Mary
Hegarty takes over at The Beach
By Todd Leland
On-line Forty-Niner
 Long
Beach State ushered in a new era for the
women’s basketball team Friday as Mary Hegarty,
head coach at Chapman University, was signed
to coach the 49ers.
“Mary Hegarty brings both the expertise
and the passion to this position that is
required to return our program to an elite
level,” Athletic Director Bill Shumard said.
“She is an excellent teacher with a natural
instinct for the game. Our student-athletes
will benefit greatly from her leadership.”
Hegarty’s leadership helped her take Chapman
University women’s basketball to the next
level. In her 10-year head coaching stint
at Chapman, Hegarty compiled an overall
record of 160-92 (.635) and took her teams
to the NCAA tournament four times.
In her best year at Chapman, 2001-02, Hegarty
led the Panthers to a 23-5 overall record.
That same year the Panthers advanced to
the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and
finished the season ranked 23rd in the nation.
At Chapman Hegarty coached five regional
All-Americans and one Josten’s Trophy Player
of the Year candidate. During Hegarty’s
tenure Chapman also garnered academic accolades,
earning six academic all-district awards
and was consistently ranked in the WBCA
Academic Top 25.
Hegarty’s success in coaching has carried
over from her days as a player. Named one
of UCLA’s 15 greatest players Hegarty is
third all-time in assists (528) and holds
the single-season freshman record for assists
with 240. She was a team captain and helped
lead the Bruins to two NCAA tournament appearances
in her four-year career (1980-84).
Her playing career over, Hegarty was an
undergraduate assistant coach at her alma
mater in 1984-85, then took an assistant
coaching job at UC Santa Barbara. After
two years as a graduate assistant coach
at Humboldt State, Hegarty returned to UCLA
as an assistant coach from 1989 to 1993
where she helped guide the Bruins to two
NCAA tournament appearances.
In her first year at Chapman, 1993-94, she
led a team that had went 2-23 the previous
season to a 7-17 record and over the next
10 years turned Chapman University into
a perennial NCAA tournament contender.
Hegarty takes over a Long Beach State team
that has failed to make the NCAA tournament
the past seven seasons and has put up an
0-20 record against conference powerhouse
UC Santa Barbara in that same span. Hegarty
was signed to a five-year contract.
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