A Los Angeles Lakers fan favorite is taking a new coaching gig not far from the friendly confines of Crypto.com Arena.
Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest, has accepted a job to become the associate head coach of Cal State L.A.’s women’s basketball team. Artest and the school announced the news in a joint Instagram post.
“We’re delighted to announce Metta World Peace as our Associate Head Coach,” the post read. “His experience and knowledge goes beyond the basketball court. A champion of mental health, and a champion of our program.”
Artest has campaigned for NBA head coaching jobs in the past, but has hardly had any experience coaching organized basketball. He served as a player development coach for the South Bay Lakers during the 2017-18 season — and that’s about it. Landing the Cal State job is a step in the right direction toward the NBA coaching job he’s looking for.
The Cal State women’s basketball team is coming off a banner year, emerging as champions of the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the first time in program history. The Golden Eagles went 24-7 overall.
Artest will have his work cut out for him to replicate that success in his first season on the team’s staff. Cal State star player Nevaeh Asiasi, the reigning CCAA Player of the Year, graduated last May. The Golden Eagles will need to fill the scoring void left by Asiasi, who led the CCAA in scoring with her 19.4 points per game.
