Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Nevada [Exh] on October 17, 2025
![Nevada [Exh]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/crop?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Futahutes.com%2Fimages%2Flogos%2FNevadaAthletics_Navy.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
Men's Basketball
vs Nevada [Exh]
![Oregon [Exh]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/crop?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Futahutes.com%2Fimages%2Flogos%2Foregon.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
Men's Basketball
Krystkowiak, Larry
Larry Krystkowiak
- Title:
- Men's Basketball Head Coach
- Phone:
- 801-581-5451
Larry Krystkowiak heads into his 10th season as Utah men's basketball head coach in 2020-21. Krystkowiak, who has led the Runnin' Utes to postseason appearances in five of the past seven seasons, has also tallied 171 wins over the course of his first nine seasons in Salt Lake City and to label his rebuilding of the program anything but successful, would be an understatement.
Under Krystkowiak’s leadership, Utah became the only school in the Pac-12 to have a player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft from 2015-17. Along with Delon Wright (2015, No. 20) and Jakob Poeltl (2016, No. 9), Kyle Kuzma went No. 27 overall to the New Jersey Nets in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Kuzma was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Utes still managed to secure a first-round pick in three straight seasons for the first time since 1997-99 when Keith Van Horn went second overall in 1997, followed by the selections of Michael Doleac (1998) and Andre Miller (1999).
With arguably one of the youngest rosters in all of Division I basketball, Krystkowiak and the Utes had some big moments in 2019-20 -- including a 9-4 start in non-conference play. The Runnin' Utes set an NCAA Division I margin of victory in their home-opener with a 143-49 throttling of Mississippi Valley State followed by a 73-69 win over a strong Minnesota team in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Other notable wins for Utah included a thrilling 102-95 victory over in-state rival BYU in overtime as well as a 69-66 upset of #6 Kentucky inside T-Mobile Arena on ESPN2.
Despite being picked to finish eighth in the Pac-12 Conference in 2018-19, Utah managed to win 17 games overall with a squad that primarily consisted of three freshmen starters. The Utes would go on to register an 11-7 record in conference play and finished in sole possession of third-place in the league standings. It marked the eighth straight season that Krystkowiak and the Utes exceeded preseason polls, finishing at or above the preseason prediction.
The Utes again exceeded all expectations in 2017-18, going 23-12 overall and finishing third in the Pac-12 Conference. The Utes were picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12 standings, but opened league-play with consecutive road wins at Oregon and Oregon State, on the way to an 11-7 mark and the No. 3 seed in the Pac-12 Championship Tournament.
Utah then played in its third NIT under Krystkowiak and made a deep run in the tournament, advancing to the championship final in New York. Utah would fall to Penn State in the championship game, but along the way Utah won four contests in the tournament, including a pair of home wins and a road victory at a then top-25-ranked Saint Mary's team. The Utes would then go on to win its NIT Final Four semifinal contest over Western Kentucky before facing PSU in the final.
During the 2016-17 campaign, Krystkowiak led the team to a 20-12 overall record, which included going 11-7 in Pac-12 play and finishing in sole possession of fourth-place in the conference standings. He became just the fifth coach in school history to register at least 100 wins with the program, joining former legendary coaches Vadal Peterson (385 wins), Jack H. Gardner (339), Rick Majerus (325) and Jerry Pimm (173).
Despite falling to Boise State in the first round of the NIT tournament, the Utes managed to host its NIT appearance for just the fourth time in school history and for the first time since 2001.
Krystkowiak helped guide Utah to a 27-9 overall record in 2015-16, which also led to his being named the US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) District VIII Coach of the Year.
The 2015-16 campaign ended with an unexpected loss to Gonzaga in the NCAA Round of 32, but the loss did not hamper what the Utes achieved over the course of the regular season. Utah defeated a top-seven ranked opponent for the first time since 2002 when the Utes earned an overtime-victory over No. 7 Duke at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., this past December. The Utes also managed to earn the program’s first two-game road sweep in Pac-12 play with wins over Washington State and Washington, while later in the season also picking up the program’s first win at UCLA since 1961.
Utah opened the 2015-16 Pac-12 Conference slate with two straight losses and later fell to 1-3 in conference play following a home loss to Oregon. The Utes got off the mat to win five straight before dropping back-to-back games to Oregon State and Oregon, but Utah once again showed its resiliency, closing out the regular season with a program-best seven straight wins against the gauntlet that is known as the Pac-12 Conference.
