Richard Mendoza begins his second season as the Humboldt State men’s basketball program’s top assistant. Mendoza was also an assistant for the Lumberjacks from 2002-04, helping the 2004 team reach a No. 1 national ranking and advance to the NCAA Division II Final Four.
Mendoza has an impressive resume with postseason wins in all three NCAA Division II West Region conferences (CCAA, PacWest, GNAC). This includes his most recent stint at Dominican (2011-17) during which he established his team as the best DII program in the Bay Area over a six-year span, reaching the PacWest Conference Championship in 2014. He has head coaching experience at College of the Redwoods (2008-11), leading the team to a Golden Valley Conference Championship in 2009 and advancing to the California Community College Sweet 16. He also was an assistant at San Francisco State (2007-08), and University of Alaska-Fairbanks (2004-07). At Fairbanks, he coached a squad that won a GNAC Conference Championship and competed in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA DII Tournament.
As a player, Mendoza was an All-CIF guard for Brethren Christian High of Huntington Beach and helped the squad win the Division V championship game in 1993, advancing to the state finals. He also played for two conference championship teams at Cerritos College in Norwalk and competed in the California Community College Elite 8.
In his free time, Mendoza enjoys spending time with family and friends, listening to music and hiking. He is also active in the local community, serving on the board of directors for the Humboldt Tennis Association.
