University of California - Santa Barbara Men's Basketball

The 2025-26 season will be Joe Pasternack's ninth at the helm of the UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team. Over his eight seasons with the program, he has accumulated a 169-81 record for a winning percentage of .676, the best in school history. His 169 wins is the most in the first eight years of any Gaucho head coach. During the 2024-25 season, the Gauchos earned their eighth consecutive winning season under Pasternack, the longest streak in program history while also achieving 20 or more wins for the sixth time in the same span. The Gauchos continued to show their sharp shooting under Pasternack finishing top 40 in all of Division I in three point percentage (17th), three pointers per game (24th), effective field goal percentage (32nd) and free throw percentage (37th). The Blue and Gold also broke the single-season record for most three pointers made, sinking 340.   Most recently, Pasternack coached the 14th Gaucho to ever be picked in the NBA Draft in Ajay Mitchell, as he went 38th to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Along with that, Pasternack has had the first athlete he has ever coached earn a triple-double as Ariel Bland secured 13 rebounds, 12 points and 10 assists in The Thunderdome.     During 2022-23, the Gauchos set a new record for the most wins in a season with 27. Pasternack led his team to The Big West Tournament Championship, a share of the regular season title, and their second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years. Along with that, he produced The Big West Player of the Year in Ajay Mitchell as well as an All-Big West Second Team honoree in Miles Norris. Not only that, but Pasternack dominated the transfer portal yet again, bringing in high-quality transfers from Auburn and Creighton.   In his fifth season with the program, Pasternack coached The Big West Freshman of the Year and All-Big West Second Team honoree in Ajay Mitchell while having an All-Big West First Team selection in Amadou Sow. He also added one other All-Big West honorable mention recipient in Miles Norris, who is back in the lineup for the Gauchos this season.   The 2020-21 set the tone for Pasternack’s tenure as the Gauchos posted a 22-5 overall record and 13-3 conference record to win The Big West regular season title for the first time since 2010. Riding a ridiculous run through conference play, this team broke the school record by winning 13 straight games from January 1st to February 27th. The Gauchos also went undefeated at home and ended the year on an 18-2 run. The Gauchos rode that momentum on the way to their first Big West Tournament Championship since 2011, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the Pasternack era and the sixth time in program history. This feat earned Pasternack his first Big West Coach of the Year award, making him the first Gaucho head coach to earn the honor since 2010.   The 2019-20 season led to a 21-10 overall record and a 10-6 Big West record before the season ended due to COVID-19. The year prior, the Gauchos had a very similar performance as they went 22-10 overall and 10-6 in The Big West, good for second-place. They advanced to the semifinals of The Big West Tournament for the second consecutive season.   In his first year leading the program, Pasternack’s Gauchos tied a school record for wins with 23 and equaled the NCAA’s largest increase in regular season victories from one season to the next, going from six wins to 23. In addition to their 23-9 overall record, they narrowly missed winning The Big West’s regular season title with an 11-5 league mark. UC Santa Barbara also became just the third Big West school to go from single-digit wins one season to 20 or more the next. Pasternack’s team also knew how to protect The Thunderdome as the Gauchos went 12-2 at home for the best Thunderdome record in school history, winning 11-straight home games to open the season.   Prior to Santa Barbara, Pasternack coached at Arizona under Sean Miller. He began his career as a Wildcat as an assistant coach for the 2011-12 season before becoming the team’s associate head coach in June of 2013. In his six seasons on the Wildcat bench, the team recorded a 174-47 overall record, including 124-23 over the last four seasons, while advancing to five NCAA Tournaments, two Sweet 16s and a pair of Elite Eights.   Pasternack was a key part of Arizona recruiting efforts that resulted in six consecutive top-10 classes, including four top-five groups during that stretch. In 2013-14, he played an integral role in the development of Aaron Gordon from a top recruit to an All-America-caliber player who was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and was taken fourth overall by Orlando in the 2014 NBA Draft. Pasternack was also instrumental in the recruitment and development of Stanley Johnson, the eighth overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and the 2015 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.   Before his six-year run at Arizona, Pasternack was the head coach of his hometown team, the University of New Orleans, from 2007-11. He led the Privateers to 19 wins in his first season and he was credited with the Sun Belt Conference’s top recruiting class. In his final season at UNO, Pasternack guided the program to 16 wins despite a majority of his roster transferring due to the school’s decision to transition out of NCAA Division 1 because of financial hardships following Hurricane Katrina.     Before his tenure at UNO, Pasternack was on the staff at Cal from 2000-07 where he oversaw the Bears’ scouting and game preparation efforts, worked with the team’s guards on a daily basis, and was involved in coordinating recruiting efforts that landed several Top 25 classes.   Pasternack got his start in college basketball as a four-year manager under Bob Knight at Indiana University, where he broke down film and assisted in scouting opponents. He graduated from IU in 1999 with a degree in marketing. He played four years of varsity basketball at Metairie Park Country Day School in New Orleans. He and his wife, Lindsay, have a son, Joe IV, and a daughter, Lilly. 

Brian Eskildsen will take on his first year with the Gauchos during the 2023-24 season.  Eskildsen was most recently at Georgia Tech, where he was a member of the staff for one season. During that time, he helped the team earn a spot in the second round of the ACC Championships. Prior to that, Eskildsen was on staff at Harvard University for eight seasons. During that time, he assisted the Crimson to three Ivy League Championships, an NCAA tournament appearance and two NIT berths. Before his time in Cambridge, Eskildsen was on staff at Rice, Stanford and New Orleans. His basketball career began as a member of the male practice squad at the University of Tennessee for the women's basketball team coached by Pat Summit.   He earned his bachelor's degree in sports management from the University of Tennessee in 2009. He now lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, Natalie, and his daughter, Penny. 

