Brian Ching, Gonzaga University
Brian Ching, a native of Haleiwa, Hawai'i, is one of the most decorated men's soccer players in Gonzaga University history, as well as the first successful player from Hawai'i in both MLS and United States World Cup annals.

Ching joined the Bulldogs for the 1996 season, and as a freshman played in 18 matches with five starts. He finished second on the team in scoring with 12 points on three goals and six assists. As a sophomore, he appeared in 16 matches with 14 starts and was second on the team behind WCC Player of the Year and teammate Jeff McAllister with 10 goals and 23 points. The 10 goals were second on the all-time Gonzaga single-season list and his 23 points were third on the all-time GU list. He earned All-WCC second-team honors.

In 2000, Ching was named All-WCC first team and earned All-Far West Region first-team honors. He finished his Gonzaga career with 34 goals, good for third on the all-time GU list, and his 23 assists are a Gonzaga career record. Ching's 91 career points are still tied for second and he still holds the single-season record (71) on the Gonzaga charts.

Ching's professional career began when he was the fourth pick of the second round and the 16th pick overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2001 Major League Soccer Super Draft. He became the first Gonzaga player and the first player from his native Hawai'i selected in the MLS draft.

After his rookie season was cut short because of injury, Ching was named to the MLS Best XI and recognized as 2004 MLS Comeback Player of the Year after being named the Earthquakes scoring champion and MVP.

Ching earned MVP honors of the 2006 MLS Cup after scoring the tying goal in the 114th minute, and scoring the winning penalty kick in shootout as the Dynamo captured the MLS title. In 2008, he was named winner of the Dynamo's Golden Boot award and the team's MVP award. He ranked a career-high fifth in the league in goals. In 2009, he won the Dynamo's Budweiser Golden Boot award for the third straight year. He was once again named a MLS All-Star and was also named 2010 Dynamo's Humanitarian of the Year winner and was a finalist for league-wide MLS Works Humanitarian of the Year.

Ching also has a plethora of International experience. In 2009 he was a regular for the U.S. national team as it qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was set to be named to the Confederations Cup roster but missed out due to a hamstring injury. Ching recovered to be named to the roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. He scored against Honduras to help the U.S. reach the Gold Cup final. In 2008 he started six matches and scored four goals and had an assist for the U.S. national team. He became the first Hawaiian to be named to the U.S. roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and in 2005 appeared in three final-round World Cup qualifiers, starting two.

Sarah Noriega, Loyola Marymount University
Sarah Noriega became just the fifth volleyball player in Loyola Marymount University history to have her number retired by virtue of being an AVCA First Team All-American, a Volleyball Magazine All-American, a three-time All-West Coast Conference First Team selection and the 1997 WCC Player of the Year. She was also a three-time All-District VIII honoree and was LMU's Female Athlete of the Year for the 1997-98 school year.

Noriega was a member of three WCC Championship teams with the Lions, including their most successful season in program history in 1996, when the team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Playing opposite the setter, she led the Lions to a 26-3 overall record, a perfect 14-0 mark in conference play, and a WCC crown as a junior. She collected 496 kills and a hitting percentage of .330 that year, while also posting 49 service aces, 170 digs and 106 total blocks (23 block solos and 83 block assists).

Before returning to LMU to complete her degree in 2007, Noriega played with USA Volleyball and the U.S. National Team. Some of her highlights include being a participant at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1995, a World Games participant and a 2000 Olympian. She still pervades the LMU career record books, ranking fifth all-time in kills (1,446), second in kill average (4.71) and third in attack percentage (.319). Noriega also still holds the NCAA record for kills in a four-set match, when she recorded 47 kills on November 7, 1997, against San Diego.

Wayne Wright, Pepperdine University
Wayne Wright served as the Athletic Director at Pepperdine University for 21 years (1976-1997). During his tenure, Pepperdine won seven NCAA titles in four different sports: baseball (1992), men's golf (1997), men's volleyball (1978, 1985, 1986, 1992), and men's water polo (1997). Pepperdine also won three individual NCAA titles in the sports of men's tennis (1988: singles, 1984, 1985: doubles).

While the AD at Pepperdine, the Waves won 33 conference regular-season championships (23 WCC), 41 conference tournament championships (40 WCC), and made 87 NCAA Championship appearances. Wright also started the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980, instituted the "Wave Club" for the purpose of raising financial support for athletic programs, and added the sports of women's golf, women's swimming and women's soccer.

