West Coast Conference - Famous Sports Figures

Famous Sports Figures

Some of the famous athletes who played collegiately for WCC schools, and coaches and executives that attended WCC schools, include:

• Basketball:
  • Danny Ainge, Consensus All-American and 1981 College Co-Player of the Year. Former NBA (1981-1995) and Major League Baseball (1979-1981) player. 1988 NBA All-Star. Current President for the NBA's Boston Celtics (BYU)
  • Rick Adelman, head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves since 2011 (Loyola Marymount)
  • Bernie Bickerstaff, former NBA head coach (San Diego)
  • Shawn Bradley, former NBA player (1993-2005), 2nd overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft (BYU)
  • Mike Brown, NBA head coach for Cleveland (NBA head coach (San Diego)
  • Ricardo Brown, one of the Philippine Basketball Association's 25 Greatest Players
  • Bill Cartwright, former NBA player and head coach, current NBA assistant. Former NBA All-Star (1980) (San Francisco)
  • Doug Christie, former NBA player (1993–2007), selected 17th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics (Pepperdine)
  • Darwin Cook, former NBA player (1980-1989) (Portland)
  • Jimmer Fredette, NCAA National Player of the Year (2010–2011), selected 10th in the 2011 NBA Draft (BYU)
  • Richie Frahm, former NBA player (2003-2008) (Gonzaga)
  • Dan Dickau, former NBA player (2002-2008) (Gonzaga)
  • Maggie Dixon, head women's coach at Army at the time of her unexpected death in 2006 (San Diego)
  • Mike Champion, former NBA player (1988-1989) (Gonzaga)
  • Hank Gathers, college star who led the nation in scoring and rebounding in 1990 before collapsing and dying during the WCC tournament ((Loyola Marymount)
  • Elias Harris, current Germany international (currently playing at Gonzaga)
  • Mel Hutchins, 1952 NBA Rookie of the Year and 4-time NBA All Star (BYU)
  • Dennis Johnson, former NBA player (1976-1990), 1979 NBA Finals MVP, and 5-Time NBA All-Star. Coached the LA Clippers for one season (2003) (Pepperdine)
  • K. C. Jones, former NBA player (1958-1967), and Basketball Hall of Famer (San Francisco)
  • Bo Kimble, former NBA player ( 1990-1993) (Loyola Marymount)
  • Tom Meschery, former NBA player (1961-1971), and NBA All-Star (1963) (Saint Mary's)
  • Patrick Mills, current Australia international with the San Antonio Spurs (Saint Mary's)
  • Adam Morrison, former NBA player known for being the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats and the 2005-06 National College Co-Player of the Year (Gonzaga)
  • Austin Daye, current NBA player with the Detroit Pistons. Selected with the 15th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft (Gonzaga)
  • Eric Musselman, former NBA head coach (San Diego)
  • Steve Nash, point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and 2005 and 2006 NBA MVP (Santa Clara)
  • Kelly Olynyk, current Canada men's international (currently playing at Gonzaga)
  • Rafael Araújo, former NBA player (2004-2007), selected with the 8th pick in the 2004 NBA draft (BYU)
  • Kurt Rambis, former NBA player (1981-1995) and NBA head coach (1999 and 2009-2011) (Santa Clara)
  • Bill Russell, Basketball Hall of Fame Player (12-Time All-Star, 5-Time NBA MVP, and 11-Time NBA Champion) and coach, 1956 College Player of the Year (San Francisco)
  • Robert Sacre, current NBA player with the Los Angeles Lakers, and current Canada international (Gonzaga)
  • Fred Roberts, former NBA player (1983-1997) (BYU)
  • Omar Samhan, currently playing in Lithuania and the Euroleague with Žalgiris (Saint Mary's)
  • Jose Slaughter, Former NBA player (1982-1983) (Portland)
  • Mike Smith, former NBA player (1988-1991) (BYU)
  • Erik Spoelstra, current head coach of the Miami Heat (Portland)
  • Travis Hansen, former NBA player (2003-2004) (BYU)
  • Jeremy Pargo, current NBA player with the Cleveland Cavaliers (Gonzaga)
  • John Stockton, Basketball Hall of Famer ((10-Time All-Star, and All-Time NBA Leader in Assists and Steals) (Gonzaga)
  • Stew Morrill, current college head coach Utah State (Gonzaga)
  • Ronny Turiaf, current Los Angeles Clippers player (Gonzaga)
