Cal State San Marcos announced Wednesday that former Vista High and Indiana assistant coach Sarah Gustin will be the first head coach of its women's volleyball team, the third start-up sport for which the Cougars have hired a head coach in the last three weeks.
Gustin, a three-time All-Big Ten player at Michigan State before beginning her coaching career as a Vista assistant in 2001, arrives at Cal State San Marcos with the school looking to expand its athletics program and eventually gain NCAA Division II status. The Cougars hired men's basketball coach Jim Saia and women's basketball coach Sheri Jennum late last month. All three sports will begin play during the 2011-12 school year.
Cal State San Marcos will be Gustin's first head coaching assignment after stints as an assistant at Cal Poly, College of Charleston and Indiana. She served as recruiting coordinator at both College of Charleston and Indiana, where she arrived in 2007.
"The goal of every assistant coach is to be a head coach someday, so I'm thrilled to get this opportunity," said Gustin, who graduated from Hesperia High in the high desert. "I'm very excited.
"I'm from Southern California, so this is a perfect opportunity. It's also a very unique opportunity.
"There is a lot of work ahead, but it's rare for a coach to be able to come into a program and run things exactly the way she wants, to design the uniforms, to recruit all new players."
Gustin is an experienced international recruiter. She was an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball Junior National A2 team in 2006 and the USA BIP Global Challenge team that played in Croatia in 2007.
She plans in be in Reno, Nev., for the USA Volleyball Girls Junior Nationals in early July to start recruiting for the Cougars.
"Recruiting is absolutely huge," she said. "I need to go out and start making contacts, letting girls and coaches know we'll have a program at Cal State San Marcos.
"I want to recruit nationally, but I'm very much aware there are great high school programs right here in my backyard. I guarantee, those girls won't be ignored."
Cougars athletic director Tom Seitz said Gustin's recruiting experience was a key factor in her hiring.
"Sarah's extensive recruiting contacts and high energy will be invaluable to starting our new volleyball program," Seitz said. "We're thrilled to have her aboard."
Contact staff writer John Maffei at 760-740-3547.