Wright served on the NCAA Council from 1991-93, helped implement an academic advising and tutorial program in 1986, raising graduation rates, and had two student-athletes as valedictorians. Before his reign, Wright was also the golf coach for four seasons and the head baseball coach for eight seasons. A three-time WCC Coach of the Year, Wright led his baseball squads to a 195-166-3 record, three WCC titles and three NCAA playoffs.

Tiffeny Milbrett, University of Portland
Tiffeny Milbrett attended the University of Portland from 1990 to 1995 and left the school with various awards and NCAA records. In 1990, she was named Soccer America's Freshman Soccer Player of the Year, and in 1991, she led her team with 21 goals and six assists.

Milbrett also garnered WCC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1992 and 1994, and was a three time NSCAA All-American as well as a three-time finalist for the Hermann Trophy and Missouri Athletic Club Award awarded to the top player in the nation. Milbrett was her university's all-time leader in goals with 103, and assists with 40. She placed second in NCAA career goals with 103, and tied for fourth in career points with 246. She was also named to Soccer America's College Team of the Decade for the 1990s.

Milbrett also had a heralded international career that saw her win both Olympic and World Cup Championships. In 1995, she was a member of the team that finished third at the World Cup in Sweden, and in 1996, was a starter for the team that won the 1996 Olympic Gold in Atlanta, scoring the game-winning goal against China in the final. In 1998, Milbrett was a member of the team that won the gold medal at the Goodwill Games, and in 1999, Milbrett became the goal leader on the USA team that won the World Cup and take home Silver in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

In 2001, Milbrett became a founding member of the New York Power in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) where she also became the league's MVP as well as Offensive Player of the Year. In March 2009, Milbrett was selected to play with FC Gold Pride of the new Women's Professional Soccer and began play in April 2009.

Peter Thibeaux, Saint Mary's College
A local player who was the first to sign a national letter of intent for first-year head coach Bill Oates in the spring of 1979, Peter Thibeaux went on to have a record-setting career on the basketball court at Saint Mary's College and remains one of the top performers in school history.

The Oakland native and Skyline High School grad lettered four years at Saint Mary's from 1980-83 and still lists among the school's best in several career statistical categories. The two-time first-team all-WCC selection scored 1,490 points in his career, which ranks sixth on the Gaels' all-time list. Thibeaux is also among the top 10 on the school's career charts for made and attempted field goals, field goal percentage, blocked shots and starts. He led the 1982 and 1983 Saint Mary's teams in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage and registered a career-high 39 points in a 1983 contest against Southern Utah.

After being drafted in the fourth round by the Golden State Warriors, Thibeaux spent the 1985 and 1986 seasons with the club, appearing in 93 games and averaging 5.0 points per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor.

In 1989, Thibeaux won a Continental Basketball Association (CBA) Championship with the Tulsa Fast Breakers under NBA and college coach Henry Bibby. He went on to play basketball in the European leagues, playing for Torino (Italy), Badajoz (Spain), Tours (France), and Denbosch (Holland). Thibeaux also played and coached for Kawasaki in the Japanese leagues. As Kawasaki's coach from 1993-94, the team won the Japanese championship.

John Wathan, University of San Diego
John Wathan attended the University of San Diego between 1968-70 where he played both baseball and basketball. An All-American catcher in 1970, Wathan batted .430 with 39 RBI and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. His career batting average of .347 ranks seventh all-time among USD players. He was inducted into USD's Chet and Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994, and recently was named to USD's All-Decade Team for the 1960s.

Wathan was drafted out of USD as the fourth overall pick in the 1971 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, where he spent his entire professional baseball career. Wathan played for 15 years, including 10 with the Royals from 1976 to 1985 where he played in 860 games, averaging a career .261 batting average with 21 home runs and 261 RBIs. His best season came in 1980 when he played in 126 games and had a .305 batting average.

Wathan was a member of the Royals' World Series teams in 1980 and 1985 and still owns the modern day record for stolen bases by a catcher with 36 in 1982.

After he retired, Wathan became the manager for Kansas City's AAA Omaha Royals farm club before he was named Royals manager on August 27, 1987. He managed five seasons in Kansas City, having two winning seasons in 1988 and 1989 and finishing second in the American League Western Division both times.

