San Diego State Hires JC Coach

Fred Trenkle, a highly successful junior college coach in Idaho, Monday was named basketball coach at San Diego State.

Trenkle was given a five-year contract to try to revive San Diego State, which has had nine consecutive losing seasons.

Trenkle was 329-34 from 1983 to 1993 at the College of Southern Idaho, which reached the national JC tournament eight consecutive seasons and won it in 1987.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Trenkle said. “It’s going to be a little bit different than what I’ve been used to. . . . I’ve never been a loser, and I’m not going to start now.”

Trenkle, 45, replaces Tony Fuller, who took over at Pepperdine on May 5.