For Kevin Warren, coaching at Chico State is more than a professional stop. It is a return to the program where he became one of the Wildcats’ most respected leaders, top performers, and accomplished scholar-athletes.
Warren enters his second season as a Chico State men’s basketball assistant coach in 2026–27 after rejoining the program prior to the 2025–26 campaign. In his first season on the Wildcats’ bench, Warren helped guide a transitioning Chico State team through one of the West Region’s most demanding schedules while assisting in the development of First Team All-CCAA guard Chris Holley, who led the conference in assists and ranked among the CCAA leaders in scoring.
Warren returned to Chico State after spending the 2023–24 season as an assistant coach at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. There, he helped guide the Warriors to a 24–8 record, a runner-up finish in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament, and an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.
As a player, Warren was a key piece of one of the most memorable teams in Chico State men’s basketball history. The Oakland native transferred to Chico State from Cal State Monterey Bay and went on to earn First Team All-CCAA honors during the Wildcats’ 2021–22 season, helping lead Chico State to a 22–5 record, the NCAA West Regional championship, and a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight.
During that 2021–22 campaign, Warren started all 27 games and ranked second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field. Warren’s 150 rebounds ranked third on the team, and his 26 steals tied for the team lead.
One of the most accomplished scholar-athletes in Chico State basketball history, Warren was a five-time Academic All-CCAA honoree, a two-time Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award recipient, the 2019–20 CCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Scholar Award winner, and a member of the 2019–20 NABC Honors Court. Chico State’s 2021–22 quick facts listed Warren among the program’s top returners and noted his CCAA Championship Scholar Award recognition.
Warren earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication studies from Chico State, completing his graduate degree in 2022. Following his collegiate career, he played professionally in Australia’s NBL1 during the 2022–23 season before beginning his collegiate coaching career and eventually returning to Acker Gym, where his Wildcat career began.
