Damon Archibald completed his first season on the Tarleton State bench in 2023-24. One of his main duties for the Texan staff will be recruiting.
In his first season on the Texan bench, he was a part of a staff that broke multiple records in Tarleton State's Division I era.The Texans set a new record with 25 overall wins, the 20th 20-win season in program history. Tarleton registered 16 wins in WAC play, the highest in any conference in program history. During the regular season, the squad knocked off eventual WAC Champion, Grand Canyon, 77-74, in front of a sold out Wisdom Gym crowd. Tarleton State was one 17 NCAA Division I teams this season to register 10 road wins this season and was the only reclassifying team to accomplish the feat. Tarleton climbed up to as high as 129 in the NET rankings, their highest as a Division I program. the Texans also orchestrated a perfect 8-0 month of February, one of five schools to do so in 2024.
In the Texans second postseason eligible season, the unit earned its highest WAC Tournament seed finishing second in the WAC with a 16-4 record. Tarleton reached the WAC Semifinals for the first time in program history. The Texans ran off a pair of win streaks that were the longest in its D1 era, with a six game streak early in the season, and a 10-game streak during WAC play.After the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, the Texans accepted a bid to host their first postseason tournament in Wisdom Gym in its Division I era, the College Insider.com Postseason Tournament presented by BSN SPORTS. The Texans knocked off Texas Southern in the opening round before defeating Abilene Christian for the third time this season to earn the Lou Henson Classic Championship. Tarleton reached the semifinals of the CIT presented by BSN SPORTS, its longest postseason run in its Division I era.
Individually, the Texans earned their most postseason honors since joining the WAC. Jakorie Smith became the first Texan to earn First Team All-WAC. KiAndre Gaddy was the fourth different selection as WAC Defensive Player of the Year since the award's inception in 2016. Gaddy also was named a top 25 finalist for the Lefty Driessel Award, the nation's top defensive player. He joined freshman Emmanuel Innocenti on the All-Defensive Team. Tarleton was the only school to earn two players on the five-man team this season. Innocenti also earned a nod to the WAC All-Freshman Team.
Tarleton established themselves as one of the top teams statistically in the WAC as well. At the end of the regular season, Tarleton was in the top 3 in nine statistical categories, including topping the league in four. Tarleton led the WAC in fewest turnovers per game (13.1), turnover margin (+ 3.0), steals per game (9.0) and free throw percentage (75.2%). The Purple and White were second in field goal percentage (45.3%) and Assist to Turnover ratio (1.14). Finally, the Texans were third in the WAC in assists per game (13.2), scoring margin (+ 5.1), and opponent turnovers per game (14.5). Nationally, the Texans were in the top 40 in three different categories. Tarleton had the 18th most steals per game, 26th highest turnover margin, and 36th most turnovers forced per game.
Archibald brings a pedigree of winning, having competed as a player and coach in the NCAA Tournament with five different programs.
In his coaching tenure, coach Archibald has coached 30 postseason conference selections including the 2000 PAC-10 Player of the Year, Sean Clancy. He also also guided 12 future NBA Draft picks including three first round picks. In addition five former players signed NBA contracts as an undrafted free agent.
Prior to the Texans, Archibald was most recently the head coach of Bella Vista Prep Regional team and served as the assistant coach for the national team. Bella Vista was his first coaching job since taking about a 10-year break from coaching and working in sales.
Archibald started his coaching journey as a graduate assistant on Jerry Tarkanian’s Fresno State staff from 1997-1999. Both seasons the Bulldogs enjoyed 20-plus winning seasons and reached the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden in 1998. While with Fresno State, he coached a pair of future NBA first round picks, Melvin Ely (12th) and the nation's leading scorer Courtney Alexander (13th). After his time with the Bulldogs, Archibald spent on season the staff at Pepperdine. The Waves boasted a 25-9 record in 2000 winning a WCC regular season title and runner-up to Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament led by future NBA first round pick (23rd overall), Brandon Armstrong. Pepperdine earned a bid to the 2000 NCAA Tournament and knocked off Bobby Knight’s sixth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers in Knight’s final game, 77-57.
