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San Diego State's Steve Fisher retires, replaced by Brian Dutcher

By The Sports Xchange
Associate head coach Brian Dutcher will be the new San Diego State men's basketball after head coach Steve Fisher retired. Photo courtesy GoAztecs.com
Associate head coach Brian Dutcher will be the new San Diego State men's basketball after head coach Steve Fisher retired. Photo courtesy GoAztecs.com

Steve Fisher retired from coaching on Monday.

San Diego State immediately filled his position by promoting Brian Dutcher, who will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

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Fisher, 72, said in February he planned to coach a 19th season at SDSU, the end of a three-year extension worth $3 million signed in 2015.

Dutcher was named head coach in waiting in August 2011. He has never been a head coach at any level.

San Diego State did not reach the NCAA Tournament in March and finished 19-14, ending a streak of 11 consecutive 20-win seasons.

Fisher won the NCAA Tournament in a six-game interim stint at Michigan in 1989 -- Bill Frieder accepted an offer from Arizona State -- and was head coach of the Wolverines until 1997, including a memorable run with the "Fab Five," a talented freshman class comprised of future NBA stars Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard, along with Jimmy King and Ray Jackson in 1991.

Dutcher, who joined Fisher at Michigan in 1989, was central to recruiting the Fab Five, Fisher said. He's also credited with bringing Kawhi Leonard to SDSU.

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The Wolverines reached the national championship game twice with the Fab Five, but lost to Duke (1991) and North Carolina (1992).

Because of violations involving a booster who was granted access to players on Fisher's watch, several wins -- including the 1992 Final Four and the entire 1992-93 season -- were vacated.

Fisher was fired just before the start of the 1997 season.

Fisher played college basketball at Illinois State from 1965-67 and in some capacity has been involved in coaching for the past 50 years, including three Final Four trips at Michigan (1989, 1992, 1993).

He won 495 career games.

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