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Former San Diego State University and University of Michigan head basketball coach Steve Fisher announced his retirement on Monday.

Fisher is retiring from a coaching career that included a national championship at Michigan and later turning San Diego State into a West Coast power.

The 72 year old Fisher is retiring after spending 18 seasons at SDSU. Fisher is stepping down after a disappointing season in which SDSU finished 19-14 and failed to make the tournament or win 20 games for the first time in 12 seasons. SDSU made a school-record six straight tournament appearances from 2010-15 and reached its first two sweet 16s in school history under Fisher.

Fisher was 386-209 at SDSU and the Aztecs have been prepared for Fisher’s retirement for several years.

Replacing Fisher will be former Alpena native Brian Dutcher, who has been Fisher’s right hand man since 1999.

“I know the program is in great hands with Brian Dutcher,” Fisher said. “I’m still going to have some role and still be apart of San Diego State. I’m not going to disappear, but I’m also not going to be in the way. There is something about being at a place where you feel wanted and that’s how I feel here.”

Dutcher was born in Alpena when his father Jim, was coaching at Alpena Community College. Dutcher later moved downstate when his father took over at Eastern Michigan before going on to coach at Michigan and Minnesota.

Dutcher graduated from the University of Minnesota and helped his father as a video specialist. He then was a graduate assistant at Illinois, before getting an assistant head coaching position at South Dakota State University.

Dutcher was then hired in 1989, along with Fisher who took over after Bill Frieder accepted the Arizona State job on the eve of the 1989 NCAA tournament. Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler promoted Fisher to replace Frieder and the duo of Fisher and Dutcher went on to win a National Championship that season.

Frieder coached in Alpena with Dutcher’s father and later hired Dutcher to be apart of his staff at Michigan along with Fisher.

Despite turning around the SDSU program, Fisher may be best known for as the Michigan Man who led the Wolverines to that title in 1989 and the man who later coached the Fab Five.

After the Fab Five arrived, the Wolverines made two more appearances in the title game and Fisher was later fired in 1997 because of the program’s involvement with booster Ed Martin and Michigan then vacated its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances.

Dutcher played an important role in creating the Fab Five as he helped Fisher recruit former Wolverine Juwan Howard, which eventually got the ball rolling on the other four incoming Wolverines, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson.

Fisher was then hired by SDSU in 1999 and he brought Dutcher along with him to continue being his assistant coach.

“Bill hired both Dutch and I to be apart of Michigan in 1988 and that’s how long we have been together,” Fisher said. “That usually doesn’t happen in sports, but I’m proud of the bond that Dutch and I have formed over the years and it’s been a privilege coaching with him and what a journey it has been.”

The two took over an Aztecs program that was coming off of a 4-22 finish in 1998 and a team that had just one winning season in over a decade.

Fisher and Dutcher combined to turn SDSU into a consistent winner and along with Dutcher helping with the recruitment of the Fab Five, Dutcher also helped Fisher recruit former SDSU standout and three-time NBA all-star Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs.

Dutcher, now 57, has learned from one of the more successful college basketball coaches during his career and has been one of the top assistant coaches since Fisher brought him to SDSU in 1999. The Aztecs have made Dutcher their head coach in waiting since the 2011 season. Dutcher had turned down several head coaching jobs to stay at SDSU until his time came and now the time has finally come for Dutcher to begin his head coaching career with the Aztecs.

I’ve enjoyed the journey with coach Fisher and have learned so much over the years,” Dutcher said. “They say the toughest length to travel in basketball is the 18 inches from the assistant coaches chair to the head coaching chair. After 18 long years, I’m proud to finally take those 18 inches and be the head coach at San Diego State University.”