Wathan currently works for the Royals as a special assistant to the director of player development. Was also inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

Steve Negoesco, University of San Francisco
Steve Negoesco played soccer for the University of San Francisco from 1947-51 and served as the USF Head Soccer Coach for 39 seasons.

As a player, Negoesco became the first All-American selected from the West Coast, in 1948. Under the direction of NSCAA Hall of Fame Coach Gus Donoghue, Negoesco helped the Dons to a co-championship in the 1950 College Soccer Bowl.

After working as a school teacher, Negoesco returned to coach at his alma mater in 1962, where he became the first Division I Coach to win 500 games and finished with 540, the second most in NCAA history. His teams made 25 NCAA tournament appearances, winning five national titles. His 1966 squad won the first ever NCAA title in school history, while his 1969 squad was the NCAA National Runner-Up.

From 1975 to 1980, San Francisco won four NCAA Championships (1975-76, 1978*, 1980) and posted a runner-up finish in 1977. He won 22 West Coast Conference titles, compiling 34 winning seasons and 41 NCAA Tournament wins. Negoesco's final season as San Francisco's head coach came in 2000 after 778 matches, headlined by 30 NSCAA All-American players, 27 former players that are now in the USF Hall of Fame, and seven Olympians.

He is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF). The Dons' home field, dedicated in 1982, is named in his honor.

Dennis Awtrey, Santa Clara University
Dennis Awtrey spent three seasons as a rugged scorer and rebounder for three of the top winningest teams in Bronco history. Awtrey led the Broncos to NCAA appearances and finished first and second all-time in single-season scoring.

Playing in an era that did not allow freshmen to play varsity ball, Awtrey amassed 1,675 points during his three-year career to rank as Santa Clara's fifth all-time leading scorer, just 14 points behind four-year player Steve Nash.

Awtrey was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1968-69 and 1969-70 and an All-American in 1970, averaging 19.9 points and a school-record 13.5 rebounds. He still ranks first all-time in scoring average (19.9 ppg), second all-time in rebounding (1,135), and fourth all-time in shooting percentage (.583) at Santa Clara. He was also selected to the Academic All-American First Team during his three seasons on the team.

A 6'10" center, Awtrey was drafted by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers in 1970. He played in the league for 12 seasons, spending time with the 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, and Portland Trail Blazers. The SuperSonics won the NBA Championship in 1979.

In 2002, Awtrey was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.

Jeff Brown, Gonzaga University
A three-year standout for the Gonzaga men's basketball team, Jeff Brown was a key player in Gonzaga's early stages of becoming a basketball powerhouse. After transferring from the University of Washington, Brown started the next three seasons for the Bulldogs.

As a senior during the 1993-94 season, Brown led the WCC in scoring at 21.0 points per game, leading the Bulldogs to a 22-8 record, their inaugural WCC regular-season championship and a berth in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for the program's first-ever postseason appearance.

Brown, a three-time All-WCC First Team member, earned WCC Player of the Year honors in 1994. In addition, he was named to GTE/College Sports Information Directors of America All-District VIII first team, GTE/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America first-team and was named Men's Basketball Academic All-American of the Year with 3.68 GPA in finance/pre-med.

Brown is still listed in several statistical categories in the Gonzaga record books, ranking seventh on the Zags' career scoring charts with 1,646 career points, fifth in field goals made (618), 9th in field goal percentage (55.5) and 4th in free throws made (390).

Bo Kimble, Loyola Marymount University
A high school and college teammate of 2009 Hall of Honor inductee Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble was an integral part of a historic Loyola Marymount offense that still owns the five highest single game scoring totals in NCAA history, including the record-setting 186 point effort against U.S. International in 1991. After the tragic passing of Gathers in the 1990 WCC Tournament, Kimble led the Lions to one of the most memorable post-season runs in NCAA Tournament history. The run was best symbolized by the right-handed Kimble shooting his first free throw in each NCAA Tournament game left-handed in memory of Gathers.

Kimble led the 11th-seeded Lions through the first two rounds of the tournament by recording 45 points and 18 rebounds in a 111-92 first round win over sixth-seeded New Mexico State and 37 points in a 149-115 second round win over defending champion and third-seeded Michigan. The Lions then beat seventh-seeded Alabama 62-60 in the West Regional Semifinals before falling to eventual national champion UNLV in the Elite Eight.

Kimble turned in one of the most prolific statistical seasons in WCC and NCAA history as a senior in 1990 by leading the nation in scoring with 35.3 points per game. He was named WCC Player of the Year, a six-time WCC Player of the Week and a Second-Team All-American in his senior season.