After earning the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Conference Championship Tournament, Utah again did something that the program has never done, earning a berth into the conference finals after posting wins over USC and California in the opening rounds.
The 2015-16 regular season concluded with Poeltl, a sophomore, earning Pac-12 Player of the Year honors – the program’s first POY since 2009 – and senior Brandon Taylor earning the program’s first-ever Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Poeltl would go on to be named the program’s second-consecutive consensus all-American under Krystkowiak, while also taking home the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year awards.
Krystkowiak led the Utes to a 26-9 record, a berth in the Sweet 16 and a No. 15 final national ranking in 2014-15. Utah was ranked in the top 25 for 19 weeks – the most time spent in the national polls since the Final Four campaign of 1997-98. Utah also had its best finish since joining the Pac-12, placing third with a 13-5 conference mark and reaching the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament for the second time in three years.
The Utes defeated Stephen F. Austin and Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Duke in the Sweet 16, 63-57.
Individually, Wright won the Bob Cousy Award and was a Wooden All-American selection under Krystkowiak. The senior guard was also named a second team All-American by the USBWA and the NABC. Wright, along with junior guard, Taylor, and freshman center, Poeltl garnered Pac-12 postseason honors.
Since winning just six games in his first season at Utah (2011-12), Krystkowiak has only added to the program’s win total by season’s end after winning 15 games in 2012-13, 21 games in 2013-14 and 26 games in 2016-17. The former NBA veteran increased the squad’s win-total in Pac-12 play as well, having finished with at least 11 conference wins in each of the previous three seasons.
The Utes have also excelled in the classroom with Taylor being named a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree and recently garnered Pac-12 All-Academic honors for a second year along with junior center Jeremy Olsen. Senior Austin Eastman and sophomore Kenneth Ogbe were also honored, giving Utah four student-athletes on the squad this season and a total of nine over the past two years, both tops in the conference.
Striving for success, both on and off the court, are trademarks of the Krystkowiak era and due to improvements in both areas, the Utah head coach was rewarded with a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season.
The resurgence of Utah basketball under Krystkowiak has also ignited Utah's fan base. The Utes have averaged more than 12,000 fans at home over the past three seasons. Utah ranked second in the Pac-12 and No. 24 in the nation in home attendance in 2015-16, accumulating nearly 221,000 fans on the season. Just this past season, Utah drew a total of 216,914 Utes fans into the Huntsman Center.
In 2013-14, Krystkowiak guided the Utes to their first postseason appearance since 2009 and surpassed the 20-win mark.
Wright, in his first season under Krystkowiak's tutelage, went on to earn First Team All-Pac-12 and All-Defensive Team honors, a precedent for Utah men's basketball in the Conference of Champions. Jordan Loveridge continued his development and finished among the top-12 in the league in scoring and rebounding and was Utah's first Pac-12 Player of the Week.
In 2012-13, Krystkowiak led Utah to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals for the first time in program history and won two postseason games for the first time since winning the Mountain West Conference championship in 2009. The Utes also more than doubled their win total from the previous season by winning 15 games.
Jason Washburn was named honorable mention All-Pac-12 becoming the first Ute to receive any postseason recognition since the team entered the league. Also, Olsen was named to the Pac-12's All-Academic First Team and became the first Ute to win scholastic honors since the switch in conferences.
Krystkowiak was introduced on April 4, 2011 as the new men's basketball coach at the University of Utah and the man to lead the Runnin' Utes into the next phase of their storied history. Krystkowiak, who has prior head coaching experience in the NCAA, CBA and NBA, left a position as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets to become the 15th head coach in Utah men's basketball history.
In his previous collegiate head coaching post, Krystkowiak led his alma mater, the University of Montana, to a 42-20 record and two NCAA appearances as the Grizzlies' from 2004-06 before joining the NBA coaching ranks.
Hired as an assistant coach by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2006-07, "Krysko" was elevated to head coach with 17 games remaining in the season. He was retained as the Bucks' head coach in 2007-08. Among the players he coached was former Ute All-American Andrew Bogut. Krystkowiak's other head coaching experience was in the CBA with the Idaho Stampede in 2003-04.
