USD Magazine Summer 2019

GETTING TO KNOW ...

Brown has returned to campus to speak to the team and offer encouragement, and is a big advocate of the pipeline. “It all started with Bernie, with him giving me hope to work in the NBA without playing in the league,” Brown recalls. Says Fizdale, whose opening was with Musselman at Golden State: “You always want to try and pull another guy up from the team and give them an opportunity to learn their craft and be a part of this league.” Egan, USD head coach from 1984-94, left USD to be an assis- tant in San Antonio and was with the Spurs for their 1999 NBA title run. He then left that post to as- sist Musselman when he got his first head coaching job at Golden State in 2002. Brown hired Egan when he was named Cleveland’s head coach in 2005. Bickerstaff, the original NBA Torero, played at USD from 1964- 66, was an assistant under Coach Phil Woolpert and became head coach in 1969. He took an assis- tant coaching job with the Wash- ington Bullets in 1973, starting an NBA life that’s included five head coaching stints, two gener- al manager posts and assorted executive roles. “We’ve got to keep this going. It’s a great group of guys we have in the league,” he says. “We should help the program, get behind the athletics depart- ment. We owe USD a great deal.” Two years ago, Brown and Grant started a reunion dinner for the NBA Toreros. Thirty at- tended that dinner and atten- dance nearly doubled in 2018. “The NBA Torero Family Gath- ering is uniquely special to USD,” says USD Athletics Director Bill McGillis. “It’s a tribute to the foundation laid by so many men who wore the blue jersey, graced the Sports Center or JCP sideline as a coach, or otherwise contrib- uted to building our program. The NBA Torero family is a gift to today’s program and players.”

ZACHARY BARRON

AGE: 22 HOMETOWN: Puyallup, Washington CREDENTIALS: USD volleyball’s two-time All- WCC middle blocker was selected to the U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team and was an AVCA All-America honorable mention as a junior. As a senior she helped lead the Toreros to the program’s fourth NCAA Tournament Third Round appearance and was named to the AVCA Pacific South All-Region team. GAME- TIME RITUALS: “ I always wear headphones until I’m in my gear and ready to go. This year, we had navy socks and light blue socks; I wore one of each on game days. And my right ankle brace always goes on first. There’s also a song the whole team sang before every game, but I can’t say what it is. It’s a team thing.” PSYCHING UP: “I majored in psychology because I like talking to people and meeting new people. I’m learning to understand why different types of people act certain ways.” OUCH: “My family has a berry farm and a pumpkin patch, so I’m not afraid to get dirty. The pumpkins are harvested off the vine and put in little piles. My broth- ers and their friends would go out and form a pumpkin-tossing relay to bring them in. I’d be at the end and load them on the truck. At the end of the day my back would just be killing me. Pumpkins are so heavy!” GO ON: “I’m an assistant coach for 17- and 18-year-olds at Coast Volleyball Club. I absolutely love it. I’d like to be a graduate assistant or an assistant coach at the college level. And having a psychology degree will really help with that!” ADDIE PICHA

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SUMMER 2019