Michael Czepil served as Sacramento State’s interim head coach in 2024-25, after spending the previous two years as the team’s associate head coach (2022-24).
Since he stepped foot on campus, Czepil (pronounced Zeh-pull) has had a big influence on all areas of the program.
He oversaw a 2024-25 season that saw the Hornets deal with a plethora of injuries, forcing the staff to use a rotation that included three freshmen and three sophomores throughout the Big Sky Conference portion of the season. Still, of the team’s 18 conference games, 10 were decided by six points or less. In addition, the team won three straight from Dec. 22-Jan. 4, and saw senior forward Jacob Holt named second team all-Big Sky Conference.
During Czepil’s first season with the Hornets (2022-23), Sacramento State won 14 games - easily the most by a first-year coaching staff in the program’s Div. I era (1991-pres.), and the third best mark in program history (1948-pres.). In addition, the team was a top six seed at the Big Sky Conference Tournament for just the second time in 16 years. In fact, the Hornets received a first round bye at the tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 1996.
In 2023-24, the Hornets’ semifinal appearance at the Big Sky Tournament marked the first time the team had won two games at the postseason event since joining the league in 1996. Sacramento State fell in the semifinals in a tightly contested 74-71 loss to eventual tournament champion Montana State. In addition, the Hornets were one of four Div. I teams in the country to play their freshmen over 40% of the team’s total minutes.
The coaching staff promised the Hornets would defend and rebound. The Hornets led the Big Sky in rebounding margin during both of Czepil’s first two seasons, and finished among the top 25 teams in the nation both years. That includes ranking 22nd with a +6.4 margin in 2023-24, and 18th in the nation with a +6.0 in 2022-23. In addition, the Hornets have finished top four in the league in scoring defense during each of his three seasons.
Czepil came to Sacramento State after serving as assistant coach at UC Riverside. The Melbourne, Australia, native coached four years at UC Riverside (2018-22), including the first two seasons with former Hornet head coach David Patrick who was the Highlander head coach at the time. Czepil was elevated to associate head coach in 2020.
Czepil, who has 15 years of collegiate, international and professional coaching experience, helped UC Riverside to its best three-year run during the program’s Div. I era. After taking on a rebuild during the 2018-19 season, Czepil was part of the Riverside staff that coached the team to a combined 47-35 overall record and 24-19 Big West Conference mark over the last three seasons.
Prior to his stint with the Highlanders, he was an assistant coach for the U18 Australian National Team during the Albert Schweitzer Tour in April of 2018. He was responsible for the team’s defensive game plan, and Australia finished the tournament in second place with a 5-2 record (best finish in Australian history) while limiting opponents to 37% shooting during the tourney.
For two years (2016-18), Czepil led the Victoria Metropolitan high-performance basketball program in Melbourne. In that role, he oversaw the program’s participation in the Australian Junior Basketball Championships, the nation’s premier junior basketball event. While in Melbourne, Czepil identified numerous athletes within the junior pathway that eventually represented the national team.
His first head coaching experience came in 2015-17 when he led the Werribee Basketball Association’s senior men’s program in the Big V, Australia’s third-tier professional basketball league.
Czepil played four years at Nicholls State (2005-09), and received his first coaching experience at his alma mater where he was assistant coach for three seasons (2010-13). Czepil, who has shown recruiting prowess throughout his coaching career, landed his first big recruit in Liam Thomas (Sydney, Australia) who finished as Nicholls State’s all-time blocks leader and was the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
As a player, Czepil was a two-time team captain and graduated from Nicholls State in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He later added a master’s from his alma mater in education in 2013.
Czepil and his wife, Brittany (Fuselier), have a daughter, Harper.
The Michael Czepil File
Born: June 5, 1986
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
High School: Thomas Carr College
College: Nicholls State (2010)
Wife: Brittany
Children: Harper
