Brandin Knight - Men's Basketball Coach (2024)

• A New Jersey (East Orange) native with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaches.
• Has advanced to 12NCAA Tournaments as either a staffer (ten) or student-athlete (two), including four Sweet Sixteen appearances.
• Begins his eigth season with the program and thirdas associate head coach in 2023-24.
• Promoted from assistant head coach to associate head coach prior to 2021-22 season.
• Named to '40 under 40: Rising Stars'list by The Athletic
• In addition to playing an instrumental role in recruiting, game planning and opponent scouting, is key in the development of the Scarlet Knights’ backcourt and perimeter players.
• A 2003 Wooden All-American, 2002 Associated Press All-American and two-time All-Big East honoree, Knight’s No. 20 jersey was retired by Pittsburgh on March 4, 2009. He is a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
• Brother Brevin was a 12-year NBA veteran and a consensus All-America point guard at Stanford. The Knights represent one of only eight brother combinations in Division I history to earn All-America honors.
• Father Melvin, a former Seton Hall assistant coach and player, served as the athletic director at Essex County College (N.J.) prior to his retirement.

• Ron Harper Jr., DeJuan Blair, Steven Adams, Aaron Gray, Lamar Patterson, Sam Young

Brandin Knight heads into his third season as Associate Head Coach with Rutgers men’s basketball in 2023-24 and his eighth season since he joined the team as an Assistant coach joining Rutgers University on April 18, 2016. A New Jersey native with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaches, he has advanced to 12 NCAA Tournaments as either a staffer (ten) or student-athlete (two), including four Sweet Sixteen appearances.

In 2022-23, the Scarlet Knights became the first team in RU history to amass four consecutivewinning seasons. RU reached postseason play in three consecutive seasons with a trip to the NIT.In 2021-22, Knight helped RU return to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991. The Scarlet Knights returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 marking the first time RU has made the big dance in consecutive seasons since 1976.Along with, the Scarlet Knights fourth straight season with double-digit Big Ten triumphs. In 2021-22, Knight helped the team return to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991. The Scarlet Knights returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 marking the first time RU has made the big dance in consecutive seasons since 1976.

In addition to playing an instrumental role in recruiting, game-planning and opponent scouting, Knight is key in the development of the Scarlet Knights’ backcourt and perimeter players. Rutgers has welcomed four-star signees from New Jersey in three consecutive classes, with Cliff Omoruyi (2020), Paul Mulcahy (2019) and Ron Harper, Jr. (2018) all electing to stay home, keyed by the recruiting presence of Knight. who was named to The Athletic’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list in the 2020 offseason. Despite playing the among the toughest conference schedules in the Big Ten according to Ken Pom analysis the past five seasons, Rutgers has made significant strides with Knight on staff. In 2020-21, RU earned its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1991 and earned an opening round victory over Clemson that marked RU’s first NCAA Tournament since 1983.

In 2019-20, the Scarlet Knights posted their first winning season in 14 years with a 20-11 record. It was the program’s first 20-win regular season in 37 years. The team had 18 regular season home wins, the most in the nation and a program record. The Scarlet Knights tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference, the nation’s top-rated league per Ken Pomeroy, posting an 11-9 mark in league games. RU earned its most conference victories in 29 years. RU earned its first opening road bye in a conference tournament in 25 years, and were poised to secure its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1991.

The Scarlet Knights had four double-digit victories over ranked opponents, including a 20-point win over Seton Hall in the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic, RU largest margin of victory over a ranked foe in program history. During the season, Rutgers joined the national rankings for the first time in 41 years and were ranked or receiving votes for eight weeks. RU was recognized as the nation’s Most Improved Team in 2018-19 by Sports Illustrated. The Scarlet Knights improved 70 positions in the KenPom.com rankings, best among all Power conference programs. Rutgers earned seven league victories, its most in conference play in 13 years, while competing with a roster ranked 330th in experience.

The Scarlet Knights ranked among the top three in the Big Ten in eight statistical categories in 2017-18 and won two conference tournament games for the first time since 1998. In 2016-17, Rutgers more than doubled its overall win total, while tripling their conference victory total, en route to a plus-117 rank improvement in RPI. Knight arrived to Rutgers after an accomplished tenure at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to being named assistant coach by Jamie Dixon in 2008, Knight served the 2007-08 and 2006-07 seasons as Director of Men’s Basketball Operations and Program Assistant/Video Coordinator, respectively. The Panthers compiled a 252-101 (.714) record and reached the postseason all 10 seasons with Knight on staff. Pitt won the 2008 Big East Championship, earned two NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds (2009 & 2011) and captured the 2011 Big East regular season title.
Knight was instrumental in the development of All-America selection Sam Young, and all-league guards Levance Fields, Ashton Gibbs and Tray Woodall. A point guard from 1999-2003, Knight’s leadership was instrumental in Pitt’s basketball renaissance. He helped lead the Panthers to consecutive Big East regular season titles (2001-02 and 2002-03), two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances (2002 and 2003), the program’s first Big East Tournament title (2003), three consecutive appearances in the Big East Tournament final (2001, 2002, and 2003) and an 89-40 (.690) four-year record. A 2003 Wooden All-American, 2002 Associated Press All-American and two-time All-Big East honoree, Knight concluded his career with 1,440 points, 785 assists, 492 rebounds and 298 steals. He earned the Big East’s co-Most Valuable Player and Most Improved Player awards in 2001-02. Knight still holds school records for career assists (785), career assist average (6.2), career steals (298), career 3-point field goal attempts (261), season minutes played (1,284 in 2001-02) and consecutive games played with at least one assist (91 from 2000-03).Knight’s No. 20 jersey was retired by the Panthers on March 4, 2009 and he was recognized as a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Following his collegiate career, Knight played two seasons with the NBDL’s Asheville Altitude. He helped lead the Altitude to back-to-back league titles in both 2003-04 and 2004-05. In 2005, he signed a contract with the Houston Rockets, but suffered a knee injury. Knight spent the following two years in Pittsburgh rehabbing the injury. During that span, he became involved with coaching. He directed several AAU teams, including a squad that captured the Under-16 Pittsburgh Jamfest title in 2006. An East Orange native, Knight’s brother Brevin was a 12-year NBA veteran and a consensus All-America point guard at Stanford (1994-97). The Knights represent one of only eight brother combinations in NCAA Division I history to earn All-America honors.

The son of Brenda and Melvin Knight, his father is a former Seton Hall assistant basketball coach (1978-82) and player (1968-71), who served as athletic director at Essex County College (N.J.) prior to his retirement. Knight graduated with a History degree from Pitt in June, 2005. He and wife Michelle are proud parents of two children, daughter Kylah and son Brandin Jr.