Seeing as there will be a changing of the guard and Bill Macriss has been named interim AD, I figured it was worthwhile to give a program-wide rundown on their status and what he faces in the immediate future. Macriss inherits an athletic department that overall is in pretty great shape with the biggest needs being facility improvements and upgrades. Athletic academics have been the best it ever has been so academic support needs to be maintained. I would like to get some thoughts from others on where they think the focus needs to be.
Years listed for head coach are at the head coach position as a Hornet, it does not include years spent as an assistant coach or years spent coaching elsewhere.
Football
HC: Jody Sears, named as interim HC following the resignation of Sperbeck
Status: I feel like this is completely out of the hands of Macriss until we see how it plays out on the field this season. Sears inherits a talented roster and one of the weakest schedules in the BSC. If Sears can win 7+ games this season I don’t know how Macriss can pass up on him for a 3-5 year contract. If Hornet football falters then Macriss needs to be on the ball and start a HC search before the conclusion of the season. Macriss will potentially have to make one of the most vital decisions for Hornet athletics within the first 6 months of being on the job.
Needs: While I believe a new stadium is the greatest need, the reality is that it probably won’t happen. So in the meantime Hornet Stadium could use some permanent bathroom and concession facilities as well as a new state of the art video-scoreboard. I don’t think much else can be done at HS unless a full on demo and rebuild were to happen.
I would also hope the new administration keeps its ears and mind open to a possible joint venture with the Sac Republic if their push for an MLS franchise gets serious. The Republic wants a downtown stadium but the City just took on a ton of debt for the Kings so I have a hard time seeing the City having enough financial flexibility to underwrite another entertainment venue. That said; it would be nice if a joint venture effort takes hold with Sac State and the Sac Republic to build a stadium on the 25 acre Ramona Ave site. Macriss has “worked closely with the Sacramento Sports Commission and the Sacramento Convention & Visitor’s Bureau” so I would think this kind of a deal is not out of his wheelhouse. Portland State shares its digs with an MLS franchise so I would think some kind of agreement/joint investment could happen for Hornet athletics.
M Basketball
HC: Brian Katz (56-118, 31-73 BSC) enters 8th season
Status: Hornet hoops has been on a bit of an upswing but progress still needs to be made. It appears the corner has been turned as wins, quality of play, and the quality of incoming recruits have seen considerable improvement recently. The Hornets finally made the BSCT last season, now the goal is to finish in the top tier of the BSC and make a run in the BSCT. Regardless of the results, Katz was given a 5 year extension prior to the 13/14 season so don’t expect any moves to be made here anytime soon.
Needs: On-campus event center. The event center needs to be a top priority for Macriss. In fact if there is not a serious undertaking right from the get go to try and get this built then I don’t expect much change to occur under his tenure. The event center referendum was passed by students in 2004, and the student body leadership unanimously gave Gonzo the green light to raise fees for the project this past fall under the latest failed event center effort. It needs to get done, period.
If Macriss has no plans to address the on-campus facility needs, then he needs to work on getting an agreement to play some (or all) of Hornet home games in the new downtown arena. In one way or another, the facility issue needs to get addressed by Macriss.
W Basketball
HC: Bunky Harklerod (18-12, 10-10 BSC) enters 2nd season
Status: Harklerod took over for Craighead and picked up right where she left off. Since he was just brought on last season he is probably under contract for at least the next 3 seasons. The issue now will be if the level of success can be sustained and if he can land recruits that can keep pace with his system. It would be nice to see this program do better in the BSCT but this program is competitive and exciting to watch and provides the excitement that keeps Lady Hornet fans engaged.
Needs: See M basketball for facility issues and needs.
Baseball
HC: Reggie Christiansen (124-116, 52-44 WAC), 2 WAC regular season titles, 1 WACT title, enters 5th season
Status: Christiansen turned the Hornet baseball program around within his first 3 years and has won 2 regular season championships, took the Hornets to the NCAA Regionals last season, and is getting players drafted to the MLB with regularity. What Hornet fans have witnessed has been phenomenal. Christiansen was signed to 3 years extension through the 2016 season so unless he is hired away, he isn’t going anywhere.
Needs: Macriss needs to do whatever he can to keep Christiansen happy so he doesn’t bail for a better job. To do this, getting lights and a new playing surface for John Smith Field should be a priority (second only to a new events center imo). Baseball could also use a press booth, a new scoreboard, and other amenities at the John but lights are the most pressing. As baseball continues to excel, the program needs to see increased support from the department.
