The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Basketball program has hired Brandon Rosenthal as an assistant coach, Head Coach Joe Pasternack announced today.

“We are very excited to have someone with Brandon’s basketball experience join our staff,” said Pasternack. “Not only does Brandon bring head coaching experience, but his stints in the NBA and at Arizona State have equipped him with a high-level understanding of the game. He’s a proven leader, a tireless worker, and someone who will have an immediate impact on our student-athletes both on and off the court.”

Rosenthal arrives after serving as the head coach at Bella Vista College Prep in Phoenix, Arizona. He inherited a program that finished 1-11 in conference play and transformed it into one of the best high school teams in the country, accruing a worse-to-first 9-2 conference record as part of a 20-4 overall record for the 2024-25 season. At the end of the season, Rosenthal was named the EYBL Scholastic Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Naismith Boys High School Coach of the Year. All the more impressive, nine of those wins came against teams ranked in the nation’s top-25, while playing in the EYBL Scholastic Conference, regarded as the most competitive league in high school basketball.

Prior to his success at the high school level, Rosenthal was an assistant coach with the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors. In his lone season with Santa Cruz, Rosenthal coached five players who eventually got called up to the NBA roster. Furthermore, Santa Cruz was the only team to compete and advance in both the Winter Showcase and G-League playoffs during the 2023-24 season. In both events, the Warriors made it to the quarterfinal round or further. With the success, the franchise was awarded NBA G-League Franchise of the Year.

At the college level, Rosenthal logged his most tenured position as an Assistant Coach at Arizona State from 2019-2023, where he supported Bobby Hurley and the coaching staff in a variety of roles. In his final season as an Assistant with the Sun Devils, he helped guide ASU to an NCAA Tournament appearance. That season, the Devils won their First Four game against Nevada before losing in the opening round to sixth-seeded TCU. Additionally, during his time in Tempe, six players appeared on a G-League or NBA roster.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Pasternack and the UC Santa Barbara family,” said Rosenthal. “Coach Pasternack is someone I’ve respected for a long time, to work alongside him at a program with such a strong culture and tradition is incredibly special. I’m excited to get to work, build relationships with the players, and help the Gauchos compete at the highest level.”

Rosenthal earned a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from St. John Fisher in 2010 before receiving a Master’s in Teaching at St. Edward’s University in 2012.