UCSB Names Women’s Basketball Coach; SBCC Names Track Coach

UCSB has named its new head women’s basketball coach: Lindsay Gottlieb, the associate head coach at UC Berkeley. Gottlieb will be introduced the Santa Barbara media at a press conference on Friday, May 16, university sources confirmed.

Gottlieb has been at Cal for three years under head coach Joanne Boyle. The Golden Bears went 68-28 during that span, including a 27-7 record as runners-up in the Pac-10 Conference last season. Boyle promoted her from assistant to associate head coach a year ago. Previously, Boyle and Gottlieb were together for three years at Richmond, leading the Spiders to 20 wins each season.

Gottlieb is taking over a Gaucho program that has a tradition of success, with 18 consecutive winning seasons and 12 Big West Conference championships, all under Mark French, who retired last month after 21 seasons.

Although she is taking on her first head coaching job, Gottlieb has some experience in that role. She guided Cal against Stanford in 2006 when Boyle was attending to a family illness. Last year, Gottlieb expressed her aspirations when she spoke at the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) convention on this topic: “Building a winning program; taking over a program.”

Gottlieb’s duties at Berkeley were described in the media guide as “recruiting and scouting, and (serving) as the team’s academic liaison. She has been integral to the development of Cal’s post players, including Devanei Hampton, the 2006-07 Pac-10 Player of the Year and a two-time All-Pac-10 selection, and Ashley Walker, an All-Pac-10 choice.”

UCSB is expected to have two All-Big West post players next year: Jenna Green, who is petitioning for an extra year of eligibility after missing most of the 2007-08 season with a back injury, and Kat Suderman.

Before joining Boyle at Richmond, Gottlieb was an assistant coach at Syracuse and New Hampshire for three years. The New York native played basketball at Brown University.

SBCC Names Track Coach

Scott Fickerson will replace the retiring Robin Paulsen as Santa Barbara City College’s track and cross country coach. Fickerson coached at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks for the past seven years. He said the opportunity to work at SBCC’s La Playa Stadium track was a prime attraction.

“People said he’s a really quality guy with strong classroom rapport with the kids, a high-character guy with a passion for track and field,” SBCC athletic director Mike Warren said.

Before Cal Lutheran, Fickerson was an assistant coach at Ventura High, his alma mater, and Wheaton College in Massachussetts.