Tyson Batiste, who played four years of Div. I basketball, will enter his third season on the Hornets’ coaching staff. After serving as the team’s director of operations in 2022-23, Batiste will begin his second year as assistant coach in 2024-25.
Batiste was part of a Hornet staff that began laying the foundation in 2022-23. Sacramento State won 14 games, easily the most by a first-year coaching staff in Sacramento State’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.
Last season (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, and Sacramento State has done exactly that. The Hornets have led the Big Sky in rebounding margin both seasons of Batiste’s tenure, 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 third in the league both seasons in scoring defense.
Batiste, who played three years at Central Connecticut State followed by a season at The Citadel, has two years of experience as a graduate assistant at high level programs that advanced deep into the NCAA Tournament.
The Springfield, Mo., native spent the 2021-22 season as a graduate assistant at Texas Tech, where he helped coach the Red Raiders to 27 wins and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. It marked just the fourth Texas Tech squad to ever qualify for the Sweet 16, and the 27 wins were the most under a first-year head coach (Mark Adams) in school history.
During the 2020-21 season, Batiste was a graduate assistant at Arkansas were he first crossed paths with current Sacramento State head coach David Patrick, who was the associate head coach at the time. Batiste and Patrick helped the Razorbacks to 25 victories, a No. 6 ranking in the final AP top 25 poll, and the program’s first NCAA Tourney Elite 8 appearance since 1995.
At both Texas Tech and Arkansas, he provided on-floor support for players, and developed a combined 28 scouting reports over those two seasons. The two teams combined for a 22-6 record on his game scouts.
Batiste played four years of Div. I basketball, including the first three at Central Connecticut State (2016-19), followed by a season at The Citadel (2019-20). Of those four seasons, he was team captain on three different occasions. In fact, the only time he wasn’t a team captain came during his freshman year at Central Connecticut State.
He played in 113 combined games for the two teams, including 81 starts. Batiste finished with career averages of 4.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 25.2 minutes on 44 percent shooting from the field. During his lone season at The Citadel, he averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists. His 160 total assists that year were the fourth best mark in The Citadel’s history, and his 5.3 apg average ranked 40th in the nation.
Batiste graduated from Central Connecticut State in 2019 with a degree in general business management.