Softball
HC: Lori Perez (25-21, 12-4 BSC) enters 2nd season
Status: Perez being elevated from interim HC to take over the job permanently was the last move Wanless made prior to retirement. She was a long time Hornet assistant prior to last season. Perez will be around for the next handful of years and is coming off a solid season that saw the Hornets have their best winning percentage in the past 21 years and finish a half game out of first place in the BSC. Things look positive for this program in the near future.
Needs: Similarly to baseball; lights, a press booth, and permanent concessions would be a nice addition. Also a clubhouse would be nice if we want to have a grandiose facilities vision. Shea Stadium did receive a new scoreboard within the past few months. Macriss needs to ensure that the proper support is provided so that continued success can be maintained.
Volleyball & Sand Volleyball
HC: Ruben Volta (85-105, 50-54 BSC) enters 7th season, Sand Volleyball (5-15) enters 2nd season
Status: Volleyball has fallen a long way from where it was under the dominant Collberg years and struggles to even make the BSCT, let alone sniff the NCAA tournament. Volta’s most wins as HC are 17 and the program has never won more than 10 BSC games in a season.
Sand volleyball has struggled ever since it was added 2 years ago. Jason Borchin is a “co-head coach” (whatever that means) so it looks like this program is trying to find its feet. It seems like it is time to make a change atop the volleyball program and bring in someone who can head up both volleyball programs and find success. I have no idea when Volta’s contract expires but if Macriss doesn’t consider his options when the time comes, then I worry that he may not have what it takes to make the tough decisions.
Needs: Events center, see basketball needs above. Sand volleyball plays at the Sacramento Softball Complex, not sure if making an on-campus sand volleyball pit is even possible or worthwhile. The locker rooms in the Nest were all revamped within the past year, but other than that this program faces the same facility issues as the other indoor programs.
M Soccer
HC: Michael Linenberger (168-248-51), 3 MPSF titles, enters 26th season
Status: Linenberger had his best seasons in ’09 and ’10 when the Hornets won back to back MPSF titles and had back to back Round 1 NCAA Tournament wins. That success led to an affiliate Big West invitation for soccer. Aside from those two outstanding seasons the soccer program has largely been mediocre at best. Long time assistant coach Matt McDougall was recently promoted to Assistant HC so Linenberger is probably getting close to retirement.
Needs: Hornet Field at a minimum needs some lights and permanent seating (1-3k capacity is more than enough). The grandiose vision should include a press booth, concessions and a clubhouse that can serve both men’s and women’s programs. Hornet Field did receive a new scoreboard within the past few months. The reality is football is our prime fall sport so it is hard to prioritize significant upgrades to a sport that would be competing directly with Hornet football.
W Soccer
HC: Randy Dedini (56-54-21, 22-20-11 BSC), 2 BSC titles, enters 8th season
Status: The women’s soccer program has won the BSC as recently as 2010 and just missed out on the BSCT last season. The program has seen mixed results under Dedini’s tenure but has been competitive for the most part. The soccer program needs to regularly get to the BSCT; otherwise it might be time to go in a different direction.
Needs: See men’s soccer above. Improved facilities would go a long way in getting this program to see post season play with regularity.
M & W Track & Field/ M & W Cross Country
HC: Kathleen Raske, 14 BSC titles, 6 runner-up finishes, enters 12th season
Status: Hornet T&F has dominated the BSC since Raske has arrived. The women’s teams have dominated both the indoor and outdoor championships while the partial scholarship men’s team has finished in the top half of the BSC indoor and outdoor championships for the past 4 years. Numerous athletes have advanced to the NCAA Regionals during her tenure. The cross country programs have not fared as well so improvement is needed there.
Needs: Aside from the permanent bathroom and concession facilities and new video/scoreboard outlined under the football needs, Hornet Stadium is fine as is for track and field. HS was lauded by coaches and athletes at the USTF National Championships as being a top of the line venue that rivals what Oregon has in Eugene. These top of the line track and field facilities should keep Raske here for as long as she wants and should keep Hornet track and field atop the BSC for years to come.
