Branden Higa has set up across town.
Formerly the women’s volleyball coach at California Baptist University, Higa was announced as the new women’s volleyball coach at UC Riverside on April 24.
“It’s truly an honor to be part of the history and legacy of UCR volleyball, a program with a national championship history in its DNA,” Higa said.
UC Riverside, the 1982 and 1986 NCAA Division II national champions, has not finished better than sixth in the Big West Conference since joining Division I in 2001.
Higa will be the fifth head coach of the program in the Division I era.
“Branden is a tremendous developer of student-athletes both on and off the court,” UC Riverside athletic director Wesley Mallette said. “He is a great leader and will help usher in a new era of UCR women’s volleyball. We are very excited about the future of the program under Branden’s watch.”
In 13 seasons at California Baptist, Higa helped produce 12 All-Americans, 15 All-West Region selections and more than 30 all-conference picks.
An assistant coach on the 2017 USA Collegiate National team that won the European Global Challenge in Croatia, Higa has coached some of the nation’s top amateur players.
Last year, UC Riverside finished 10th in the Big West with a 5-13 record for the second consecutive season. The Highlanders are 61-325 against the Big West since 2001.
“I can tell immediately that there is a hunger to learn, grow and achieve here that is undeniable,” Higa said. “We have a group of incredible people here and I look forward to the process of becoming the best we can be together – for the program, the City of Riverside and for the Inland Empire.”
Higa replaces Nicky Cannon, who resigned in February after three seasons and a 20-70 overall record.
Born in Lancaster, Higa was the 1994 California Junior College most outstanding player at L.A. Pierce College and played collegiately for three seasons at Pepperdine University where he was part of the Waves team that ended the 1997 season ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division I.
He earned degrees in international studies and public relations from Pepperdine before serving as coordinator of its international program and as an assistant director of the office of international student services.
Prior to his time at CBU, Higa was an assistant coach for three years at Mississippi State where he was in charge of opponent scouting and recruiting.
His career also includes stints as an assistant coach at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. (2005), and Loyola Marymount (2006-07), and as a head coach at West L.A. College (2008).
RCC POSTS FOOTBALL JOB
Riverside City College is officially looking for its next football coach.
More than three months after the retirement of Tom Craft, RCC posted the opening for a new director of football operations/head coach on the California Community Colleges jobs website.
The position’s salary is $155,148-$188,891 and applicants are required to hold a master’s degree and have experience as a college and/or professional player or coach.
Craft retired following the Tigers’ 37-35 loss at Mt. San Antonio College in the SoCal Regional final on Dec. 7. He was 146-22 and made 14 postseason appearances in 14 seasons in Riverside.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Two local college coaching icons will be inducted in this year’s Riverside Sport Hall of Fame class.
Craft, who guided RCC to the 2019 and 2023 state and national junior college football titles, tops a group that will be inducted at California Baptist University’s Fowler Events Center on Monday, May 5.
Former UC Riverside baseball coach Doug Smith also will be inducted. Smith coached the Highlanders for more than 35 years and helped the program claim its first Big West title and reach the NCAA Tournament in 2007.
JUCO BASEBALL UPDATE
Chaffey College’s baseball team, the three-time defending Inland Empire Athletic Conference champions, will host Golden West College in a 3C2A SoCal Regional best-of-three first round series beginning Friday at 2 p.m.
The eighth-seeded Panthers (30-9-1 overall) have won 12 of their last 13 games and are 17-3-1 at home this season.
Riverside City College, the five-time state champion, returns to the playoffs after missing last season. The Tigers (28-12) finished second in the Orange Empire Conference, and play host to Antelope Valley College in a best-of-three series beginning Friday at 2 p.m.
ODDS & ENDS
UC Riverside’s baseball team finished the three-game sweep of CBU in this year’s Crosstown Showdown series with a 6-4 victory at the Riverside Sports Complex on Monday, April 28. … Cal State San Bernardino senior infielder Tereise Tosi has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association softball player of the year for the second consecutive season. Tosi led the conference in batting average (.467), hits (79), home runs (14) and RBIs (47) and leads NCAA Division II in hits and total bases (139). … Cal State San Bernardino golfer Tyler Price (Yucaipa High) was named the CCAA freshman of the year. … Victoria Club in Riverside will host the NCAA West/South Central Regional tournament on May 8-10.
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