LaVell Edwards, Brigham Young University
A coaching icon whose success and longevity are paralleled by few, LaVell Edwards guided Brigham Young to heights never before reached in the program's illustrious history. For 29 seasons as head coach from 1972-2000, Edwards roamed the football sidelines at BYU, a tenure that ranks fifth all-time for coaches at one school. In 20 of those 29 seasons, the Cougars claimed conference championships as they dominated their competition while earning 22 bowl invitations.

Edwards reached the pinnacle of coaching success in 1984 by guiding BYU to the football national championship with a perfect 13-0 season. Edwards amassed 257 wins during his 29 years overseeing the BYU program, which ranks sixth overall in NCAA Division I-A history.

Edwards compiled a .722 win percentage with a 257-101-3 overall record and coached one Heisman Trophy winner, two Outland Trophy recipients, four Davey O'Brien awardees, 34 All-Americans and six College Football Hall of Famers. BYU's success did not come without personal reward for Edwards either. He was named NCAA District 8 Coach of the Year eight times, Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1979 and AFCA National Coach of the Year in 1984. Edwards was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and the BYU Hall of Fame in 2006. The BYU football stadium now bears his name, LaVell Edwards Stadium. Edwards and his wife Patti are the parents of three children, Ann [Cannon], John and Jim.

Dan Dickau, Gonzaga University
Dan Dickau is one of Gonzaga University's most decorated men's basketball players. Dickau became Gonzaga's inaugural Associated Press first-team All-American in 2002. He was also named to the John R. Wooden Top Five All-America Team, was a Naismith Player of the Year finalist and was a two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 14 first-team selection. Dickau was a two-time West Coast Conference first-team selection and was the 2002 WCC Player of the Year as well as being the 2002 WCC Tournament MVP. A broadcasting major, Dickau was a first team Verizon Academic All-American in 2002 after being a District VIII first-team selection as a junior, graduating with a 3.4 GPA.

Dickau still ranks 28th on Gonzaga's all-time scoring list with 1,125 points and his 20.3 ppg in 2002 is tied for 13th on the single-season list. He is seventh in career 3-point field goals made (188), eighth in 3-point field goals attempted (404) and third in free throw percentage (86.4). Dickau led Gonzaga to a fourth straight WCC Tournament title in 2002 as he scored a game-high 29 points in the title game against Pepperdine to earn his second straight tournament MVP honor.

Dickau was a first-round draft pick of the Sacramento Kings in the 2002 NBA Draft, then traded to the Atlanta Hawks on draft night where he began his NBA career that spanned six seasons. He also played overseas and in the NBA Developmental League. He spent the 2011-12 season with the Portland Blazers as a developmental coach after beginning the season as an analyst on the locally-televised Gonzaga men's basketball games, a position he returned to for the 2012-13 season.

Edit Pakay, Loyola Marymount University
A standout two-sport athlete, Edit Pakay had stellar careers in both women's tennis and women's cross country. In the spring of 2000 as a freshman, Pakay recorded 19 wins in singles and doubles tennis play. After redshirting her sophomore year in 2002, she was selected as the LMU Female Athlete of the Year and was a first team All-West Coast Conference selection in singles, while also garnering honorable mention accolades in doubles. Her singles record was 18-8, including three wins over ranked opponents.

Pakay's stellar play guided the Lions to a victory over Pepperdine to win the 2002 WCC Women's Tennis Championships, the first in program history. She finished her illustrious career in 2003 with her second first team All-WCC selection in singles and another honorable mention selection on the doubles side. Pakay managed a 63-41 singles record in her career (.606), placing ninth in the LMU record books for career winning percentage.

As a cross country runner in the fall of 2001, Pakay won the WCC Women's Cross Country Championship 5K with a time of 17:58. She went on to finish 70th in the 6K at the West Regional with a time of 23:40. Pakay finished her first collegiate race in third place and did not finish lower than that spot in any regular season race from that point on.

Katherine Hull, Pepperdine University
Katherine Hull arrived at Pepperdine in January 2000 and spent four seasons accumulating one of the top careers in Pepperdine history.

