On April 21, Justin Downer celebrated turning 31 with a family dinner at Puesto. Filet mignon tacos and a nice window seat made the evening special, but what really pushed the day over the top for Downer, was that afternoon’s announcement that he would be succeeding outgoing head coach, Matt Logie, as the next Point Loma Nazarene men’s basketball coach.

“I suppose the job was a nice present,” Downer said.

Logie departs PLNU after four seasons as the Sea Lions’ head man, putting together an impressive 82-23 record with two Pac West Tournament titles and four straight appearances in the NCAA West Regionals. He was named head coach at Division I Montana State University.

Big shoes to fill for Downer, who spent the previous season as an assistant coach on Logie’s staff.

“When I joined staff, we had conversations that at some point I would have the opportunity to interview for this job, but certainly [I didn’t think] after only a year being here,” Downer said. “I don’t ever expect a handout – that hasn’t been my career or my life. I expect to earn everything that I get.”

Downer is young but hardly inexperienced. Prior to PLNU, he spent three seasons as an assistant at Division I, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Before that, he was on staff at NAIA Vanguard University, and worked as an associate head coach at Riverside Poly High School, coaching current San Diego State point guard Lamont Butler.

“I’m not old, but I would tell you my coaching career started much before that,” Downer said. “I was at a different place at 23 than maybe a guy who was trying to decide if he wanted to get into coaching.”

Downer, a native of North Bend, Wash., played at William Jessup University, as a three-point specialist.

“I am thrilled for Justin to be the new leader of our men’s basketball program,” PLNU athletic director Ethan Hamilton said in a press release. “His passion, depth of character, and faith set him apart from several qualified candidates. I am confident he will build on the great foundation that’s been laid by so many before him.”

“He leads with love and cares relentlessly about the well-being of student-athletes,” added outgoing assistant coach Julius Smith, who is joining Logie at Montana State. “Coupled with his competitive fire, his family-based mentality, and strong faith, make him more than ready to lead Point Loma.”

Downer’s first two challenges at the helm are hiring a new staff – something he expects to happen imminently – and filling the hole that graduating senior, All-American Kaden Anderson, leaves behind.

“The obvious answer is there is nobody we can recruit who will be Kaden Anderson next year; there is nobody on the roster who can be Kaden Anderson,” Downer said. “But there is a roster of guys right now that are returning and I think a lot of people are going to be surprised at how good our role players are in a larger role. I am tremendously excited about our young talent.”

Last season, two of the teams’ top three leading scorers – Luke Haupt and Brian Goracke – were sophomores.

“We are going to have to do it by committee, but I believe a group of two or three guys can replace Kaden’s 23 points and 10 rebounds per game,” Downer said.

Downer’s relationship with Logie goes back a decade. Philosophically, he said, there will be overlap and continuity, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be changes.

“I’ve known Matt since I was 21,” Downer said. “We have built this relationship for ten years, so I think our program-values align. But we have only ever coached together for one year. I think the similarities are the type of player and character and that team first ball. I’ve coached nine other years at other places, so there will be some different offensive and defensive schemes.”

Downer is the 16th head coach in PLNU program history. The previous three coaches were all plucked away by Division I programs, following short tenures with the Sea Lions.

“Small college coaches are outstanding coaches,” former PLNU head coach and NBA player John Block said. “Their (PLNU) last several coaches have gone DI. That’s kind of the way things are. A lot of coaches look at Point Loma and DII’s as stepping stones to a DI job.”

The pursuit of a bigger opportunity, according to Downer, didn’t factor into his pursuit of the PLNU job.

“I am very mission-based and purpose driven,” Downer said. “I align with Point Loma very closely. I’ve never felt more comfortable around people and on a college campus than I am here. When I got done playing, I wanted to be a high school coach somewhere for 35 years. I feel like I found my calling here. I look forward to being at Point Loma for a long time.”