Mark French to Retire from Women's Basketball Program

After an immensely successful career, head coach Mark French will retire from the UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball program, he announced on Thursday. The winningest coach in program history, French steps down after leading the Gauchos to 13 Big West Conference titles and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances during his 21 seasons in Santa Barbara. He will stay on as head coach at UCSB until a replacement is named.

“It has been both an honor and a pleasure to serve as the head women’s basketball coach at UCSB for the past 21 years,” French said. “The opportunity to be a part of the lives of our outstanding women has given my life a richness and deep sense of satisfaction that I will always cherish. The time has come, however, for me to step aside and allow our program to benefit from the leadership, passion, and energy of a new head coach.”

After returning to his alma mater before the start of the 1987-88 season, French built UC Santa Barbara into one of the premiere programs on the West Coast. In his 21 seasons, he compiled an overall record of 438-200 for a winning percentage of .687. French guided the Gauchos to a winning record each of the last 18 seasons and his teams have qualified for postseason play 13 years in a row (10 NCAA, 3 WNIT).

Beginning in 1996-97, UCSB absolutely dominated the Big West, at one point winning 25 consecutive games in the conference tournament and earning the league’s automatic bid in the NCAAs nine years in a row. After advancing to the NCAA Tournament Second Round a total of five times, French’s Gauchos finished with an overall record of 27-7 and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history in 2004.

In all, French’s squads have produced eight All-Americans and a total of 58 All- Big West honorees.

French will step down after guiding the Gauchos to an overall record of 23-8 this past season and a return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2005.

Coastlines will take a look back at Mark French’s UCSB career in the Summer issue.

Swimming - Gauchos Named Big West Champions

UC Santa Barbara men’s and women’s swim teams dominated the Big West Swimming and Diving competition to capture top titles. The men’s team won the league title with 856 points. The women’s team was in top form at the meet and scored 926 points to be named Big West champions. The men earned their 26th title, third in the past five years (`04, `06), while the women’s team was crowned conference champion for the third straight season, 11th overall.

In the men’s events, UCSB came out of the finals with first through seventh place in the men’s 100 free final and totaled 107 points, with junior Bradley Matsumoto claiming the prize in 43.89.

Sophomore Matt Bartlett narrowly beat out UC Irvine for the title in the men’s version of the 200 individual medley (1:47.88) and took the first of the five places the Gauchos won in the men’s 200 free.

Other league titles going to Gauchos include senior cocaptain Brooks Felton in the 500 free (4:28.89), junior Jeff Sudbury in the men’s 100 breast (55.06), and Matsumoto in the men’s 50 free (19.83).

The men’s relay teams swam their way to league championships in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 400 medley relay and the 800 relay.

On the women’s side, sophomore Anne Marie May won the 50 free for the second year in a row (22.21), as well as placing first in the 100 free (49.71).

Junior Katy Freeman overtook teammate freshman Sara Nicponski for first place in the women’s 200 breast. Freeman’s time of 2:10.89 is a new UCSB record and meet record. She also swam a meet-best time in the 100 breast of 1:00.75, and won the 200 individual medley, clocking in 2:01.52.

In the women’s 200 free, sophomore Courtney Bauer took the league title in 1:49.09 over teammate Liz Wagner who clocked in at 1:49.83.

Not wanting to be outdone, the women’s relay teams won the 200 free relay, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay and 400 medley relay.

At the 2008 NCAA Championships, the women Gauchos earned a total of 36 team points and placed 25th overall. This marked the first time since 1990 that UCSB has scored points at the women’s NCAAs.

Women’s Basketball - UCSB Wins 12th Big West Tournament Title

Senior Jessica Wilson scored a team-high 16 points and led three teammates in double figures as top-seeded UC Santa Barbara clinched its 12th Big West Conference Tournament title with a 74-59 victory over second-seeded UC Davis on March 15 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Gauchos improved to 23-7 overall with their fifth consecutive victory and won for the 19th time in their last 20 games to earn the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Wilson was named the Big West Conference Tournament MVP after hitting 7-of-15 from the field to go with seven rebounds and five assists to lead four UCSB starters in double figures. The senior guard also finished with a steal and a block in her final game in Anaheim.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 23, fourth-seeded Virginia scored an 86-52 victory over No. 13 UC Santa Barbara at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Wilson scored 13 points to lead the Gauchos in her final game in the blue and gold.

UCSB, which had won 19 of its last 20 games entering the contest, sees its season come to a close with an overall mark of 23-8.

Soccer - Rob Friend, Tyler Rosenlund on Canadian National Roster

Former UC Santa Barbara soccer players Rob Friend and Tyler Rosenlund were among the 19 players listed on the Canadian men’s national team camp roster, as announced by head coach Dale Mitchell earlier this month.

The former Gauchos are currently training in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

While CONCACAF’s first phase of 2010 World Cup Qualification begins in February, Canada will wait until the second phase to play their first game on June 15 in Saint Vincent & the Grenadines.

Playing with the Gauchos in 2001 and 2002, Friend became first player in program history to be drafted by an MLS team when he was selected by the Chicago Fire in the fourth round of the 2003 SuperDraft. The native of Kelowna, B.C., currently plays professionally for Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany.

Rosenlund was a three-year letter winner at UCSB from 2004-06 and helped the Gauchos win the program’s first national championship in his final season. The Port Coquitlam, B.C., native signed with the Swedish Club Atvidabergs FF after foregoing his senior season at UCSB.

CanadaSoccer.com contributed to this report.

Women's Soccer - Edwards Promoted to Associate Head Coach

Kai Edwards, who joined the UC Santa Barbara women’s soccer coaching staff as an assistant coach last spring, has been promoted to associate head coach, head coach Paul Stumpf announced this week.

“The promotion is well-deserved for Kai,” Stumpf commented.

“He works very hard, has great energy, and is an outstanding coach.” Edwards, who along with Stumpf was instrumental in this season’s outstanding Gaucho recruiting class, is looking forward to the opportunity.

“I am excited to be part of a program that is gearing up to make a run at the Big West title and an NCAA Tournament bid,” Edwards said.

Edwards came to UCSB from his alma mater, Sonoma State University, where he was an assistant coach.

Men's Soccer - Two Gauchos Drafted in MLS Supplemental Draft

UC Santa Barbara senior forward Tino Nunez was drafted by Real Salt Lake and defender Greg Curry was selected by the expansion San Jose Earthquakes in the 2008 Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft. Nunez was taken in the second round with the 17th overall pick and Curry went in the third at No. 29.

UCSB’s record-shattering year in terms of the draft continued as Nunez and Curry became the fifth and sixth Gauchos to be drafted by an MLS side in 2008.

They join former teammates Ciaran O’Brien, Andy Iro, Eric Avila, and Brennan Tennelle in the professional ranks to complete the largest draft class in program history.

On Jan. 18 O’Brien and Iro became the first players to come out of UCSB to go in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft. O’Brien was chosen by Colorado with the fifth overall pick and Iro went to Columbus at No. 6. Avila then went to FC Dallas in the second round with the 19th overall selection and Real Salt Lake claimed Tennelle in the third round at No. 37.

Prior to this year’s draft, a total of five former Gauchos had been selected in the SuperDraft, with Memo Arzate and David McGill the only two players to go in the same year (2004).

Nunez and Curry are the sixth and seventh players from Santa Barbara to be chosen in the Supplemental Draft.