[Basketball Insert] W. basketball: Alumna pushes 49ers to revival

MitchellJ. Kim
Published: Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Ben Howland has built a strong reputation as a coach who can resurrect a floundering program. Another local coach with UCLA ties plans to follow in his footsteps.

Bruin alumna Mary Hegarty, who just completed her first year as coach of the Long Beach State women’s basketball team, is in the middle of trying to rejuvenate a 49ers program that once was one of the nation’s best.

Long Beach State has long been a powerhouse in women’s basketball. The 49ers have won 18 conference titles and were a perennial top-25 team in the 1980s.

Recently, however, the program has fallen off. The 49ers (14-16, 8-10 Big West) finished 14-15 a year ago, and were under .500 again this season. Though she knew success would not come immediately, the challenge of turning around this storied program intrigued Hegarty enough for her to leave her job at Chapman University and go to Long Beach State.

“The more I heard about the Long Beach State position … there was just no question that this was the right place for me to go,” Hegarty said.

A fifth-place Big West finish was not what Hegarty or Long Beach State fans were hoping for, but those within the program understand that building a winner requires patience. Hegarty faced a similar challenge as coach of the women’s basketball team at Chapman, a school which does not offer athletic scholarships.

Yet, against all odds, Hegarty brought life to Chapman.

The year before her arrival, the team won only two of its games. But in the 10 seasons after that, Hegarty coached her way to a 160-92 record, finding some respect for this Division III athletics program.

“It’s really important to build a strong foundation for a successful program,” said Hegarty. “It’s all based on instilling a really strong work ethic in your team.”

Even amid a disappointing season, a revival is brewing in Long Beach. Although the team had a disappointing season, there are many top players transferring to Long Beach, giving hope to fans who have longed for the days of old.

Among the five players going to Long Beach are Aisha Hollans and Val Wilhoit, who are transferring from USC and Colorado State, respectively.

Hegarty attributes much of her coaching skills to her experiences at UCLA where she played from 1980-1984.

“It shaped the kind of coach I am,” said Hegarty.

Hegarty had an illustrious career as a Bruin, leading the squad to a pair of postseason appearances and setting a UCLA single-season assist record as a freshman. Of those 240 assists, most of them were to her current assistant coach and former Bruin teammate Denise Curry.

“The only reason I had any assist records was because I was smart enough to give her the ball,” Hegarty said.

Hegarty made a name for herself as a player with composure and patience on the court – two traits that may lead this Bruin to a successful stint as a 49er.

“If you work hard and do your best, the process will take care of itself,” Hegarty said.