Coaching Staff

Chris Victor
Associate Head Coach

Chris Victor was named the associate head coach on the Seattle University men's basketball coaching staff on April 12, 2017.
 
Victor maed the trip west from Cheney, Wash., where he served as an assistant on Jim Hayford’s staff at Eastern Washington for the past two seasons. His first season on the Eagle coaching staff was punctuated by Eastern’s first-ever victory in a national postseason tournament as a member of NCAA Division I when the Eagles beat Pepperdine 79-72 in the College Basketball Invitational. The Eagles went 22-12 and returned to the CBI in 2016-17.
 
“Chris is one of the brightest young basketball minds on the West Coast,” said Hayford. “He was very successful junior college head coach in California. I am very fortunate to have had him join my staff for the last two years at Eastern and to continue his coaching journey with me at Seattle University.”
 
Victor led the Owls to 103 victories in his five seasons at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., a member of the Western State Conference and the California Community College Athletic Association. He won 73 percent of his games overall (103-39) and 73 percent in league play (44-16) with a pair of CCCAA Final Four appearances and one league title.
 
“I am extremely excited to join Coach Hayford’s staff and the Seattle University family,” said Victor. “I am honored to be a part of this prestigious university and the rich Seattle basketball tradition. Coach Hayford has created a championship culture everywhere he's been, and I look forward to helping him build that here at Seattle U.”
 
Victor spent four seasons as a top assistant at Concordia University in Irvine under head coach Ken Amman. In that span, Concordia went 118-23, won three out of four Golden State Athletic Conference Championships and made four-straight appearances in the NAIA National Tournament, even appearing in the national title game in 2006-07.
 
Prior to his coaching career, Victor was a decorated player at Concordia, playing a key role in helping the Eagles advance to the NAIA championship game in both 2003 and 2004. In the 2003 title game, Victor scored a season-high 26 points and dished out nine assists as he helped lead Concordia to its first national championship in program history. Victor helped his school to a 90-21 record, and is ranked in the top 10 all-time in points and 3-pointers, and is third all-time in assists and steals for Concordia.
 
He received his bachelor of arts degree in 2004 as a business marketing major with a mathematics minor. He earned his master’s degree from Concordia in 2010 in coaching and athletic administration.
 
 

Nick Robinson
Assistant Coach

Nick Robinson was named an assistant coach on the Seattle University men's basketball coaching staff on April 12, 2017.
 
Robinson joins the Seattle U staff after spending four seasons as the head coach at Southern Utah University. During his tenure, he had 20 student-athletes earn Big Sky Academic All-Conference honors, five named to the NABC Honors Court, one NABC Academic Excellence Team (2012-13) and two All-Big Sky selections.
 
“Nick and I competed as head coaches against each other in the Big Sky Conference,” said Head Coach Jim Hayford. “Prior to that, he was a member of very successful coaching staffs at Louisiana State and Stanford, and enjoyed an outstanding winning career as a player for the Cardinal.”
 
Before his tenure at SUU, Robinson was on staff at Louisiana State University, where he spent three seasons (2009-12) and contributed to the program’s return to post season play after a two-year drought and the development of one future NBA player. Prior to his time at LSU, Robinson served one season (2008-09) on the staff at William Jewell College where they defeated the No. 1 team in the country in the first round of the NAIA DI Tournament.
 
"I'm grateful to join Coach Hayford's staff and be a part of the Seattle U family,” Robinson said. “The values of the University, the community support and the chance to develop student-athletes at a great institution are what excite me the most heading into the future."
 
Before his stint at William Jewell, Robinson served two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Stanford University. He contributed to the development of three future NBA players and assisted the team as they reached the 2007 NCAA Tournament and the 2008 NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the Sweet 16.
 
Robinson played his college basketball at Stanford from 2001-05, where he was instrumental in guiding the Cardinal to an impressive 92-34 record, four trips to the NCAA Tournament, a Pac-10 championship, and a No. 1 national ranking during the 2003-04 season.
 
After redshirting in 2000-01, Robinson went on to start 67 of the 110 games he played in.  Known for his outstanding defensive play and leadership abilities, Robinson was named Best Defensive Player three times by his teammates and served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons.
 
Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in sociology from Stanford University. He and his wife, Meagan, are the parents of four children, Annie, Tate, Toby and Elsie.
 
 

Sam Kirby
Assistant Coach

Seattle University men's basketball alumni Sam Kirby has returned to his alma mater, joining the Redhawks' coaching staff as an assistant coach.
 
"Having an alum of Seattle U on our staff is a tremendous asset and we're happy to welcome Sam back to campus," said Head Coach Jim Hayford. "Sam is recognized as one of the up-and-coming assistant coaches on the West Coast and we're excited that he chose to return to Seattle U."
 
Kirby returns to the Redhawk program following seven seasons of serving as an assistant coach at Cal Poly under Joe Callero. Kirby was involved in floor coaching, game planning and scouting, while also serving as the program's recruiting coordinator during his final three years.
 
"It’s been truly an amazing experience to be able to come back to the school, community and city that helped turn me into the man I am today," said Kirby. "This is a dream come true. Not many college coaches get to go back to their alma mater. Thank you to Head Coach Jim Hayford and the rest of the Redhawk staff for being so gracious during this process. I’m excited to be back and cannot wait to get to work."
 
Kirby was a member of the Seattle U squad for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, the latter year resulting in a 20-9 overall record, a Great Northwest Athletic Conference title and the program's first NCAA Division II Tournament berth in 38 years.
 
A Sacramento native, Kirby served as a student assistant coach at Seattle U during the 2007-08 campaign while completing a bachelor's degree in liberal studies with a minor in psychology. He went on to spend two seasons as an assistant at Shoreline Community College (2008-10), followed by a one-year stint at Cañada College (Redwood City, Calif.) where he was involved in all aspects of on-court coaching, strength and conditioning, recruiting and perimeter player development. He helped the Colts to a 20-6 overall record, a second-place finish in the Coast Conference with an 8-4 mark and a final No. 7 ranking in the California Community College Athletic Association coaches poll.
 
Kirby joined Callero's staff beginning with the 2011-12 season. Kirby’s influence on the Cal Poly guard play has been substantial with the Mustangs leading all NCAA Division I programs during the previous five seasons with just 9.62 turnovers committed per game. Additionally, Cal Poly has led the Big West Conference during the previous six years with a combined 1.24-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio
 
Cal Poly's backcourt strength has contributed directly to the program's overall success with the Mustangs capturing the program's first Big West Conference championship in 2014 and reaching the NCAA Tournament second round.
 
An All-Bay Valley Conference selection at San Joaquin Delta College (2003-05), Kirby helped the Mustangs to a 30-2 record during the 2004-05 season and a berth in the semifinals of that year's CCCAA state championships. A graduate of Sacramento's Foothill High School, Kirby assisted the program to the 2003 California Interscholastic Federation Division III state championship and a 36-2 record.
 
Kirby and his wife, Aspen, have one young son, Sam Kirby III.