Standing at 6-foot-6, a quiet man is hard to miss next to head coach Aaron Kallhoff’s energetic leadership on the sideline.

This season, associate head coach Michael Floyd began a new chapter at Sacramento State, leaving Santa Clara, where he served as an interim and associate head coach for nine years.

With 20 years of coaching experience under his belt, Floyd’s journey in the realm of basketball might not have found its way to the sideline of Sac State without long days spent with his brother.

Floyd spent his younger days in Mobile, Alabama, with his older brother, James, and a concrete court across the street from their home.

The brothers are separated by seven years, making James a senior around the time a sixth-grade Floyd experienced what would become a cornerstone of his early days on the courts.

“We were playing one-on-one, and I went up and dunked on him,” Floyd said. “He looked all shocked at me, and I’m looking at him like, ‘Yeah, I’ve been waiting to do that my whole life.’”

Without a doubt, the next stop for Floyd was high school basketball, an opportunity he embraced without hesitation.

“I went to a small Catholic school called McGill-Toolen, where I was on varsity all four years,” Floyd said. “I was a first-team all-state my junior and senior year.”

Subsequently, the next step was college where he stayed local, attending the University of Southern Alabama in 1995.

But the stay in his hometown was short-lived when he made the decision to transfer after his freshman season to Murray State, where he sat out a year due to a now antiquated clause known as the year in residence period.

Floyd said he transferred because of new Murray State head coach Mark Gottfried who, like Floyd, shared roots in Mobile.

Gottfried left UCLA after eight seasons, winning the 1995 NCAA Championship as an assistant coach.

“Phenomenal,” Floyd said when recalling his time in Murray, Kentucky, graduating in 2000.

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Floyd and the Racers made the NCAA tournament for the three years he spent there from 1997-2000, a period in his life he never wants to forget.

“It’s the greatest show on earth,” Floyd said. “It’s something I’ll never forget. Coaching these young ladies, hopefully we can get an opportunity to go because it will be an experience they will never forget.”

As Floyd sifted through old files of basketball memories in his mind, he donned a gift given to him by his wife, Poppy, a hoodie inscribed with the word “inclusion” with a definition below the word in bold.

Inclusion, Floyd said, is a cornerstone of his identity and his world.

“Being a minority, marrying outside my race, having biracial kids, I’m really big in regards to everybody,” Floyd said. “That’s something that’s important to me, just simply my background.”

Floyd goes on to say that inclusion sprouted as a core of his values from a young age.

“I went to a small Catholic school that was predominantly white that may have been 7% or 8% African American, but I grew up in a whole Black neighborhood,” Floyd said. “The opportunity to interact with people who look like me and people who didn’t was what formed who I am.”

Floyd stood in as interim head coach at Santa Clara before moving to Sacramento for the 2025-26 season.

During his time in the Bay Area, Floyd blended an emphasis of excellence on the court with an importance in academics, a skillset he’s held for over 20 years of coaching.

“I’ll tell kids and parents that if you’re not serious about your academics, this is not the place for you,” Floyd said.

Floyd further drove home the importance of academics while discussing his recruiting tactics.

“When I talk to parents and potential student athletes I ask, ‘Where are you with your academics?’” Floyd said. “Normally, when they are good students, they’re more coachable.”

In the 20 years of his coaching career, Floyd said his time grows more precious by the day.

“I’m always telling our players, value your time because nothing’s guaranteed. God works in mysterious ways,” Floyd said.

Floyd makes the hour commute from Tracy, California, every day, utilizing the time to catch up with anyone who comes to mind.

“I have this thing now where anytime I think about any of my former players, coaches, friends, I call them immediately,” Floyd said. “Your time is the most valuable thing you have.”

Head coach Aaron Kallhoff and Floyd first met while the two faced off in the West Coast Conference, both assistant coaches at BYU and Santa Clara, respectively.

Both coaches are bonded by their sons, both of whom have autism, a connection that extends beyond the basketball court.

“He’s a quality coach but an even better man, husband, father, just a quality guy that’s been in the game for a long time,” Kallhoff said. “He’s a gentle giant.”

Kallhoff said Floyd’s tenured experience is a key reason he’s an essential piece to Sac State’s coaching staff.

“He brings a veteran’s view,” Kallhoff said. “He’s a great asset to our group.”

In addition to Floyd joining the coaching staff, the Hornets welcomed assistant coach Austin Ritter, a longstanding student assistant.

“Floyd is just an awesome person; I’ve learned so much from him,” Ritter said. “I’m learning all that wisdom from years of experience. I’ve learned a lot about being positive and building relationships with players and coaches.”

Edging closer to the end of Floyd’s first season, the Hornets sit at No. 5 in the Big Sky, holding a 13-17 overall record (7-10 in conference play).