Coonan proud of Bronco athletics outcomes

Athletic Director Dan Coonan sat down with The Santa Clara to discuss this past year in Bronco sports, student athletes' success off the field and efforts to increase student participation.

The Santa Clara: Take us through this past year. What were your expectations with the athletics program and how did the athletics program meet those expectations?

Dan Coonan: Many of our programs met or exceeded expectations. The two water polo (teams) both finished in the top-20. Men's crew had a great year. Women's golf had a great year. And women's volleyball went further than any conference team in the NCAA tournament. I think it's fair to say that many of our programs did not meet the expectations that they hold for themselves. There's a variety of reasons that I think we're addressing. I think in many of the areas that we evaluate our programs on--GPA, grad rates--grade out very well. We had our highest (student athlete) GPA last term, ever, at 3.13.

TSC: In terms of the sports that were not doing well competitively, what do you think are some of the issues that need to be addressed?

DC: I think it varies by the sport. We've had an injury bug with a few programs. One thing we're addressing there, particularly with a sport like women's soccer, is what we're doing from strength and conditioning standpoint. I think another thing that will help us go forward.

TSC: You have been successful bringing high-ranked recruits for a number of sports. Describe how these recruits have helped the Santa Clara athletics program.

DC: A player like Kevin Foster has really got people excited about basketball. Noelle Lopez for cross country earned a Rhodes Scholarship for next year. It has helped attract other high-end academic student athletes to Santa Clara in a variety of sports. Jack Wall, with water polo, has really impacted the profile of that sport. It's great to see the impact that various people can have on the overall program.

TSC: From a student's perspective, how can athletics increase student excitement for all sports?

DC: One of our central objectives is to enhance student life, to increase student spirit and really provide some balance to the academic side of the student experience at Santa Clara. With every new facility that we tinker with, we think about how best to enhance the game-day atmosphere so that we can attract more students. We've got Twitter and Facebook in an effort to give (students) a rallying cry to come support the Broncos.

TSC: Are there any changes that are going to be made to our sporting venues and facilities in the near future?

DC: I think our facilities are very good because of the work that's been done recently. In this economy, anything we do we'd have to fund raise for, and it is a tough market out there right now. That's not to say we're not thinking about things, but nothing that I'm willing to mention today.

TSC: With the current economy, how will you be able to continue to bring in the high-ranked recruits?

DC: I think we'll always be able to. The key for us is always going to be getting recruits on campus because once we get them on campus, they see how beautiful it is. We find that when recruits come here and they meet with our students and they find out how much our students here love it so much, it really puts us in a really good position in respect to their college decision.

TSC: At the end of 2008, John Bryant was stabbed in public on a weekend night. What steps must the athletes and the athletics personnel take to ensure the safety of our athletes and the athletics program?

DC: I certainly don't think that was an indicator of anything more broad. We haven't had that kind of violence here. That said, of course, that incident gives us an opportunity to reinforce a message to the student athletes, which is no different than a message that all students should bear in mind. Be careful, especially late at night be careful, but I don't think we can draw any conclusions about the level of violence on campus based upon that one incident.

TSC: So you're saying that you still trust in your student-athletes to make their own decisions based on what they think is right for them?

DC: Absolutely. That's what college is all about. We advise them to be careful and be smart, but yes.

TSC: This year the student-athlete GPA rose to an all-time high. How do you think that impacts our perceptions of what a student-athlete's role is at Santa Clara?

DC: I think students on campus have a lot of respect for our athletes here and have always had the sense that our athletes are students first and compete in the classroom. That's one of the things I'm most proud of about our athletic program here. Our GPA is certainly an indicator of that.

TSC: What sort of impact do you think the San Jose Earthquakes and FC Gold Pride have had on Santa Clara?

DC: First of all, I think (they've) had a tremendous impact on the facility. It has enabled us to put the finishing touches on Buck Shaw Stadium, which accrues to the benefits of not just our men's and women's soccer programs, but the campus, for graduation specifically. It's also been very good for campus because it brings to campus anywhere from five to ten thousand spectators. And it gives our students another potential activity to draw from.

TSC: Is there anything up and coming or in the works of being brought to Buck Shaw?

DC: I know that there's a U.S.A. versus Ireland rugby match coming up. That's the only thing that we have on the horizon.

TSC: What other areas of Santa Clara varsity athletics is the university or athletics department planning or attempting to reach out to?

DC: What we've done lately is really take this notion of community service to a different level. You'll find that so many of our programs are doing community service work, whether it's the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative, which was co-founded by Brandi Chastain, the Make a Wish Foundation, the Soles for Souls shoe drive, the Second Harvest Food Bank. Some of our programs have taken immersion trips to Mexico or New Orleans, so there's no shortage of community service endeavors.

TSC: In general, what can students expect for next year?

DC: I think a renewed focus on game-day atmosphere and one that comes with a message of sportsmanship as well. You can cheer for the Broncos and not be negative toward officials, toward opposing players or opposing fans. I think that's something that so many (students) already understand, but when we put 1100 students in the gym, which we're happy to do, occasionally you'll get somebody and they might not get it in terms of what's appropriate from a sportsmanship standpoint.

TSC: In turn, how will that affect the performance of the athletics teams?

DC: I think we've seen that when our venues are full, it really impacts the athletes in a big way. They feel appreciated and there's an instant reward in the sense that this is why they came to college to play athletics.

TSC: Is there anything else you wish to add?

DC: I would add congratulations to the senior students and senior student-athletes who are leaving, and I would encourage them to stay connected to Santa Clara University and stay connected to Santa Clara athletics. It can be very rewarding to maintain that lifetime connection with the university and also, of course, with the athletic department. But come to our venues, come support the Broncos.

Contact the Nick Pinkerton at (408) 551-1918 or npinkerton@scu.edu.