Following a two-month national search, UC Riverside Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Brian Wickstrom announced today the hiring of Michelle Patton as the team's head women's volleyball coach. Patton has been the head coach at San Francisco State the past five years reviving a program that lay dormant from 2004-07.
In 2012, the Gators posted the second best winning percentage in the history of the program going 21-9 on the year including a 16-6 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association play and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Those 16 conference victories were the most in the 35-year history of the program, earning San Francisco State its best-ever finish in league play as the Gators came in second behind NCAA Finalist Cal State San Bernardino.
"I am excited to welcome Michelle to the Highlanders family," said Wickstrom. "She has been a winner at every level—player, assistant and head coach. During the search, we spoke with a number of people in the volleyball community. Michelle is known as a tireless worker who can put the pieces together to win.
"I want to thank the search committee of Julie Hall, Eric Buskirk and Jason List for all of the hours they put in to complete a thorough search resulting in such an outstanding fit for UC Riverside."
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Story courtesy UC Riverside Athletics.