UC and Former UC Santa Barbara Softball Coaches Settle Discrimination Lawsuits
Former Head Coach Brie Galicinao and Assistant Coach Alysia Hendricks Alleged They Were Terminated After Accusing University of Title IX and Equal-Pay Violations
The University of California and former UC Santa Barbara softball head coach Brie Galicinao and assistant coach Alysia Hendricks reached a settlement for a pair of discrimination lawsuits on Friday, May 19.
According to the lawsuits filed by Galicinao and Hendricks in February 2023, the two coaches compiled information during the 2022 softball season detailing the discrepancy in salaries, in addition to other inequalities, between the UCSB baseball and softball programs. In 2021, for example, UCSB baseball coach Andrew Checketts earned a salary of $263,420 while Galicinao’s salary was $106,693. According to Galicinao’s lawsuit, the discrepancies between the baseball and softball programs were not limited to coaching salaries, but extended to the number of coaching positions, support staff, field maintenance, equipment, and apparel between the two programs.
On March 31, 2022, Galicinao formally presented her findings to Interim Athletic Director Kelly Barsky and Sport Supervisor Bryan Cornet. There were reportedly no follow-ups or investigations into the alleged Title IX or equal-pay violations. Galicinao and Hendricks say they were then effectively terminated from their positions when the university decided not to renew their contracts at the end of the season. They alleged this was in retaliation for their discrimination claims.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and the UCSB Athletics Department declined to comment at this time.
Galicinao served as head coach of the UCSB softball program from 2007-2022. During that time, she was twice named Big West Conference coach of the year. However, the Gauchos never reached NCAA Regionals during her tenure, despite the softball program reaching the NCAA Regionals three of the four years prior to her ascending from assistant coach to head coach.
Hendricks joined the UCSB softball staff as a part-time assistant coach in September 2014 and was promoted to full-time assistant coach in June 2017.
In Galicinao’s final five seasons from 2018-2022, the UCSB softball program finished below .500 overall in each season. UCSB’s baseball program has been among the best on the West Coast in recent seasons and has emerged as a Big West powerhouse during Checketts’s tenure, including a berth in the College World Series in 2016.
UCSB hired Jo Evans in August 2022 to replace Galicinao. Evans coached at Texas A&M for 27 seasons and reached NCAA regionals 22 times during that span. Galicinao was hired as an assistant coach at Cal Poly for the 2023 season.
The UCSB softball team finished its 2023 season with a 26-22 record, which is 11 more wins than the 2022 season and the most wins since 2017.