Archibald’s next stop was Los Angeles, Calif., to serve as USC Assistant 2000-2003 where he started as the youngest assistant coach in the Pac-10. During his three years with the Trojans, the team made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances including a run to the Elite Eight in 2001 for the program’s best finish since 1961. Was on staff during future NBA-veteran Brain Scalabrine was a Trojan. As an integral part of the Trojan recruiting, Archibald helped the Trojans earn the number two rated recruit class in 2004 that included three future NBA Draft picks: 2004 first round pick, Robert Swift, 2007 first round pick, Nick Young, and 2007 second round selection, Gabriel Pruitt.
After USC, Archibald headed to Iowa State for three seasons to serve as the associate head coach to Wayne Morgan. Reached the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament following a win over eight-seeded Minnesota before bowing out to the eventual 2005 Nation Champion North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round. Helped build the second-rated recruiting class in the country in 2006 for the Cyclones. Coach Archibald is one of the only coaches in the country to notch back-to-back top 2 recruiting classes at different school. Future second round pick, Jackson Vroman was one of Archibald's star pupils with the Cyclones. Archibald left the Iowa State for New Mexico State in 2006 to be an assistant head coach for one season under Reggie Theus. In 2007, NMSU won the WAC Tournament and earned a bid to the 2007 NCAA Tournament where the Aggies fell to fourth-seeded Texas, 79-67.
Archibald left college athletics as he was offered the chance to coach the Sacremento Kings 2008 Summer League team. He coached six NBA Draft picks including top-ten selection Spencer Hawes. His team also included NBA veteran, Meta World Peace. His players combined for 32 years of service in the NBA and over 50 games in the playoffs.
Following his stint with the Kings, he spent one season at historically black college, Texas Southern. After a year in he transitioned into the business world.
Coach Archibald spent several years as a personal trainer where he was hired by NBA teams, agents and players to work out teams and athletes for future NBA Drafts, and upcoming seasons.
Archibald’s playing career began at Boise State before finishing at NAIA Albertson College of Idaho. Throughout his four seasons of collegiate basketball, Archibald totaled 1,147 points, 292 rebounds, 286 assists and 191 steals. In 3 years at Boise State, Archibald averaged 8.1 points, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game in 71 contests. He averaged a career-high 9.6 points per game in his final season with the Broncos. Archibald led the Big Sky his junior year with 2.2 steals per game. Archibald ranked in the top 10 in steals per game in the conference in all three years in Boise. Appearing twice in the NCAA Tournament with the Broncos, Archibald tallied six points against the Commodores of Vanderbilt and five points with six assists in a start against the Cardinals of Louisville. For his final season of eligibility, Archibald played at Albertson College of Idaho. He was named the Cascade Conference “Newcomer of the Year”, and in a storybook ending was named 1996 NAIA Tournament MVP as a member of the ’96 NAIA National Champions.
Archibald has two sons, Bradoc and Tydan both of whom have played under coach Billy Gillispie. Bradoc played at Ranger College for coach Gillispie and Tydan played at Tarleton last season. Archibald a Tempe, Ariz., native, graduated from Corona Del Sol High School. He graduated from Boise State in 1997 with a degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis in communications.
Future NBA Players under Coach Archibald
Player Overall Pick Team
Melvin Ely 12th L.A. Clippers
Courtney Alexander 13th Orlando
Brandon Armstrong 23rd Houston
Jackson Vroman 32nd Phoenix
Chris Herren 33rd Denver
Brian Scalabrine 35th New Jersey
Jeff Trepangier 36th Cleveland
Rafer Alston 39th Milwaukee
Sam Clancy 45th Philadelphia
Tremaine Fowlkes 54th Denver
Randy Holcomb 57th San Antonio
Will Blalock 60th Detroit
Terrance Roberson Not Drafted Charlotte
Desmon Farmer Not Drafted Seattle
Nick Sheppard Not Drafted Phoenix
Cedric Suitt Not Drafted Sacramento
Kenny Lofton Jr. Not Drafted Memphis
