IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine men's basketball assistant coaches Nick Booker and Julius Smith have been named to the 7th annual Silver Waves Media 100 Most Impactful Mid Major Assistant Coaches and General Managers.

The Silver Waves Media list curated by a panel of industry professionals has become the industry standard for excellence. The 2026 Men's list features some of the most outstanding and impactful assistants and GMs in Division I men's basketball. Previous lists have seen numerous coaches go on to become Division I head coaches.

Booker returned to the Anteater bench this season after his first stint from 2010-17.  He was a member of the UCI staff in the school's historic 2014-15 season when the Anteaters won the Big West Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time, falling just short of Louisville by just two points in a NCAA second-round game.  Booker played a part in UCI's then-school record 28 wins along with new marks in non-conference victories (15) and road wins (13).  With Booker on the bench, the 2015-16 team also advanced to the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com (CIT) postseason tournament.

Smith is in his second season with UC Irvine, helping UCI to a record-setting season in 2024-25. The team had a school record 32-7 overall mark, advancing to the championship of the NIT. Only the final four teams (Florida, Houston, Duke, Auburn) had more wins than the Anteaters last year. The team led the country in road wins (14) and received votes in the AP and USA Today Coaches polls. UCI also peaked as high as first, twice, in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll for the first time in program history.

This season, the duo has helped UCI to an 11-5 overall record and 4-0 Big West start, the only undefeated team in the conference. The Anteaters, who captured the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational title last month, are ranked sixth in the country in blocks (6.3), seventh in field goal defense (37.5) and 24^th in defensive rebounds (28.75).

UCI will host Long Beach State Thursday (Jan. 8) at the Bren Events Center. Tip time is 7:00 p.m.