M & W Tennis
M HC: Slava Konikav (125-84, 59-4 BSC), 6 BSC regular season titles, 6 BSCT titles, enters 9th season
W HC: Dima Hrynashka (137-76, 64-3 BSC), 7 BSC regular season titles, 8 BSCT titles, enters 9th season
Status: M & W tennis has dominated the BSC for the past decade. Women’s tennis had their 112 BSC match winning streak broken due to injury. Both tennis programs tend to struggle when facing the stronger programs; however there is no need to make any changes here.
Needs: I think tennis has moved their games on campus from the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club, there might be a need for improved tennis courts and support facilities. I am unfamiliar with the on-campus tennis amenities to add anything more than this.
M & W Golf
M HC: Christopher Hall, 1 American Sky title, enters 5th season
W HC: David Sutherland, 1 BSC title, enters 8th season
Status: Hall organized the Sac State Invitational that has been successful, and found immediate success for the program in the now defunct American Sky Conference. Men’s golf will now compete in the BSC as the conference has enough programs to sponsor golf with the addition of Idaho. I couldn’t find much on Sutherland who oversees both golf programs. Sutherland’s bio is more focused on his time on the PGA Tour and not what has been done while in charge of the women’s golf program. The women won the BSC in ’07 and finished 2nd last season, couldn’t find much else.
Needs: I haven’t the slightest idea.
Gymnastics
HC: Kim Hughes, 7 conference titles (between Western Independent, MPSF, WAC) enters 31st season
Status: All 7 of the conference titles have been won since ’00 along with a few runner-up finishes to bolster the success of the program. Since ’94, 33 gymnasts advanced to the NCAA regionals. Hughes has built a strong program and also has done a lot within the community. At some point a successor will have to be selected who can continue to build the program.
Needs: Gymnastics does have the auxiliary facility west of the Nest, but like the hoops programs an on-campus event center would greatly benefit the gymnastics program as well.
Rowing
HC: Mike Connors (80-35 varsity 8, 52-31 2nd varsity 8), 3 WIRA titles, enters 13th season
Status: I’m not familiar with rowing to say much here. The program just wrapped up its first season in Conference USA which now provides an opportunity for the Hornets to gain a berth in the NCAA Championships. The Hornets finished in the middle of the pack (6th of 11) during their inaugural season in CUSA.
Needs: The Aquatic Center is where this program competes and practices at and could probably use some fresh paint and minor improvements. The Aquatic Center is a campus wide facility so funding for improvements would not necessarily be an athletics driven priority. I’ve heard that the Lake Natoma facility is one of the best spots on the west coast to hold rowing competitions.
Years listed for head coach are at the head coach position as a Hornet, it does not include years spent as an assistant coach or years spent coaching elsewhere.
Football
HC: Jody Sears, named as interim HC following the resignation of Sperbeck
Status: I feel like this is completely out of the hands of Macriss until we see how it plays out on the field this season. Sears inherits a talented roster and one of the weakest schedules in the BSC. If Sears can win 7+ games this season I don’t know how Macriss can pass up on him for a 3-5 year contract. If Hornet football falters then Macriss needs to be on the ball and start a HC search before the conclusion of the season. Macriss will potentially have to make one of the most vital decisions for Hornet athletics within the first 6 months of being on the job.
Needs: While I believe a new stadium is the greatest need, the reality is that it probably won’t happen. So in the meantime Hornet Stadium could use some permanent bathroom and concession facilities as well as a new state of the art video-scoreboard. I don’t think much else can be done at HS unless a full on demo and rebuild were to happen.
I would also hope the new administration keeps its ears and mind open to a possible joint venture with the Sac Republic if their push for an MLS franchise gets serious. The Republic wants a downtown stadium but the City just took on a ton of debt for the Kings so I have a hard time seeing the City having enough financial flexibility to underwrite another entertainment venue. That said; it would be nice if a joint venture effort takes hold with Sac State and the Sac Republic to build a stadium on the 25 acre Ramona Ave site. Macriss has “worked closely with the Sacramento Sports Commission and the Sacramento Convention & Visitor’s Bureau” so I would think this kind of a deal is not out of his wheelhouse. Portland State shares its digs with an MLS franchise so I would think some kind of agreement/joint investment could happen for Hornet athletics.
M Basketball
HC: Brian Katz (56-118, 31-73 BSC) enters 8th season
Status: Hornet hoops has been on a bit of an upswing but progress still needs to be made. It appears the corner has been turned as wins, quality of play, and the quality of incoming recruits have seen considerable improvement recently. The Hornets finally made the BSCT last season, now the goal is to finish in the top tier of the BSC and make a run in the BSCT. Regardless of the results, Katz was given a 5 year extension prior to the 13/14 season so don’t expect any moves to be made here anytime soon.
