Former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby was hired to take over the struggling basketball team at Sacramento State.

Athletic director Mark Orr announced the move on Tuesday, saying he believed that Bibby can help generate excitement for the program.

“Since 2001, Sacramento has felt like home to me,” Bibby said in a statement. “The people, the fans and the passion they have for the city and their teams is unmatched. I have always felt that passion, and will always be thankful for how I was embraced. Sacramento State is no different. ... We are going to build, we are going to develop, and we are going to win.”

Bibby won an NCAA title as a player at Arizona in 1997 and then starred in the NBA for 14 seasons, with his biggest success coming in seven seasons with the Kings. He helped Sacramento make it to Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bibby retired in 2012 and has had various coaching jobs since. He won five state titles and coached 25 players who received college scholarships in six seasons as coach at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix. He also has been an assistant for the Puerto Rican National Team, summer league teams for Cleveland and Memphis, and the NBA G-League Ignite.

Sacramento State has been looking to increase its profile in college athletics with hopes of being able to move from the FCS level of college football to the FBS level and a spot in a bigger conference such as the Mountain West or even a newly formed Pac-12.