-73 home win over No. 9 Baylor, a 75-60 victory at No. 11 Oklahoma and a 77-66 win at No. 25 TCU. The Longhorns were one of 11 teams to rank in the top 31 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.
In Chappell’s first year in Austin, Texas completed the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 29-9 (12-6 Big 12, second) and ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll. The No. 5 spot marked a tie for the highest ranking in the final AP poll by the Longhorns. UT also was No. 5 in the final AP poll during the 2002-03 Final Four season. The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history. Texas captured its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title in program history, defeating No. 3 Kansas, 76-56, in the championship game in Kansas City, Mo.
The 29 wins were the third-most in a single season in program history, as UT went 31-7 in 2007-08 and 30-7 in 2005-06. The Longhorns compiled a 10-7 record against AP Top 25 opponents in 2022-23. This set a school single-season record for most wins in a year against AP-ranked teams, as UT previously went 8-5 in 2003-04. Texas posted a 6-3 mark against AP Top 11 foes during the 2022-23 season and tied a program single-season record for most games played (38).
Chappell worked as an assistant for head coach Kevin Kruger at UNLV during the 2021-22 season. Chappell helped the Runnin’ Rebels to 18 wins (18-14 record), the most for UNLV in four years. The team went 10-8 in Mountain West Conference action, exceeding preseason expectations with a fifth-place finish in the regular-season league standings.
Chappell assisted in overhauling the roster with nine transfers and the team continually improved throughout the season, moving up 43 spots in the KenPom rankings. Bryce Hamilton (first team), Royce Hamm Jr. (honorable mention) and Donovan Williams (Sixth Man of the Year) earned All-Mountain West recognition, while Kruger was one of 15 finalists for the Joe B. Hall Award, presented annually to the top first-year coach in Division I men’s college basketball by CollegeInsider.com.
Prior to his time in Las Vegas, Chappell spent four seasons (2017-21) as an assistant coach under Tic Price for his alma mater, Lamar University. He helped the Cardinals to a 20-13 record in the 2018-19 campaign, marking the first time in a seven-year span that Lamar reached the 20-win mark. Chappell also played a role in the development of David Muoka, who earned Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year recognition during the 2020-21 season.
Chappell worked as an assistant coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith for one season in 2016-17. The Lions posted a 23-11 overall record, swept the Heartland Conference regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament.
He spent two years at Northern Arizona University (2014-16), serving as a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator under current Arizona assistant Jack Murphy. During Chappell’s time at NAU, the Lumberjacks set a school single-season record for wins (23-15 mark) and finished runner-up in the 2015 CollegeInsider.com tournament.
Chappell began his collegiate coaching career at Armstrong State (Savannah, Ga.) as an assistant coach in 2013-14. He worked with Nike Basketball Camps in Atlanta, Ga. in both 2012 and 2013.