Needs: On-campus event center. The event center needs to be a top priority for Macriss. In fact if there is not a serious undertaking right from the get go to try and get this built then I don’t expect much change to occur under his tenure. The event center referendum was passed by students in 2004, and the student body leadership unanimously gave Gonzo the green light to raise fees for the project this past fall under the latest failed event center effort. It needs to get done, period.
If Macriss has no plans to address the on-campus facility needs, then he needs to work on getting an agreement to play some (or all) of Hornet home games in the new downtown arena. In one way or another, the facility issue needs to get addressed by Macriss.
W Basketball
HC: Bunky Harklerod (18-12, 10-10 BSC) enters 2nd season
Status: Harklerod took over for Craighead and picked up right where she left off. Since he was just brought on last season he is probably under contract for at least the next 3 seasons. The issue now will be if the level of success can be sustained and if he can land recruits that can keep pace with his system. It would be nice to see this program do better in the BSCT but this program is competitive and exciting to watch and provides the excitement that keeps Lady Hornet fans engaged.
Needs: See M basketball for facility issues and needs.
Baseball
HC: Reggie Christiansen (124-116, 52-44 WAC), 2 WAC regular season titles, 1 WACT title, enters 5th season
Status: Christiansen turned the Hornet baseball program around within his first 3 years and has won 2 regular season championships, took the Hornets to the NCAA Regionals last season, and is getting players drafted to the MLB with regularity. What Hornet fans have witnessed has been phenomenal. Christiansen was signed to 3 years extension through the 2016 season so unless he is hired away, he isn’t going anywhere.
Needs: Macriss needs to do whatever he can to keep Christiansen happy so he doesn’t bail for a better job. To do this, getting lights and a new playing surface for John Smith Field should be a priority (second only to a new events center imo). Baseball could also use a press booth, a new scoreboard, and other amenities at the John but lights are the most pressing. As baseball continues to excel, the program needs to see increased support from the department.
Softball
HC: Lori Perez (25-21, 12-4 BSC) enters 2nd season
Status: Perez being elevated from interim HC to take over the job permanently was the last move Wanless made prior to retirement. She was a long time Hornet assistant prior to last season. Perez will be around for the next handful of years and is coming off a solid season that saw the Hornets have their best winning percentage in the past 21 years and finish a half game out of first place in the BSC. Things look positive for this program in the near future.
Needs: Similarly to baseball; lights, a press booth, and permanent concessions would be a nice addition. Also a clubhouse would be nice if we want to have a grandiose facilities vision. Shea Stadium did receive a new scoreboard within the past few months. Macriss needs to ensure that the proper support is provided so that continued success can be maintained.
Volleyball & Sand Volleyball
HC: Ruben Volta (85-105, 50-54 BSC) enters 7th season, Sand Volleyball (5-15) enters 2nd season
Status: Volleyball has fallen a long way from where it was under the dominant Collberg years and struggles to even make the BSCT, let alone sniff the NCAA tournament. Volta’s most wins as HC are 17 and the program has never won more than 10 BSC games in a season.
Sand volleyball has struggled ever since it was added 2 years ago. Jason Borchin is a “co-head coach” (whatever that means) so it looks like this program is trying to find its feet. It seems like it is time to make a change atop the volleyball program and bring in someone who can head up both volleyball programs and find success. I have no idea when Volta’s contract expires but if Macriss doesn’t consider his options when the time comes, then I worry that he may not have what it takes to make the tough decisions.
Needs: Events center, see basketball needs above. Sand volleyball plays at the Sacramento Softball Complex, not sure if making an on-campus sand volleyball pit is even possible or worthwhile. The locker rooms in the Nest were all revamped within the past year, but other than that this program faces the same facility issues as the other indoor programs.
M Soccer
HC: Michael Linenberger (168-248-51), 3 MPSF titles, enters 26th season
Status: Linenberger had his best seasons in ’09 and ’10 when the Hornets won back to back MPSF titles and had back to back Round 1 NCAA Tournament wins. That success led to an affiliate Big West invitation for soccer. Aside from those two outstanding seasons the soccer program has largely been mediocre at best. Long time assistant coach Matt McDougall was recently promoted to Assistant HC so Linenberger is probably getting close to retirement.