Since 1992, Hull remains the only women's golfer from a non-BCS-affiliated school who has won National Player of the Year honors from the National Golf Coaches Association (now known as the Women's Golf Coaches Association). In addition to that honor in 2003, Hull also won the Dinah Shore Award. She was a three-time NGCA All-American, earning first team honors as a junior and senior and second team acclaim as a sophomore. All four seasons, Hull earned a spot on the All-WCC first team. She finished in the top 10 of her first nine tournaments during the 2002-03 season.

The Waves won three WCC titles in her four seasons, with Hull placing in the top five all four seasons, including a second-place finish in 2002. She played a key role in Pepperdine's co-championship at the 2002 NCAA West Regional, tying for second place overall. The Waves advanced as a team to the NCAA Championships all four years, with three top 10 finishes and a program-best second-place result in 2003.

Hull turned professional following her senior year, first playing on the Futures Tour in 2003 before qualifying for the LPGA Tour in 2004. She graduated with a degree in sports administration in 2003, earning 2003 NGCA All-American Scholar honors and being named to the WCC All-Academic squad twice.

Hull was inducted into the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 (becoming the first women's golfer to be inducted) and into the WGCA Players Hall of Fame in December 2012.

Darwin Cook, University of Portland
In his four years as a University of Portland starting guard, Darwin Cook was the team's Most Valuable Player in 1977 and 1980, Portland's Co-Athlete of the Year in 1980 and an All-West Coast Athletic Conference Team member in 1979 and 1980. Cook also earned Associated Press All-America honorable mention.

The Pilots joined the WCAC during Cook's first year on The Bluff, and he would lead Portland to a 65-44 overall record without missing a single game during his tenure. Along the way, he graduated as the Pilots' all-time leading scorer and is still the career leader in assists and steals. He shot 49 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line throughout his career. Cook averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. During an All-WCAC senior season, he set a school single-season record for assists per game (6.2) and steals (82), while averaging 17.2 points and shooting 52 percent from the field.

Cook was drafted with the first pick in the fourth round of the 1980 NBA draft and would go on to average 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game during eight seasons with New Jersey, Washington, San Antonio and Denver. He is one of 49 players in NBA history to record nine or more steals in a game.

Cook's professional career extended to a three-year stint in Italy playing for Scavolini where his team won the league championship. He was the league leader in both assists and steals his final two seasons, before concluding his career in the CBA.

Cook was inducted into the University of Portland Athletic Hall of Fame in the summer of 1991.

Allegra Porter, Saint Mary's College
Allegra Porter spent four seasons on the Saint Mary's women's cross country team and accumulated various accolades, including West Coast Conference Cross Country Champion, All-WCC honors, and Academic All-American.

As a freshman, Porter was named the 2000 WCC Freshman of the Year. She then competed in five events during her sophomore year, finishing second in three of them, including the WCC Women's Cross Country Championships after an 18:07 time. Porter was named the WCC Athlete of the Month for the month of October 2001 and also claimed All-WCC honors that season.

Porter continued her impressive career by capturing the 2002 WCC Championship individual title as a junior with a time of 17:42 in the 5K race, breaking her own school record by 11 seconds and marking the third fastest time ever run at the WCC Championships at Crystal Springs Course. In the postseason, Porter finished 21st at the NCAA West Regionals to qualify her for the All-West Regional Team.

At the 2003 WCC Championships, Porter earned 11th place with her 5K time of 18:46. She had an excellent showing at the Bronco Invite in Santa Clara, as she finished in fourth place, covering the course in 18:27, her best 5K of the season. Porter ender her career at Saint Mary's as the top Gael finisher at every meet of the regular season for two straight years and recording five of Saint Mary's 10 fastest times.

Porter also excelled in the classroom, graduating as a three-time WCC All-Academic selection.

Petia Yanchulova, University of San Diego
Petia Yanchulova made a huge impact on the Torero volleyball program during her playing career between 1996-1999. The 5-11 outside hitter from Sofia, Bulgaria was a two-time AVCA first team All-America selection, a two-time District VIII first team pick, a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year and a two-time WCC first team selection. All of these honors came during her final two years (1998 and 1999).

