AD appointment actually a homecoming

Daniel Guerrero

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Daniel Guerrero was named Thursday as successor to UCLA athletics director Peter Dalis, a position he will assume on July 1.

A former Bruin baseball player, Guerrero has served as UC Irvine’s athletics director for the past ten years, where he was prodigious in fund-raising efforts, improved the athletic and academic success of the student-athletes, and heightened student involvement. Before UC Irvine, he held the same position at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Guerrero will be formally introduced as the new athletics director in a press conference today at noon.

“Having the chance to return to my alma mater and lead such a prestigious athletic program are the reasons I embrace the opportunity,” Guerrero said in a statement.

The search for a new athletics director at UCLA began last November when Dalis announced his retirement after 19 years in the job.

“I am very excited to have Dan Guerrero joining us here at UCLA,” Chancellor Albert Carnesale said. “He will be a valuable addition to the UCLA family. His track record speaks for itself.”

Guerrero agreed to a five-year contract with an annual salary of $235,000, pending approval by the Regents of the University of California. Carnesale said Guerrero was the first candidate who was offered the position.

The other two finalists for the position were Gene Bleymaier, the athletics director at Boise State, and Betsy Stephenson, an associate athletics director at UCLA.

“Obviously it’s a position that I sought and would’ve liked to have had,” Stephenson said. “That’s not the way it worked out and I’m a loyal member of the UCLA family and will focus on the future and move on.”

Stephenson had not spoken with Guerrero as of late Thursday, while Bleymaier could not be reached for comment.

Guerrero addressed his staff at UCI late Thursday afternoon. According to track and cross country head coach Vince O’Boyle, Guerrero said his job at UCI was done and it was time for him to move on.

“I think he’s going to do a great job,” said O’Boyle, who has been at UCI for 20 years. “And I wouldn’t be just saying that. I’m pretty vocal. If I didn’t think that, I would tell you.”

“I’d love to tell you that he did all sorts of horrible things to keep him here,” UCI women’s water polo head coach Julie Swail said. “But unfortunately none of us here at UCI can say that.”

At UCI, Guerrero made strides to achieve compliance with Title IX, adding the sports of women’s water polo, women’s golf and women’s indoor track. He also re-introduced the baseball program and helped move the basketball program into prominence.

He was also the driving force behind $38 million of newly constructed or renovated facilities – including the Anteater Recreation Center.

One possible drawback to Guerrero’s hiring is the fact he has never been in charge of a football program. So is UCLA head coach Bob Toledo worried about this fact?

“Not really, because he’s not going to call any plays,” Toledo said. “An athletics director hires a football coach to run the football program, and he’s there to give me the resources to get my job done and be positive about it. So I think he’ll do great.”

When asked whether race played any role in the hiring of Guerrero, who is Latino, Toledo said: “It’s like me getting the head job. I wasn’t hired because I’m Latino. I was hired because I’m a good football coach, and it’s the same with him. He wasn’t hired because of his ethnic background. He was hired because he’s the best candidate and being Latino is nice, we both are.”

Next for the UCLA athletic department is a month-long effort to secure a smooth transition from the Dalis to the Guerrero era.

Toledo even suggested a way to break the ice.

“We’ll make tacos together,” he said, with a laugh.

Reports from J.P. Hoornstra and Scott Schultz, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.