Needs: Hornet Field at a minimum needs some lights and permanent seating (1-3k capacity is more than enough). The grandiose vision should include a press booth, concessions and a clubhouse that can serve both men’s and women’s programs. Hornet Field did receive a new scoreboard within the past few months. The reality is football is our prime fall sport so it is hard to prioritize significant upgrades to a sport that would be competing directly with Hornet football.
W Soccer
HC: Randy Dedini (56-54-21, 22-20-11 BSC), 2 BSC titles, enters 8th season
Status: The women’s soccer program has won the BSC as recently as 2010 and just missed out on the BSCT last season. The program has seen mixed results under Dedini’s tenure but has been competitive for the most part. The soccer program needs to regularly get to the BSCT; otherwise it might be time to go in a different direction.
Needs: See men’s soccer above. Improved facilities would go a long way in getting this program to see post season play with regularity.
M & W Track & Field/ M & W Cross Country
HC: Kathleen Raske, 14 BSC titles, 6 runner-up finishes, enters 12th season
Status: Hornet T&F has dominated the BSC since Raske has arrived. The women’s teams have dominated both the indoor and outdoor championships while the partial scholarship men’s team has finished in the top half of the BSC indoor and outdoor championships for the past 4 years. Numerous athletes have advanced to the NCAA Regionals during her tenure. The cross country programs have not fared as well so improvement is needed there.
Needs: Aside from the permanent bathroom and concession facilities and new video/scoreboard outlined under the football needs, Hornet Stadium is fine as is for track and field. HS was lauded by coaches and athletes at the USTF National Championships as being a top of the line venue that rivals what Oregon has in Eugene. These top of the line track and field facilities should keep Raske here for as long as she wants and should keep Hornet track and field atop the BSC for years to come.
M & W Tennis
M HC: Slava Konikav (125-84, 59-4 BSC), 6 BSC regular season titles, 6 BSCT titles, enters 9th season
W HC: Dima Hrynashka (137-76, 64-3 BSC), 7 BSC regular season titles, 8 BSCT titles, enters 9th season
Status: M & W tennis has dominated the BSC for the past decade. Women’s tennis had their 112 BSC match winning streak broken due to injury. Both tennis programs tend to struggle when facing the stronger programs; however there is no need to make any changes here.
Needs: I think tennis has moved their games on campus from the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club, there might be a need for improved tennis courts and support facilities. I am unfamiliar with the on-campus tennis amenities to add anything more than this.
M & W Golf
M HC: Christopher Hall, 1 American Sky title, enters 5th season
W HC: David Sutherland, 1 BSC title, enters 8th season
Status: Hall organized the Sac State Invitational that has been successful, and found immediate success for the program in the now defunct American Sky Conference. Men’s golf will now compete in the BSC as the conference has enough programs to sponsor golf with the addition of Idaho. I couldn’t find much on Sutherland who oversees both golf programs. Sutherland’s bio is more focused on his time on the PGA Tour and not what has been done while in charge of the women’s golf program. The women won the BSC in ’07 and finished 2nd last season, couldn’t find much else.
Needs: I haven’t the slightest idea.
Gymnastics
HC: Kim Hughes, 7 conference titles (between Western Independent, MPSF, WAC) enters 31st season
Status: All 7 of the conference titles have been won since ’00 along with a few runner-up finishes to bolster the success of the program. Since ’94, 33 gymnasts advanced to the NCAA regionals. Hughes has built a strong program and also has done a lot within the community. At some point a successor will have to be selected who can continue to build the program.
Needs: Gymnastics does have the auxiliary facility west of the Nest, but like the hoops programs an on-campus event center would greatly benefit the gymnastics program as well.
Rowing
HC: Mike Connors (80-35 varsity 8, 52-31 2nd varsity 8), 3 WIRA titles, enters 13th season
Status: I’m not familiar with rowing to say much here. The program just wrapped up its first season in Conference USA which now provides an opportunity for the Hornets to gain a berth in the NCAA Championships. The Hornets finished in the middle of the pack (6th of 11) during their inaugural season in CUSA.
Needs: The Aquatic Center is where this program competes and practices at and could probably use some fresh paint and minor improvements. The Aquatic Center is a campus wide facility so funding for improvements would not necessarily be an athletics driven priority. I’ve heard that the Lake Natoma facility is one of the best spots on the west coast to hold rowing competitions.
