Van Green completed his first season as Sacramento State assistant coach in 2024-25.
Green came to the Hornets after spending eight years on the coaching staff at Rice, which is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Six of those seasons (2018-24) were spent as an assistant coach.
The Birmingham, Ala., native served as Rice’s recruiting coordinator and defensive coordinator, where he has recruiting ties throughout the United States and internationally. Green was also responsible for coaching the Owls’ perimeter players, which resulted in multiple all-conference selections during his tenure. That includes Trey Murphy III and Drew Peterson, who are both currently playing in the NBA. Murphy was a first round pick and averaged 14.8 ppg last season for the New Orleans Pelicans.
In 2023-24, Green helped Rice make the jump to the American Athletic Conference after the program had played in Conference USA. He was part of a coaching staff that led the team to postseason berths in 2022 and 2023 - first time the Owls posted back-to-back postseason appearances since 2004 and 2005, and just the third time in school history. The 2021-22 season marked the third consecutive year the team had won 15-plus games - only the third time that had happened in school history.
Green also oversaw the Owls’ men’s basketball volunteer outreach program which provided student-athletes the opportunity to be involved in community service throughout Houston. He also served on multiple committees at Rice that helped ensure the Owls retain elite staff members as well as constantly updating criteria for new hires. Green also served on multiple hiring panels and was the staff liaison to compliance and all basketball alumni.
Prior to his role as assistant coach, Green spent one season at Rice (2017-18) as the video coordinator, and another year (2015-16) as a graduate assistant. He coached one season (2016-17) at his alma mater, Central Park Christian High School, in Birmingham, Ala.
As a player, Green spent his first four intercollegiate years (2010-14) at Columbia, before transferring as a graduate student to play the 2014-15 season at Rice. During that 2014-15 season, he played in all 32 games, and was recipient of Conference USA’s Academic Medal and was named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
During his senior prep season at Central Park Christian, Green averaged 24.5 points, 8.1 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals.
He earned his bachelor’s degree (psychology) from Columbia in 2014, and added a master’s degree (teaching) from Rice in 2016.
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