Dr. Gail Hopkins, Pepperdine University
Dr. Gail Hopkins, who became the first person in his family to attend college when he selected Pepperdine over Stanford, California and UCLA in order to both play baseball and study religion, played baseball at Pepperdine from 1962-64 and earned All-America honors as a junior in 1963.

Hopkins helped Pepperdine qualify for the NCAA Playoffs in both 1962 and 1963 and he became the first Pepperdine baseball player to ever reach the Major League when he broke in with the Chicago White Sox in 1968. He primarily played first base in seven seasons in the majors with the White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers, and hit a career-best .286 with Chicago in 1970. Hopkins was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers team that won the National League Pennant and played in the World Series in 1974.

He earned a Bachelor's degree from Pepperdine in 1966 as a double-major in Religion and Biology, a Master's in Religion from Pepperdine in 1974, a Ph.D. in Biology from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1977 and an MD from Rush Medical College in 1981. In addition, he will complete a Masters of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary in May of 2010. Hopkins is believed to be the only player in Major League Baseball history to have earned both an MD and a Ph.D.

Joe Etzel, University of Portland
When Joe Etzel was appointed director of athletics in 1970, the University of Portland's intercollegiate athletic program consisted of three coaches and five men's teams. When he retired in 2003, those figures increased to 13 full-time and 11 part-time coaches for 16 men's and women's teams, all competing at the NCAA Division I level. In addition, the University also built four athletic facilities throughout the Etzel era: The Earle A. and Virginia H. Chiles Center (basketball/volleyball), Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center, Pilot Stadium (baseball, which later was renamed in his honor), and Harry A. Merlo Field (soccer). Etzel retired as the longest tenured Athletic Director at the NCAA Division I level.

As an undergraduate at the University of Portland, Etzel lettered four years in baseball as a pitcher and once in basketball. He still ranks near the top of many of the school's career pitching records. Etzel is first in career win percentage (.741) with a 20-7 record. He is second in career ERA (2.45) and wins (20), fourth in walks per nine innings (2.18) and led the Pilots to the NCAA playoffs in 1957 and 1958.

Etzel's 21-year reign as the university's head baseball coach began in 1966. He took on the director of athletics position in 1970 and served in both capacities until his coaching retirement following the 1986 baseball season.

He was later inducted into the University of Portland Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993, the State of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 and the National Athletic Directors (NACDA) Hall of Fame in 2008.

Anja Suomalainen (Bordt), Saint Mary's College
After playing her freshman season at California, Anja Suomalainen (Bordt) starred for three seasons at Saint Mary's (1988-89 through 1990-91). Suomalainen was a two-time WCC Player of the Year (1990 and 1991) and led the conference in scoring and assists in all three of her seasons.

In 1991, she was named the West Coast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an Academic All-American. Suomalainen was also named the NCAA Woman of the Year in 1991 for the state of California. She ranks in the top five in the West Coast Conference's all-time assists, points, and steals categories.

Suomalainen, who was inducted into the Saint Mary's Hall of Fame, played professionally in Finland, Germany and Spain and was named the Finland Player of the Year in 1991 and a German Bundesleague All-Star in 1995-96. She played in over 120 games for the Finland National Team.

Zuzana Lesenarova, University of San Diego
Zuzana Lesenarova became the first NCAA Division I Champion in the history of the University of San Diego when she won the 1999 NCAA Women's Singles Tennis Championship. A three-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year and three-time WCC All-Academic selection, Lesenarova shared 1999 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Player of the Year honors with James Blake of Harvard.

Lesenarova, who was a four-time ITA All-American, spent most of the 1999 season ranked No. 1 in the nation and won three of the four collegiate grand slam events that season. She also earned No. 1 national rankings in both singles and doubles in 2000.

As a Torero, she finished with an overall record of 202-55 (139-25 in singles and 63-30 in doubles). Lesenarova, who played in the 1999 U.S. Open, was inducted into the University of San Diego's Chet & Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame on May 2, 2009.

Bob St. Clair, University of San Francisco
Bob St. Clair was a member of what many consider to be one of the most dominant college football teams of all time. The 1951 University of San Francisco Dons went a perfect 9-0 with an average winning score of 32-8. Nine players on that team were drafted in the NFL, and three ended up in the Pro Football Hall of fame.