After a nine-year NBA playing career in six cities, Krystkowiak's first coaching job was as an assistant coach at Montana from 1998-2000. The Grizzlies were the Big Sky champions in 2000. He then moved on to Old Dominion as an assistant in 2001-02 before signing on as the head coach of the CBA's Idaho Stampede. In his lone season with the Stampede in 2003-04, he led the team to a 38-14 record and a berth in the CBA Finals.
Krystkowiak spent the next two seasons as the head coach at Montana. The Grizzlies were Big Sky champions in 2004-05, winning the conference tournament and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. They appeared in the Big Dance in 2006 as well, earning an at-large bid and advancing to the second round with an upset victory over fifth-seed Nevada. It was UM's first NCAA tournament win since 1975. Montana finished the season with a 24-7 record, after going 18-13 in Krystkowiak's first season, losing to No. 1 seed Washington in the NCAA First Round.
The only three-time Big Sky MVP in league history and two-time Academic All-American for Montana from 1982-86, Krystkowiak is still the school's all-time career leader in points (2,017) and rebounds (1,105). He was selected in the second round (28th overall pick) of the 1986 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and played in the league for nine years with San Antonio (1986-87), Milwaukee (1988-92), Utah (1992-93), Orlando (1993-94), Chicago (1994-96) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1996). Over his NBA career, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds a game with his best season in 1988-89 when he averaged 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds a game for Milwaukee.
Krystkowiak made the Dean's List four times at Montana, including in 1996, when he completed the degree he began over a decade earlier in business administration. He graduated with honors, boasting a 3.5 grade point average.
Krystkowiak and his wife Jan have five children, sons Cam, Luc, and Ben, along with twin daughters Samantha and Finley.
Krystkowiak Coaching Experience
| Years | School | Position |
| 2011- | University of Utah | Head Coach |
| 2010-11 | New Jersey Nets (NBA) | Assistant Coach |
| 2010 | USA U18 Men's National Team | Head Coach |
| 2007-08 | Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) | Head Coach |
| 2006-07 | Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) | Assistant Coach |
| 2004-06 | University of Montana | Head Coach |
| 2003-04 | Idaho Stampede (CBA) | Head Coach |
| 2001-2002 | Old Dominion University | Assistant Coach |
| 1998-2000 | University of Montana | Assistant Coach |
Krystkowiak Year-by-Year Coaching Record
| Season | School | Position | Overall / Conf. (Finish) | Postseason |
| 2019-20 | Utah | Head Coach | 16-15 / 7-11 (9th) | |
| 2018-19 | Utah | Head Coach | 17-14 / 11-7 (3rd) | |
| 2017-18 | Utah | Head Coach | 23-12 / 11-7 (3rd) | NIT Runner-Up |
| 2016-17 | Utah | Head Coach | 20-12 / 11-7 (4th) | NIT 1st Round |
| 2015-16 | Utah | Head Coach | 27-9 / 13-5 (2nd) | NCAA 2nd Round |
| 2014-15 | Utah | Head Coach | 26-9 / 13-5 (3rd) | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2013-14 | Utah | Head Coach | 21-12 / 9-9 (8th) | NIT 1st Round |
| 2012-13 | Utah | Head Coach | 15-18 / 5-13 (10th) | |
| 2011-12 | Utah | Head Coach | 6-25 / 3-15 (11th) | |
| 2007-08 | Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) | Head Coach | 26-56 | |
| 2006-07 | Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) | Head Coach | 5-13 | |
| 2005-06 | Montana (NCAA) | Head Coach | 24-7 / 10-4 (2nd) | NCAA 2nd Round |
| 2004-05 | Montana (NCAA) | Head Coach | 18-13 / 9-5 (2nd) | NCAA 1st Round |
| 2003-04 | Idaho Stampede (CBA) | Head Coach | 37-16 | CBA Finals |
Krystkowiak Playing Experience
| Years | Organization |
| 1997 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1994-95 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1993-94 | Orlando Magic |
| 1992-93 | Utah Jazz |
| 1987-92 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1986-87 | San Antonio Spurs |
Meet the Runnin’ Utes Staff: Erick Schork
Thursday, August 28
Utah Basketball | Team Together - Episode 2
Thursday, August 21
Fan Fest 2025 Coaches and Players Interviews: Men's Basketball
Sunday, August 17
Meet the Runnin’ Utes Staff: Victoria Sun
Wednesday, July 23
