Brandon Rinta begins his fourth season as the top assistant to head coach Tim Hills.
Prior to becoming a Crusader, Brandon spent five years as a part of the basketball program at NCAA Division I Eastern Washington University. He served as an assistant coach for the Eagles for three seasons, after having spent two years as the programs administrative assistant.
While at Eastern Washington, Rinta served under head coach Ray Giacoltti, now the assistant coach at Gonzaga and former Eagles head coach Mike Burns.
Rinta, a 1995 graduate of W.F. West High School in Chehalis, Wash., played basketball for two years at Yakima Valley Community College before transferring to Central Washington University.
Rinta started all 53 games during his two-year stay as a guard at Central, helping lead the Wildcats to a 39-17 record. Both seasons he was the recipient of the team’s Hustle Award and was a team co-captain, and as a senior, he won the Gil Coleman Most Inspirational Award. He finished his career with 444 points (8.4 per game), 211 rebounds (4.0), 115 assists (2.2) and 82 steals (1.5).
As a senior in the 2000-01 season, Central finished 18-10 and advanced to the NCAA Division II West Regional. He started all 28 games and averaged 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He made 45.8 percent of his field goals (87-for-190), including 35.3 percent of his three-point attempts (30-for-85). He scored in double figures in 14 games, and had a career-high 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting against Saint Martin’s on Nov. 28, 2000.
As a junior in the 1999-2000 season, Central finished 21-7 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II West Regional after winning the Pacific West Conference regular season championship. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals. He made 45.9 percent of his field goals (67-for-146), including 35.6 percent of his treys (16-of-45). An elbow injury sidelined him during the 1998-99 season at CWU, which was Burns’ last season there as the Wildcats finished 24-5.
Rinta played two seasons from 1996-98 at Yakima Valley Community College for legendary CWU coach Dean Nicholson and current Gonzaga assistant Leon Rice. Rinta earned first team All-NWAACC honors as a sophomore in 1997-98 when he averaged 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He also led YVCC in steals (69) and blocked shots (30), and finished with 74 assists. He was named team MVP, team captain, and Most Inspirational during his final year at YVCC. As a freshman he won the team’s Most Inspirational Award and earned honorable mention All-NWAACC accolades.
At W.F. West, he lettered four times in basketball and twice in football for the Bearcats. He was an All-State selection as a senior and was named the Black Hills League Player of the Year. He also added team captain, team MVP and first team all-league accolades to his résumé during his junior and senior campaigns. As a running back and wide receiver in football, he earned second team all-league honors as a senior and was his team’s MVP.
He holds a bachelor‘s degree in health fitness education from Central Washington, and a master‘s degree in athletic administration from Eastern Washington University.
Brandon and his wife, Deanna, live in Nampa and he enjoys whitewater kayaking when he can find time to get away from the hardwood.