Derek Glasser joined the UC Santa Barbara coaching staff in August 2022. His primary responsibilities include coaching and developing the guards, as well as serving as the team’s offensive coordinator. Since joining the Gauchos, Glasser has played a key role in one of the most successful stretches in program history. He helped lead UC Santa Barbara to the 2023 Big West regular season and tournament championships, an NCAA Tournament appearance, and a school-record 27 wins. He oversees scouting and game planning for an offense that ranked among the nation’s top 80, while mentoring standout guards including Ajay Mitchell, the Big West Player of the Year and four All-Big West selection. Under his guidance, at least one Gaucho guard has earned All-Big West recognition each season. Glasser has also been instrumental on the recruiting trail, helping secure high-major transfers such as Miro Little, Aidan Mahaney, Colin Smith, Ben Shtolzberg, and former five-star talent Yohan Traore. He also played a key role in landing four-star recruit Zion Sensley, the highest- rated recruit to commit to the Gauchos, and most recently helped bring in four-star recruit Michael Simcoe. Glasser’s recruiting prowess doesn’t stop there, as he also brought in 2025-26 Preseason All-Conference selection Jason Fontenet II. Beyond the court, he manages scheduling responsibilities, assists with NIL fundraising efforts, and maintains strong relationships with boosters and alumni. Academically, the Gauchos’ core player group posted a 3.45 GPA over a two-year span under his leadership. Prior to UCSB, Glasser spent two seasons at Rice in the same capacity. He helped sign 10 recruits in two years, including Conference USA Newcomer of the Year Travis Evee and All- Conference selection Carl Pierre, while contributing to Rice’s first stretch of three consecutive 15-win seasons since 2006. The Owls’ 2021–22 offense finished in the top 50 nationally in nine statistical categories and ranked third in the nation in after-timeout points per possession. During his tenure, Rice also recorded the highest team GPA in program history (3.46). Across his five seasons at UC Santa Barbara and Rice, Glasser has coached and developed five NBA players: Trey Murphy, Drew Peterson, Quincy Olivari, Miles Norris, and Ajay Mitchell. He began his collegiate coaching career at Rice as the program’s video coordinator from 2018–20, overseeing all video and technology operations while assisting with scouting, offensive game planning, and content creation. Earlier in his career, he worked with Athlete Management Group as an NBA agent, negotiating more than $2.1 million in player salaries and managing endorsement partnerships with major global brands including Nike, BBVA, Upper Deck, Panini, Ralph Lauren and Adidas. Derek Glasser enjoyed a standout collegiate basketball career at Arizona State University from 2006 to 2010, where he became one of the most accomplished players in Sun Devil history. The Lakewood, California native became the first player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 assists in his career. His 551 assists made him the ASU career leader. He served as team captain for three years, playing the most games in school history. He helped lead the Sun Devils to three straight 20-win seasons, including an appearance in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. As a junior, he was named to the Pac-10 Conference All-Tournament Team. As a senior, Glasser was named Preseason NIT All-Tournament and All-Conference Honorable Mention. Following his collegiate career, he spent time overseas, playing for Maccabi Haifa in Israel and Kalev Cramo in Estonia.

Brandon Cyrus was hired as an assistant coach in June 2024. He previously played for Joe Pasternack, serving as a team captain on the 2021 NCAA Tournament team, which marked the program’s first appearance under Pasternack and its first overall since 2011. During the 2024-25 season, he helped the Gauchos to a 21–13 record, contributing to player development for Second Team All-League selection Stephan Swenson and Honorable Mention standouts Kenny Pohto and Cole Anderson. Before joining the UCSB staff, he spent three years coaching at the grassroots level, mentoring and training 300+ youth athletes and building a foundation in relationship-driven development. His coaching focuses include rebounding, player development, and culture building, and he prioritizes high daily standards for student-athletes while supporting their holistic growth as young men on and off the court. Before his collegiate career, Cyrus graduated from La Lumiere School, a nationally recognized prep program, and began his college playing career at DePaul University before transferring to UC Santa Barbara. Cyrus also represented Team Canada, winning a bronze medal at the FIBA Americas Championship and competing in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Dubai.

Andrew Payne is entering his fifth season with program and his second as the Director of Recruting after spending the last few seasons as the Assistant Director of Ops. Payne oversees all the team's recruiting calendars, social media accounts, and gear designs. He also assists with film duties, academics, and the student managers.Payne arrived at UC Santa Barbara after a season as the Graduate Assistant under Lamont Smith at the University of San Diego. At USD, Payne was in charge of the student manager program as well as assisting the staff with opponent scouting and organizing the recruiting database.Prior to his year at San Diego, Payne spent three seasons at the University of Arizona. From 2013-16 he was a student manager under Sean Miller. His role in the program included aiding the coaching staff in workouts and practice as well as various film and recruiting operational duties. In his three seasons in Tucson, Payne was a part of two Pac-12 championships and three NCAA Tournament berths, including two Elite Eight appearances.While at Arizona, Payne earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Prior to Arizona, Payne spent two seasons as a student manager at Loyola Marymount. Throughout the summers Payne worked as an NBA Predraft Training Assistant for BDA Sports, aiding in workouts for multiple  lottery picks, as well working at the prestigious Nike Academies and Under Armour All American Camps.