  • Courtney Vandersloot, current WNBA player with the Chicago Sky (Gonzaga)
  • Erin Thorn, current WNBA player with the Chicago Sky (Brigham Young)
• Soccer:
  • Conor Casey, 2010 MLS Cup MVP, 2009 MLS Best XI, and former United States men's national soccer team forward (Portland)
  • Brandi Chastain, member of the USA national team that won the 1999 Women's World Cup (Santa Clara)
  • Steve Cherundolo, Hannover 96 captain and three-time World Cup veteran (2002, 2006, 2010) with the United States men's national soccer team (Portland)
  • Brian Ching, USA men's national team player (Gonzaga)
  • John Doyle, general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, former USA men's national team player (San Francisco)
  • Kasey Keller, former US international goalkeeper and four-time World Cup (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006) veteran (Portland)
  • Shannon MacMillan, member of the 1999 Women's World Cup winners (Portland)
  • Tiffeny Milbrett, member of the 1999 Women's World Cup winners (Portland)
  • Christine Sinclair, two-time Hermann Trophy winner and all-time leading goal scorer for the Canadian women's national team (Portland)
  • Aly Wagner, 2002 Hermann Trophy winner and member of the US women's soccer team that won gold at the 2004 Olympics (Santa Clara)
  • Shauna Rohbock, 6th all-time in NCAA scoring, former player for the San Diego Spirit and an olympic silver medalist in 2006 Torino Olympics bobsleigh (Brigham Young)
• Baseball:
  • Dale Murphy, former MLB Player (1976-1993). 7-time All-Star, and 2-Time NL MVP (1982 and 1983) with the Atlanta Braves (BYU)
  • Jason Bay, 2004 National League Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star (Gonzaga)
  • Vern Law, former MLB Pitcher (1950-1967). Won the 1960 Cy Young, as he lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1960 World Series Championship (BYU)
  • Vance Law, former MLB player, and 1-time MLB All-Star (1988). Former BYU Baseball Coach (2000-2012). Son of MLB Pitcher Vern Law. (BYU)
  • Randy Winn, former MLB outfielder and 2002 All-Star (Santa Clara)
  • Dan Haren, 2007 American League All-Star Game starting pitcher (Pepperdine)
  • Noah Lowry, major-league pitcher (currently a free agent) and former college roommate of Dan Haren (Pepperdine)
  • Jack Morris, five-time All-Star pitcher and 4-time World Series winner (Brigham Young)
  • Mike Redmond, former MLB catcher and current manager of the Florida Marlins (Gonzaga)
  • Dane Iorg, former MLB Player (1977-1986). 2-Time World Series Champion (1982 and 1985) (BYU)
  • Mark Teahen, former MLB player (Saint Mary's)
  • Tom Candiotti, former MLB pitcher (Saint Mary's)
  • Mike Scott, former major-league pitcher (Pepperdine)
  • Randy Wolf, former MLB pitcher (Pepperdine)
  • Brian Matusz, pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles (San Diego)
  • Theo Epstein, President of the Chicago Cubs] and former general manager of the Boston Red Sox (San Diego – School of Law only; earned bachelor's degree at Yale)
  • Bill Bavasi, MLB executive (San Diego)
  • Ken Dayley, former major league pitcher, 1980 1st round draft pick, 3rd overall, pitched in both the '85 and '87 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals (Portland)
  • Bill Krueger, former major league pitcher (Portland)
  • Pat Casey, current Oregon State baseball head coach, his team winning both the 2006 and 2007 College World Series (Portland)
  • Von Hayes, former major league outfielder/first baseman (Saint Mary's)
• Water polo:
  • Terry Schroeder, former NCAA player, two-time Olympic silver medal winner (1984 and 1988), and Head Coach of silver medal winning men's water polo team at the 2008 Summer Olympics (Pepperdine)
  • Merrill Moses, silver medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics (Pepperdine)
  • Jesse Smith, silver medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics (Pepperdine)
• Volleyball:
  • Mike Whitmarsh — Winner of 28 AVP beach volleyball events, as well as a silver medal in the sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics (San Diego – volleyball and basketball; however, men's volleyball is not a WCC sport)