Kevin Becker resigned today after 17 years heading the Cal State San Bernardino women’s basketball program. He was the longest-tenured coach in the CCAA. Anyone that lasts that long in a position is doing something right.
Now comes the task of finding a successor. The vacancy comes at a tough time with it being the peak recruiting period for coaches. Athletic director Kevin Hatcher says the school expects to move swiftly in filling that position. The bigger and better the pool of applicants, the faster administration can proceed.
It shouldn’t take long. The Cal State job is one of the best, maybe THE best in the 12-team conference for several reasons.
First, the facility. Coussoulis Arena is the top venue in the conference. RIMAC Arena at UC San Diego is also nice and it’s on a campus in La Jolla, so that trumps most. But no other facility can compare from a facilities standpoint.
Second, resources. Yes Cal State system is cash strapped. But the women’s program is funded better than the men’s program which annually competes for conference and regional titles. The women’s has to be funded better because of the gender equity issues and the high ratio of women’s student to men.
Third, the talent pool in the area is unmatched. It probably hasn’t been tapped as much as it should have been in recent years. Yes a lot the talented players in the area probably want to get out and go to school elsewhere. But there are plenty of talented athletes that would welcome the chance to play close to home.
Cal State volleyball coach Kim Cherniss wins with local talent, supplementing it with a few kids from elsewhere. There is no reason the same can’t be done in women’s hoops.
Fourth, it’s a quality job in a quality conference. The top teams in the CCAA pretty much contend for national titles in every sport. The travel is really pretty convenient and less tedious (with the exception of Humboldt State), compared to other conferences. And for the most part the competition within the conference is top notch no matter what the sport.
It shouldn’t be a hard sell for Hatcher.
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