Zach Ruebesam, an assistant coach at the University of Colorado, has been hired as the men’s basketball coach at Colorado State University Pueblo.
A 31-year-old Colorado native who graduated from Berthoud High in 2012, Ruebesam was on the job in Pueblo on Monday, meeting with players from the 2024-2025 ThunderWolves team that posted a 12-16 overall mark and missed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Colorado State University Pueblo,” said Ruebesam in a CSUP website article. “I want to thank Interim President Rico Munn and Athletic Director Dr. Paul Plinske for believing in my vision for Pack Basketball and entrusting me with this opportunity.”
Ruebesam added, “CSU Pueblo is a special place with a rich tradition and limitless potential. I’m thrilled to lead the next chapter of this program. I’m especially grateful to Tad Boyle, Rodney Billups, and Dan Ficke – three mentors who played a significant role in my journey and helped shape me as a leader and coach. Their belief in me has prepared me for this moment.”
In the Pack publicity on his hiring, Rubesam said, “Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Hallie, and my family for their endless love, support, and sacrifice. This opportunity wouldn’t be possible without them.”
For the third time in the school’s history of four-year athletics competition, CSU Pueblo has hired an assistant coach as its head coach. In 1980, after the forced retirement of Harry Simmons, the then-University of Southern Colorado hired his long-time assistant Don McIntosh as head coach.
Joe Folda, who doubled as the school’s athletic director and head men’s basketball coach for two seasons (2023-2005), relinquished his hoop reigns after the 2004-2005 season and named his assistant Pat Eberhart as his replacement.
Ruebesam replaces Matt Hammer as the Pack coach. In six seasons with CSU Pueblo, Hammer compiled a 64-95 (40.3%) record, including a 46-80 mark (36.5%) in the RMAC, where only one (2023-2024) of his six squads qualified for the league’s postseason playoffs.
Hammer’s last Pack team posted a 12-16 record after starting the season 8-2. The 2024-2025 ThunderWolves opened RMAC play with a 3-1 record and finished 7-13 during the regular season to tie for 10th in the standings.
With the top three scorers (Brevin Walter, Armon Muldrew, and De’Shaun Cooper) exhausting their CSUP eligibility, Ruebesam will be relying on the return to health of Corbin Garver (knee) and Ty Adam (foot), along with veteran Sam Howry.
On his first day in Pueblo at Massari Arena, Ruebesam saw sophomore-to-be Jordan Blair withdraw his name from the transfer portal. With Garver, Adam, and Howry, Colorado prep products, Blair is from Keller, Texas, and averaged 5.4 points in his first season with the Pack.
Over 110 applicants applied for the CSU Pueblo head coaching position, and Rubesam was identified as one of the three finalists for the position who came to campus over 10 days for in-person interviews with the five-person selection committee, the ThunderWolve men’s basketball players, and members of the Pueblo community.
