Scott Waterman was named head men's basketball coach at New Mexico Highlands University in June 2026.
Waterman arrived at Highlands after serving as Special Assistant to the Head Coach at the University of New Mexico during the 2025-26 season. He helped guide the Lobos to a 26-win campaign, a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) semifinals, and a school-record 3,004 points scored.
Prior to joining the New Mexico staff, Waterman spent six seasons as head coach at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he became the program's all-time winningest coach and established the Urban Knights as one of the premier NCAA Division II programs in the West Region.
During his tenure at Academy of Art, Waterman compiled a 96-71 overall record and guided the program to four consecutive seasons of at least 20 victories. He led the Urban Knights to the 2022 Pacific West Conference Tournament Championship, the program's first two NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, and the 2024 PacWest regular season championship.
Waterman was named Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year twice, earning the honor in both 2021-22 and 2023-24. In 2023, he guided Academy of Art to the NCAA Division II Tournament Second Round and the program's first NCAA postseason victory in school history.
Under Waterman's leadership, Academy of Art established numerous program records, including wins in a season, scoring average, steals, rebounds, scoring margin, and defensive statistics. His teams became known for their up-tempo style of play and defensive intensity, consistently ranking among conference leaders in scoring and steals.
Before becoming head coach at Academy of Art, Waterman served as Associate Head Coach at Dominican University of California from 2017-19. During his time with the Penguins, he helped the program earn National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence honors while mentoring multiple All-PacWest performers.
Waterman also gained Division I experience as Director of Basketball Operations at Dartmouth College during the 2016-17 season. Prior to Dartmouth, he spent three seasons as Associate Head Coach at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, where he helped guide the Sagehens to national regional rankings and coached multiple All-SCIAC selections.
From 2007-13, Waterman served on the staff at Cal State Fullerton, first as Director of Basketball Operations before spending five seasons as an assistant coach under Big West Coach of the Year Bob Burton. During his tenure, the Titans advanced to the NCAA Tournament and later earned a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).
Waterman began his collegiate coaching career at Long Beach State, serving first as a graduate assistant before being elevated to assistant coach. He was part of the 49ers staff that captured the Big West Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2007.
A native of Lake Forest, California, Waterman earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Occidental College in 2002. A former team captain for the Tigers, he later earned a master's degree in kinesiology from Long Beach State in 2004.
Waterman Coaching Experience
- 2026-present: Head Men's Basketball Coach, New Mexico Highlands University
- 2025-26: Special Assistant to the Head Coach, University of New Mexico
- 2019-25: Head Coach, Academy of Art University
- 2017-19: Associate Head Coach, Dominican University of California
- 2016-17: Director of Basketball Operations, Dartmouth College
- 2013-16: Associate Head Coach, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges
- 2008-13: Assistant Coach, Cal State Fullerton
- 2007-08: Director of Basketball Operations, Cal State Fullerton
- 2006-07: Assistant Coach, Long Beach State
- 2002-06: Graduate Assistant/Operations Roles, Long Beach State
