A new era of Pepperdine Men’s Basketball officially began April 7 with newly hired Head Coach Griff Aldrich introducing himself to the Malibu community as the 14th official head coach of the program.
In the past two years, Pepperdine Men’s Basketball has posted a 22-45 overall record under Ed Schilling. With a losing record, the University announced they were parting ways with Schilling on March 9 and would begin searching for their next leader, which they found in Aldrich less than a month later.
“With Griff, if you could have written down the position profile and lined up his accomplishments, he almost perfectly matched it,” Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner said.
The Griff Aldrich Era
The Waves are looking at a swelling year of change as 2026 progresses and the University looks toward the future. For Gardner, he said Aldrich was just one piece of the puzzle.
“Creating a great program is a systemic approach,” Gardner said. “It can’t just be about having a good coach, it can’t just be about having good players, it can’t just be about having a good facility, it can’t just be about having good support from the university. Really, all those things have to come together, and when you put all those things together with the support of the community, it just creates a condition for success.”
This year will be transformative for Pepperdine Men’s Basketball in more ways than one. Not only will the Waves be under the leadership of Aldrich as their new head coach, but they will also make the move from Firestone Fieldhouse to The Mountain at Mullin Park, which is set to open fall 2026, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
While change can cause a lot of unknowns, Aldrich said he feels confident in how he can shape the program with the knowledge he brings from his past experiences.
Previously, Aldrich served as the associate head coach at the University of Virginia in the 2025-26 season but found his most success as the head coach at Longwood University. Leading the Lancers, Griff posted a 127-100 record and led the team to Big South regular season and tournament championships, as well as multiple NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in the program’s Division I era, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“Right now, it’s a new era of Pepperdine Basketball with The Mountain coming on — there’s renewed enthusiasm and support from a lot of different areas of campus,” Aldrich said. “This is an exciting time. A lot of the same things that we did at Virginia and at Longwood we will do here as well.”
For Aldrich, The Mountain represents much more than just a new athletic facility. The head coach said the advanced arena represents Pepperdine’s constant pursuit of greatness in all fields.
“This is a university that chases excellence,” Aldrich said. “There’s elite people all over campus, and the Men’s Basketball program will be chasing the same. It’s a real responsibility to put forth a great product and to work really hard so that we have a program and a team that represents the University well.”
President Jim Gash was also in attendance at the conference to introduce Aldrich as well as highlighting Pepperdine’s athletic success, including 14 national championships and recent wins in various sports.
Gash acknowledged Aldrich’s leadership qualities, his ability to develop players, and his track record of leading teams to victory at three different institutions.
“We were looking for a leader who could build something meaningful and sustainable,” Gardner said, reinforcing how the program aligns with President Gash’s broader “For a Greater Purpose” vision.
Although most of his life has been spent working on the East Coast, Aldrich said he is a Southern California boy at his core. Born in La Jolla, there was a sense of relief when bringing his family back to where his life began.
“One of the first things my mom said was, ‘You’re going home,’” Aldrich said. “We really felt called to be here, and we’re really excited about this new chapter and this new adventure.”
The Bigger Picture
When Gardner introduced Aldrich, he made sure to emphasize the new head coach isn’t just a team builder, he is a program builder. Shown through the rebuilding success he has had at other schools, Aldrich said positive change all starts with pouring into the right people.
“We plan to really invest in people and ensure that we’re bringing in the right people, whether it’s staff members or players that will really fit the University and that are hungry to grow and develop,” Aldrich said. “Then we’ve got to just work extremely hard and give them a vision for what it means to chase excellence. How do you do that and do that on a consistent basis? We’ll establish a standard pretty quickly, and then we’ll fight to keep it.”
As Aldrich took the podium, he expressed both gratitude and excitement for the opportunity to lead Pepperdine Men’s Basketball. He acknowledged the challenge ahead, but said his commitment to developing young men who will represent the University and its values with integrity.
“We will have an identity rooted in togetherness, unselfishness and toughness,” Aldrich said. “We want to be men who represent the University well and are men of integrity and character.”
(From left to right) Tim Perrin, senior vice president for Strategic Implementation, Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner, Head Coach Griff Aldrich and President Jim Gash come together at a press conference April 7. The University said they are excited to enter a new era with Aldrich and the opening of The Mountain at Mullin Park.
The transfer portal continues to play a big role in the everchanging landscape of college basketball, especially for mid-major programs like Pepperdine. To combat these changes, Aldrich said his program is going to focus on one simple thing: culture.
“When you allow players to feel seen and be seen where they feel that they’re cared for and they’re really developing, then it’s harder for them to leave,” Aldrich said. “We have to change as coaches to understand that we can still positively plant seeds, even if it’s only for 10 to 12 months, and be OK with that.”
When asked why recruits should choose Pepperdine, Aldrich pointed to the program’s commitment to growth beyond basketball. He said the coaching staff is focused on developing players both on and off the court, challenging them to pursue excellence as athletes, students and individuals.
Gardner said the search for the right people all comes back to the University’s mission statement. This year, Pepperdine has focused on the theme “For a Greater Purpose,” and Athletics strives to align with this vision.
“The way we’re going to win is by leaning on what makes us best, and that’s described in our vision statement, which is championship athletics rooted in Christian values, academic excellence and community,” Gardner said. “So, that’s where we start here. We want people that want to come here for those things.”
As Aldrich focuses on transforming his program and the players within it, the head coach said he is also going to work on transforming the team’s relationship with the local community as well. For a family man, that starts with making sure Malibu knows who the Aldrich crew is.
“What gets me really excited is that you have a team and a program that draws people in, and they’re really excited to support them because they say, ‘Yeah, I really like those guys, I’m happy they represent us,’” Aldrich said. “But in order for that to happen, you have to engage with them.”
David Mager, a graduating guard, has been at Pepperdine through the tenure of three head coaches in Lorenzo Romar, Schilling and now Aldrich. While Mager said he values everything his past coaches have taught him, there is something fresh Aldrich is bringing to Malibu.
“I can already tell he has a strong foundation with the culture, and that’s the main starting point you need in a successful program,” Mager said. “He already has that, he’s already been trying to build that. Even in the two or three practices we’ve had, I could just tell there’s a different vibe with him coming in here. He has confidence. He knows what he’s doing.”
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