St. Clair began his pro career in 1954. He didn't have to travel far as he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Over the next 11 seasons, St. Clair would cement himself in history as one of the greatest offensive tackles to have ever played the game. He was a nine-time All-Pro selection, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, named to the 1950`s NFL's All-Decade Team, and in 1990, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

St. Clair holds the distinction of being one of the few players in history to have spent almost his entire playing career in the same city, playing in the same stadium. In 2001, as a tribute for playing a total of 17 seasons and 189 home games at Kezar Stadium, the city of San Francisco renamed the stadium's field in honor of St. Clair.

Brandi Chastain, Santa Clara University
Brandi Chastain is one of the most decorated players in women's soccer history with two World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals to her credit.

In 1989 she transferred to Santa Clara University from California. Chastain would be a two-time All-American at Santa Clara, leading the team to the Final Four in 1989 and 1990 seasons.

In 1990, Chastain was the recipient of the Honda Women's Soccer Award, given to the top player in the nation. She was also named the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America Player of the Year. That season, Chastain recorded 22 goals and 50 points, which still ranks among Santa Clara's all-time leaders.

In 1991, Chastain represented her country in the FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored five consecutive goals in a 12-0 US win against Mexico. Team USA went on to win that World Cup in China.

In 1996, Chastain was selected to play on the US National team. She led the U.S. to the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta in the first-ever Olympic women's soccer tournament. She played every minute in the U.S.'s five matches, and assisted on the first goal in Olympic women's soccer history.

At the 1999 World Cup, she provided one of the greatest moments in the history of women's sports when she peeled her jersey off in celebration after the decisive penalty kick in the championship match. In the months after the match, she was named one of People Magazine's Most Intriguing People and one of Street & Smith's 100 Most Powerful People in Sports in 1999.

She was also member of the 2004 Olympic Soccer Team that won gold in Athens and the 2000 Olympic team that won the silver in Sydney. Overall, she appeared in 192 career U.S. National Team matches, which ranks among the top 10 in U.S. history.

Chastain's influence on women's soccer continues today, as she is one of the founding members of the Bay Area/San Jose Cyber Rays professional club, and is currently playing with the FC Gold Pride of Women's Professional Soccer. She also continues to serve as a soccer broadcaster for ABC, NBC and ESPN.

Frank Burgess, Gonzaga University
Frank Burgess came to Gonzaga right out of the Air Force in 1958. The 6-1 sharpshooter led the Bulldogs in scoring for three seasons and won the national collegiate scoring crown for the 1960-61 season with 842 points in 26 games and a 32.4 scoring average. Burgess scored what is today still a school-best 2,196 points in his three years at Gonzaga (he spent a pre-military year at Arkansas AM&N) and scored more than 40 points in a game seven times including a school-record 52 against California-Davis his senior year.

Burgess was a Helms Foundation All-American selection in his junior and senior year and was an All-American choice by the major wire services in his senior year. After two seasons with Hawaii in the professional American Basketball League, he returned to Gonzaga to attend law school and graduated near the top of his class. He was inducted into the Inland Empire Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. Gonzaga University retired his No. 44 jersey Feb. 19, 2005, and today it hangs in the McCarthey Athletic Center rafters.

Hank Gathers, Loyola Marymount University
One of the greatest players in West Coast Conference history, Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers became the conference's first two-time tournament MVP and is the leading scorer in the event's 19-year history. Led by Gathers, the Lions won back-to-back tournament titles in 1988 and 1989 and set a WCC record for most points in a tournament with 323 total points (107.7 ppg) in 1988. Gathers' 1988 tournament was highlighted by an amazing 33-point, 18-rebound performance in LMU's first round win over Portland. In that same season, he became the second player in history to lead NCAA Division I in scoring and rebounding in the same season, averaging 32.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.

Gathers passed away tragically during the semifinal game of the 1990 WCC Tournament, which resulted in the tournament being suspended and Loyola Marymount being given the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In seven career WCC Tournament games, Gathers scored a record 186 points for a 26.6 points per game average, the highest clip in league history.

Doug Christie, Pepperdine University
Doug Christie, a 6'6" shooting guard, was the WCC's MVP in 1991 and 1992. In both seasons, Christie was also named All-American and a member of the All-WCC First Team, as he led the school in scoring, assists, and steals. His 1,392 career points made him the school's 15th leading scorer while his 395 assists placed him third in school history.

