Budget Boost Puts Athletics on the Move
Basketball Eyed as Flagship Sport

By Ioana Patringenaru | Oct. 8, 2007

Two former Division I basketball coaches are on board. The athletics budget has doubled. Morale is up.

Women's basketball coach Charity Elliot (Photo / Steve Brenner)

UCSD students voted earlier this year to increase funds for athletic programs and the vote’s impact can be felt as athletes, coaches and administrators gear up for the 2007-08 season.

“This is a great time to be Triton,” said Charity Elliott, the new women’s basketball coach.

In January and February, a record number of UCSD students voted to raise their athletic fees from $95 to $329 per year. As a result, the athletics' department budget doubled, from about $3 million to about $6 million. Earl Edwards, UCSD's director of athletics, points out that the money will allow the university to catch up to other campuses in terms of funding.

When asked if UCSD plans to go to Division I, Edwards replied that the university's focus is to be the best Division II program in the country. UCSD came close to this goal in 2006-07. The campus ranked second out of 300 Division II programs in the national Directors' Cup, behind Michigan's Grand Valley State.

This academic year, funds from the referendum will allow UCSD to dole out more than $250,000 in scholarships, as required by Division II rules. The school will now cover secondary health insurance, which athletes and their parents used to pay. Coaches salaries increased by 20 percent on average. Salaries doubled for assistant coaches, who work part time. The department also will be able to fund more team trips, Edwards said. It also will be able to pay back faster an $850,000 loan for Canyonview Pool. That will in turn free up funds for team budgets.

The referendum’s benefits will still be felt in coming years, Edwards added. More salary increases are on the way. Also, next year, he plans to hire a staff member to maintain equipment and uniforms. The department also needs one or two more trainers. He hopes assistant coaches will eventually work full time. Facilities also must improve, he said. Work will start on a new softball field in a few months, thanks to a $250,000 gift from alumna Dana Chaiken. UCSD’s baseball field also needs a major upgrade, Edwards said. The diamond doesn’t have lights, or restrooms. “It looks very temporary,” Edwards said. “For a college program, we need to do better than that.”

A Focus on Basketball

Men's basketball coach Chris Carlson

Edwards also said he hopes the department’s new-found resources will make basketball UCSD’s flagship sport. The referendum allowed him to hire two top-notch coaches. In June, Chris Carlson, UCLA’s former director of basketball operations became head coach of UCSD’s men’s basketball team. At UCLA, Carlson was responsible for day-to-day operations and served as a liaison to the athletic administration and other campus officials. He also helped with scheduling and recruiting. A San Diego native, he said he decided to take the UCSD job because of the strength of the school’s leadership. This summer, he met with all basketball players and their parents. He said he has been impressed with what he’s seen so far. “Good players make good coaches,” he said. “I feel very, very good about the team we have.” He added he wants to do right by students. For example, Clint Allard, a fifth year, has had three coaches so far, Carlson said. “He’s gone through a lot,” the coach added.

Carlson’s presence already has had a tremendous impact on recruiting, Edwards said. Basketball coaches are talking to high school students, who wouldn’t have considered UCSD before. They now pay attention after finding out the campus hired away a coach from UCLA. Carlson also knows many high school basketball coaches and that gives him access to a large pool of potential recruits, Edwards said. “On the men’s side, there’s a tremendous amount of excitement,” he added.

The women’s basketball program also has its share of excitement for this season. Elliott, the former head coach at Portland State University, a Division I school, became head coach here in June. Her challenge will be to match the team’s performance last season, Edwards said. The Tritons won their first CCAA title, then made it to the Division II Final Four, where they lost in the semifinals. Edwards said that the pace of recruiting for the program has already picked up in the short time that Elliott has been on campus.

The new coach said she’s looking forward to getting on the court and working with her team. Practice starts in mid-October. From Nov. 2 to 4, the players will get to show off their new moves during the Disney’s Division II Women’s Tip-Off Classic tournament in Anaheim, where they will compete with other top programs. “No pressure,” Elliott joked. She added the referendum was one of the reasons why she decided to take the job at UCSD. “That spoke volumes to me about the support that students have for the athletics department,” she said.

Athletics Role on Campus  

Edwards said he believes athletics play a key role in bringing the campus together. Sports can unite students, who are usually divided between different colleges, majors and personal interests, he said. More than 2,000 fans, screaming at the top of their lungs, crowded Canyonview Pool when UCSD’s men’s water polo team played UCLA, he pointed out.

Director of Athletics Earl Edwards

“Athletics is more than just fun and games,” he said. “It brings a lot of value to the campus.”

Education should meet students’ intellectual, emotional and physical needs, Edwards said. Athletics take care of the latter, but they also address other aspects of students’ personal growth. Sports teach students to work in teams, manage their time, set goals and deal with defeat and victory, he said.

Steven Donohoe, a water polo player, says his sport helps him juggle biochemistry and cell biology classes. He plans to go to medical school.  His team practices 20 hours a week and travels every weekend. “It gives me a solid structure,” he said.

Rebecca Bailey, a fifth-year student, said volleyball gives her a sense of purpose. “If I wasn’t playing volleyball, I’d be hanging out and going to the beach,” she said. She gets better grades during volleyball season then out of season, she explained.

Coaches and other department personnel follow students through their four years at UCSD, sometimes taking on a surrogate parent role, Edwards said. The department also works to provide career opportunities for students once they graduate. Now that the referendum has passed, the athletics department will be able to provide more of these services, Edwards said.

“We always say when we recruit that we’re concerned about you beyond your years at UCSD,” he said. “When we say you’re a part of the Triton family, we really mean that.”

Respect and Support

Rebecca Bailey, a fifth-year student and volleyball player.

Student athletes and coaches said they feel the additional resources are a sign of respect and support. “It shows us that the student body really supports our teams,” said Bailey, the volleyball player. “That really boosted morale.”

Donohoe echoed her comments. “We’re really fired up about this new season,” he said. When asked about the $500 scholarship each student athlete will receive, he said he was relieved to be able to help his parents cover his tuition.

“They give me so much, he said. “Even though it’s ‘only’ $500, it’s still $500 my parents don’t have to worry about.”

The referendum vote sent a message to student athletes and their coaches that they are respected, said baseball coach Dan O’Brien.

“This puts us on solid ground,” he said. “Now that we have proper support, the sky is the limit.”