WCC Creates Hall of Honor; Clive in First Class

(San Bruno, CA) - Six of the WCC's all-time greatest athletes and two of the conference's top coaches headline the WCC's inaugural Hall of Honor class. The members will formally be inducted at the 2009 WCC Hall of Honor Brunch on Saturday, March 7 at the Orleans Arena and honored the next day during halftime of the first men's basketball semifinal game on March 8.

USF's inaugural inductee is former NBA and Dons star Joe Ellis (1963-66), who led the Green and Gold to three postseason trips, including a pair of NCAA Tournament berths. One of a long line of Dons from Oakland's McClymonds High School, Ellis helped lift USF to a No. 6 national ranking during the 1964-65 campaign. Ellis ranks in the USF career top-25 in scoring (21, 1,120) and rebounding (11, 737) in just three varsity seasons.

The Hall of Honor Brunch will be held Saturday morning at 9 AM in Gold Rooms B & C. Tickets are currently available for $40, and tables of eight are available for $320. In order to purchase tickets, contact Audrey Mesta at the WCC Office by phone at 650-873-8622 or by email at amesta@westcoast.org.

This year's honorees include eight individuals that span a long history of outstanding athletic achievements across the WCC's eight respective institutions. The inductees include: Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers, the conference's first two-time tournament MVP and the leading scorer in the event's 19-year history; 1991 and 1992 All-American and conference MVP Doug Christie from Pepperdine; Frank Burgess, who led Gonzaga in scoring for three seasons and won the national collegiate scoring crown in 1961; head coach Clive Charles, who led Portland's men's and women's soccer teams to 439 victories, 20 national playoff berths, 13 league titles, and a national championship; the winningest Santa Clara men's basketball coach and former athletic director Carroll Williams; Tom Meschery, who concluded his collegiate career as Saint Mary's leading rebounder and 12th leading scorer; former USD basketball captain and MVP Bernie Bickerstaff, who later coached USD's men basketball team and moved on to coach in the NBA; and USF Hall of Famer Joe Ellis, who represented the U.S. in the World Games.

"We are very proud of the inaugural Hall of Honor class," said WCC Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich. "The list of inductees represents the West Coast Conference's strong tradition of athletic excellence."

All inductees will be present at the Hall of Honor Brunch in Las Vegas with the exception of the late Hank Gathers and Clive Charles. Attending on behalf of Gathers will be former LMU teammate, Jeff Fryer, while Clarena Charles will be in attendance to honor her husband.

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CLIVE CHARLES, University of Portland
Clive Charles was the greatest coach in more than a century of University of Portland athletics, leading his women's and men's soccer teams to 439 victories, 20 national playoff berths, 13 conference titles, and a national championship. His players went on to play on the national teams of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and also play in the professional ranks in America and Europe and Asia. Others earned Olympic gold medals and won World Cups. He coached the United States Olympic Team (1996-2000) and Women's National Team (1993-1996). He was a professional soccer star in England, Wales, and North America, and was named to the all-time North American Soccer League team.

Just before the Olympics in August 2000, Charles was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite the harsh news, Charles still coached the U.S. to a fourth place finish in the Olympic Games. Charles also continued to coach both the men's and women's Portland teams until his death. During his last season (2002), the Portland women's team won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship.