Chalk It Up to Genetics

Athletic talent often runs in families. So, apparently, does coaching expertise.

Three of the four Pepperdine coaches are the sons of college basketball coaches.

Jan van Breda Kolff’s father, Butch, was the coach at Hofstra from 1955-62 and again from 1988-94. He also coached at Princeton from 1962-68 before becoming coach of the Lakers for two seasons.

Frank Arnold, father of Wave assistant Gib Arnold, was an assistant under John Wooden during three of UCLA’s national championships and was head coach at Brigham Young and Hawaii.

The late Lynn Archibald, father of Wave assistant Damon Archibald, was head coach at Idaho State and Utah.

“It’s a plus having coaches from basketball families,” Van Breda Kolff said. “We’ve all grown up with the game and we’ve thought like a coach from the time we were kids.”

Frank Arnold attended Pepperdine’s 77-57 victory over Indiana.

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Chris Walker, Pepperdine’s associate head coach, is interested in becoming head coach at Loyola Marymount.

He knows what he would be getting into.

Walker was a Lion assistant under John Olive from 1992-96 before becoming an assistant at Vanderbilt.

Loyola was 2-25 and failed to defeat a Division I opponent this season under Charles Bradley, who resigned in February.

A guard at Villanova from 1988-92, Walker, 30, came to Pepperdine this season along with Van Breda Kolff.

“Chris is one of the best young basketball minds in the country,” Van Breda Kolff said. “He will make an excellent head coach when given the opportunity.”