Cal Poly Introduces BJ Andrews as Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach
5/14/2024 2:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – “I feel like my feet haven’t hit the ground since then.”
As a first-year assistant under head coach Mike DeGeorge at Division II Colorado Mesa last season, BJ Andrews was part of a program that reached a fifth successive NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons. Colorado Mesa’s 2023-24 season, however, came to a close on Tuesday, March 19 with an 88-76, South Central Regional-final loss at top-seeded West Texas A&M.
“It’s about a 12-hour bus ride,” Andrews recalled of the return trip from Canyon, Texas to Grand Junction, Colo. “When I get back, I send [DeGeorge] a text message: ‘hey, we’re off for two weeks. Is it OK if I go home next weekend just to decompress and take some time?’ He says ‘yes. No problem.’”
Two days later – Saturday, March 23 to be precise – Andrews sat in the Denver Airport, bags packed and an hour remaining before his flight to San Diego.
“[Coach] calls me,” Andrews said. “This is random. I said, ‘hey, what’s going on.’ He asked if I had a place to talk.”
DeGeorge had big news. “I just want to let you know, I accepted the [head coach position] at Cal Poly.”
“I was so excited for him,” Andrews said before voicing congratulations. “‘No way, coach. That’s amazing. That’s unbelievable.’”
Then, DeGeorge had bigger news: “I would love to bring you with me.”
There was just one caveat. The open spot was for Cal Poly’s director of operations. Andrews viewed himself as a coach, on the court, working with players and, preferably, not behind the scenes.
“At the Division II level, you have to do everything,” said Andrews of combining coaching with logistical details. “I got that. And the travel is a lot easier at Division II – we only flew once and the rest were bus rides. I was able to do that last year because that was the role.
I’m super lucky that [Cal Poly’s current coaching staff] see what I do really well, which is skill development. I’m on the court; I’m only 28 so I’m still able to bang with the guys, defend them, work out with them. If you walk in the gym, you’ll see me sweating with these guys, putting them through individual work. That’s my wheelhouse and the coaches really let me be me.- BJ Andrews
Given the remainder of the weekend to render a decision, Andrews called his father, Brian, Sr., and his then-fiancée, Kiersten (if there wasn’t enough to think upon, he also had a wedding set for May 3).
Touching down in San Diego, Andrews had a message waiting for him from DeGeorge: “Call me when you’re free.”
“I open the door, my dog’s right there,” Andrews said. “I sit down and call coach.”
DeGeorge had a hybrid solution. His staff would include only assistant coaching roles with logistical and administrative duties split amongst the group. Aside from coaching and skill development, Andrews’ primary responsibilities would include opponent scouting and team operations.
“I’m really lucky to be coaching with a guy like [DeGeorge] because of how well he understands his pieces,” Andrews said. “It was a no-brainer. I’d lived in San Diego for three years, but never ventured up here. This place in unbelievable – the people, the staff, the players. I’ve had a great time here and I’m looking forward to having a successful first season.”
#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/wXDinPP84I
— Cal Poly Men’s Basketball (@calpolymbb) May 14, 2024
BJ has a tremendous ability to connect with people. Basketball has taken him across the country and overseas and his ability to adapt to a new setting and connect with people from all backgrounds is a great strength. He brings a love for the game and a commitment to our player’s development on the court and in their lives. Those attributes help him build great relationships and be impactful in our players lives on a daily basis.- Mike DeGeorge, Cal Poly Head Coach
For Andrews, Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo is the latest stop on a basketball odyssey with many stepping stones.
A Baltimore native, Andrews starred at Division II Clarion University of Pennsylvania from 2013-17. Named 2014 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and a 2016-17 All-PSAC first team honoree, Andrews remains fourth all-time in program history with 3,017 minutes played, fifth with 346 free throws and 466 free throws attempted, sixth with 98 starts and 10th with 108 appearances and 135 three-pointers.
He enjoyed three years as a professional, having played two seasons in Ireland and one final campaign in Cyprus that was cut short by the COVID Pandemic. However, it was in Dublin that he began his coaching career with a high school girl’s program.
“I have some mentors from the Baltimore area, one of which is the head coach at Providence, Kim English. I sent him a text from Dublin saying, ‘hey, I’m thinking about this coaching thing. What do you think I should do?’ He said, ‘you can’t keep coaching in the summer and then going back and playing. You have to make a decision.’
“It was a crossroads for me. I loved playing overseas, but, it was like, let me see if I can do this.”
The new path wound its way first to Oceanside Collegiate Academy, a charter school in Mount Pleasant, S.C., where Andrews spent a year teaching and as the program’s top assistant.
With Kiersten now stationed in San Diego as a member of the U.S. Navy, Andrews applied and received an assistant position with San Diego City College, helping the program to the 2023 California Community College Athletic Association SoCal Regional semifinals in his second year.
Seeking a position with a four-year staff, Andrews sent e-mail blasts with his resume and cover letter to as many Division I and II programs as possible.
“It just so happens that Mike DeGeorge checks his email daily. He sent me a message that he had a second assistant job open,” Andrews said. “We had a Zoom call and hit it off. We aligned with how competitive we are on a daily basis and how we approach things. I think it comes from how I was raised and where I come from in Baltimore.
“He said, ‘I can’t give the A-OK until you talk to Kyle,” said Andrews of DeGeorge’s top assistant at Colorado Mesa (and now a Cal Poly assistant), Kyle Bossier. “I call KB the glue. Mike is the face – he’s cerebral, he’s the decision-maker. He doesn’t blink in the time of adversity, which I think is a great quality to have as a head coach. I’d never met a coach who doesn’t raise his voice, doesn’t get too high, too low. From my playing days, I was used to coaches who are yelling, who are in your face, who are demanding. Mike, he talks through things. It was cool to see. I’ve learned a lot from him in just my one year. KB is the mad scientist. I watch a lot of him and take things from him because we’re different. I think that’s why we work. We all play off of each other really well. I think the players will get a feel for that.”
With Andrews and Bossier under DeGeorge last season, Colorado Mesa finished 29-5 overall and captured the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title with a 21-1 mark. Five Mavericks earned All-RMAC praise as Colorado Mesa finished one game shy of the Elite Eight.
“That was the most fulfilling year of basketball I’ve ever had,” Andrews said. “The team was so bought in, so close, so cohesive. Coach always talked about getting better daily, not being a finished product. That’s something I hang my hat on too.
“You don’t want to lose days; you want to continue to stack great days.”