Swingman Christie attracted dozens of NBA scouts to Firestone Fieldhouse and was later selected 17th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. Christie played for the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Clippers, where he would end his professional career. While playing for the Kings, Christie developed into one of the league's best defenders and was perennially named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Clive Charles, University of Portland
Clive Charles was the greatest coach in more than a century of University of Portland athletics, leading his women's and men's soccer teams to 439 victories, 20 national playoff berths, 13 conference titles, and a national championship. His players went on to play on the national teams of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and also play in the professional ranks in America and Europe and Asia. Others earned Olympic gold medals and won World Cups. He coached the United States Olympic Team (1996-2000) and Women's National Team (1993-1996). He was a professional soccer star in England, Wales, and North America, and was named to the all-time North American Soccer League team.

Just before the Olympics in August 2000, Charles was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite the harsh news, Charles still coached the U.S. to a fourth place finish in the Olympic Games. Charles also continued to coach both the men's and women's Portland teams until his death. During his last season (2002), the Portland women's team won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship.

Tom Meschery, Saint Mary's College
Tom Meschery was a 6'6" power forward who played for Saint Mary's from 1957-1961. Averaging 16.7 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, Meschery concluded his collegiate career as the school's leading rebounder (916) and his 1,126 career points ranked 12th all-time at Saint Mary's. Meschery's No. 31 was the first basketball number ever retired by the college.

Meschery then went on to play 10 seasons in the NBA. The first six seasons were spent playing for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, where he competed in the 1963 NBA All-Star Game. The Warriors also retired his jersey number (No. 14). Meschery then spent his last four seasons with the Seattle Supersonics before retiring in 1971, the same year in which he became head coach of the ABA's Carolina Cougars. Meschery was also inducted to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Bernie Bickerstaff, University of San Diego
A point guard for two seasons at USD (1964-1966), Bernie Bickerstaff was team captain and MVP his senior year. Named USD head coach in 1969, he was an assistant to legendary coach Phil Woolpert for three years (1966-69). His 1972-1973 squad that finished with a 19-9 record and his own four-year mark of 55-49 highlighted his USD coaching career. Bickerstaff was inducted into USD's Chet & Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.

After USD, he joined the Washington Bullets as an assistant coach. As the top assistant in 1978, the Bullets won the NBA Championship. Hired by the Seattle Supersonics in 1985 as head coach, Bickerstaff led the team to the NBA playoffs three times and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1987. After Seattle, Bernie served as head coach and held high ranking administrative roles with the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Bobcats. With over 30 years of coaching & administrative experience in the NBA, Bernie is currently an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls.

Joe Ellis, University of San Francisco
Joseph (Joe) Franklin Ellis attended USF from 1962-1966 and captured First Team All-Conference honors in all three seasons as a varsity player. The 6'6", 175 pound, Ellis, who departed USF as the third leading scorer in program history (1,120), earned Northern California Player of the Year accolades and All American honorable mention selection. He was also one of four juniors chosen in 1965 to represent the United States in the World University Games. Inducted into the USF Hall of Fame in 1973, Ellis was named one of 75 "Legends of the Hilltop" in 2006 for the 150th anniversary of the University of San Francisco.

Upon graduation, Ellis was selected by the San Francisco Warriors in the second round (13th pick overall) of the 1966 NBA Draft. The Oakland native averaged double-figure scoring averages in three successive seasons, including a career-best 15.8 points per game in 1969-70. In eight NBA seasons - all with the Warriors - Ellis scored 4,825 points, averaging 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Carroll Williams, Santa Clara University
Carroll Williams, former San Jose State basketball star and Stockton native, was the winningest coach in Bronco basketball history. During his 22 years as head coach of the SCU men's basketball team, Williams compiled a 344-274 career record and led the Broncos to five post-season appearances, including one trip to the NCAA Tournament and four to the NIT. Some of his players include two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and former Los Angeles Laker Kurt Rambis.

As the Bronco Athletic Director, Williams guided athletic programs at Santa Clara University to continued levels of national prominence. His final year as athletic director was highlighted by a second consecutive year of NCAA semi-final appearances by the Bronco men's and women's soccer teams. During his eight years, he oversaw 19 West Coast Conference championships in seven sports and 23 post-season tournaments. He also added two sports teams (women's water polo and women's golf), increased scholarship support for student athletes, and revamped the campus' athletic facilities.

WCCSports.com Athletics

Printer-friendly format	Email this article