PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

MAXIMILIANO ACOSTA / ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

JR Blount  was hired as the new men’s basketball coach for the Toreros. Blount is a former three-year team captain and two-time MVP at Loyola University Chicago, later playing for the Leicester Riders in the British Basketball League during the 2010–11 season. 

Toreros signed off with Coach Lavin for the 2025-2026 season. Photo courtesy of @usdmbb/Instagram

Blount’s coaching career has taken off after his contributions to Iowa State’s major turnaround when he was assistant coach.The team improved from a two-win season to a 22-13 record and had a Sweet 16 appearance in 2021–22. Blount helped Iowa State build a national reputation for defensive toughness.

During his time there, the Cyclones  continued their success with multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. Before Iowa State, Blount also contributed to Colorado State’s rise with consecutive 20-win seasons and the program’s highest-rated recruiting class.

The 2025-2026 men’s basketball season has officially come to an end as of March 6. The Toreros lost to Seattle University in the second round of the WCC (West Coast Conference) tournament. The final score was 58-56, and the Toreros exited the conference tournament with a 12-21 record overall. The game marked   USD head coach Steve Lavin’s final game with the Toreros.

USD men’s basketball team Graduate Assistant and USD alumnus Airion Medina shared his thoughts on Lavin’s departure. 

“I   was  surprised even  though I  work  for    him,   the news came  out of  nowhere and I was expecting  them to  talk about it after the season was over,” Medina said. “I think basketball over the years has not been a big part of the student life due to us not winning as much, but that’s because fans don’t show that much support for us and if we got more fans to the games then we would play better in being in a better environment overall.”

Following the closing game, the University of San Diego’s Athletic Department recently announced that JR Blount will be the new head coach for the upcoming season.

The USD Athletics website released a statement from Kimya Massey about the new hire JR Blount. “After a thorough and highly competitive  national search, we are proud to welcome JR Blount as the next head coach of USD men’s basketball,” Massey said. “JR is an outstanding leader, a relentless competitor and one of the brightest rising coaches in college basketball. Even more importantly, throughout this process I came to know him as a humble leader with strong integrity and deep family values. JR has been a part of winning at every level of his career and understands what it takes to build a program that competes with toughness, discipline and consistency. Just as importantly, he believes in developing young men holistically and leading in a way that reflects the values of this University.”

Blount expressed excitement about joining the program and emphasized his commitment to building  a  strong  culture both on and off the court in a statement also published to USD Athletics. 

“I’m  incredibly  honored and  grateful for the  opportunity to lead USD men’s basketball,” Blount said. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Kimya Massey and President Harris for this opportunity. This is more than just a coaching position for me — it’s a chance to become part of a community and build something meaningful. My wife and our three daughters are excited to make this move together and we can’t wait to invest in this University and the relationships that make it special.”

Blount also shared his mentality going into the new position and how he intends to be successful. 

“I come to USD with a deep desire to win — to compete relentlessly, to develop our young men to their fullest potential and to build a program our fans can be proud of,” Blount said. Winning championships is important, but so is building a culture of toughness, accountability and love. We’re   going  to work every day to  represent  USD the right  way, on and off  the  court.  I’m  ready  to get started.”

USD sophomore Mariah Pulido shared her thoughts on the coaching change and how it could provide a fresh start for the program and potentially help the team improve moving forward.

“I don’t know much about the team, but I think a coaching change   could   be   good  for  them,” Pulido said. “I’m assuming that the change happened for a good reason so this might give the team the opportunity to make improvements.

While Pulido is not directly involved with the basketball program, she still sees the impact team performance can have on the broader athletics community.

“I’m on the marketing team for the entire athletics department so I’m not as involved with the basketball team specifically,” Pulido said. “However, I have worked at a few  of  their games, in which my main job as Marketing intern was to improve fan experience. Games are obviously  much more  enjoyable for fans as well as coaches,  players and employees if we get to see our team win. Therefore, I believe that this is a great opportunity for the team and their new coach.”

With the 2025–2026 season now in the books, the Toreros enter an offseason that will soon welcome Blount.

Blount pictured coaching the Iowa State Cyclones  before joining the USD Toreros. Photo courtesy of @usdmbb/Instagram