During her four years on the USD volleyball team, Yanchulova guided the Toreros to the WCC Championship twice (1997, 1998) and to the NCAA Tournament each year with the team reaching the second round three times. She was named WCC Defender of the Year in 1999, a WCC second-team member twice (1996, 1997), and the WCC Freshman of the Year in 1996. A two-time team MVP, she also was named second team District VIII All-Academic and was a two-time WCC All-Academic selection. She is USD's all-time leader in kills (1,892), digs (1,341), and attack attempts (4,295).

Yanchulova competed professionally in the Beach Volleyball World Tour with sister Lina Yanchulova-Taylor. The two represented their home country of Bulgaria in the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics. Yanchulova then played indoor volleyball in Europe from 2008-2010.

Atop her tremendous volleyball accolades, Yanchulova has served as a coach to the Coast Volleyball Club and various beach volleyball camps and clinics. She returned to USD in 2011 as a volunteer coach with the Toreros finishing with a record of 28-5, a national ranking of No. 21, and a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

She was inducted into the USD's Chet and Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Mary Hile-Nepfel, University of San Francisco
Mary Hile-Nepfel dedicated 23 years to the San Francisco's women's basketball program, leading the Dons not only on the court as an All-American player, but also from the sidelines as the winningest coach in program history.

After four years as a Don, Hile-Nepfel continues to own the top spot in the women's record books for career points (2,324) and rebounds (1,602). To this day, she owns the title of all-time leading scorer for a USF basketball player, male or female. The number 15 was retired in her honor in 1981, and she became the first woman inducted into the USF Hall of Fame in 1986. A three-time Kodak Regional All-American and four-time All-NorCal selection, she was twice a finalist for the Wade Trophy, awarded to the nation's top collegiate women's basketball player.

Led by Hile-Nepfel's celebratory play, the Dons made the AIAW Regionals in 1979 and won the NCAC title in 1980. She was also a two-time academic All-American and twice named the recipient of the Anne Dolan Award as USF's outstanding female athlete.

Hile-Nepfel's passion for basketball continued during her 19-year coaching tenure for USF. She shared head coaching duties with husband Bill from 1987 to 1999 and took over the reigns as sole head coach in 2001. The two-time WCC Coach of the Year led the Dons to three WCC Championships, their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1995, and the NCAA Sweet 16 the following year. Hile-Nepfel compiled 270 career victories by her final bow in 2006 to stand as the program leader.

George "Pat" Malley, Santa Clara University
In 1959, Santa Clara turned to recent graduate and former football player George "Pat" Malley to resurrect its dormant football program. Over the course of the next 26 seasons, Malley firmly etched his name in Santa Clara history as Head Football Coach and as Athletic Director.

Pat Malley was a guard for the Broncos and was a freshman when Santa Clara shocked Bear Bryant's Louisville team in the 1950 Orange Bowl.

Malley guided Santa Clara to 141 victories as head coach and endured only five losing seasons. He was heralded as a great recruiter, coaching future NFL All-Pros Dan Pastorini, Brent Jones and Doug Cosbie. More importantly, he was loved, respected and deeply appreciated by each of his players, who still speak of him today in reverent tones.

Among Malley's coaching accolades, he was named the Northern California College Coach of the Year in 1963, 1965, 1967 and 1980. His 1980 team advanced to the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II playoffs, and in 1983, Malley was inducted into the Santa Clara Athletic Hall of Fame.

As Athletic Director, he was instrumental in the early years of the West Coast Athletic Conference - the precursor to the WCC.

Malley passed away in 1985. Those who knew him remark about his ability to look into a person's eyes and see his soul. They also fondly recall how he would point to the SC in the Santa Clara logo and emphasize that it also stands for "style and class," both of which he had in spades. In 1999, Malley was posthumously inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.

In a very fitting tribute to honor his lasting legacy, the Pat Malley Fitness and Recreation Center at Santa Clara was built with donations from his former players.

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