June 17, 2004

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - April McDivitt has been named an assistant women's basketball coach at UC Santa Barbara, it was announced Thursday by head coach Mark French.

McDivitt, a starting point guard for the Gauchos during the 2003-04 season, will begin her tenure on June 21. She fills a void on the staff left by the departure of associate head coach Cori Close, who accepted a similar position at Florida State in May.

"April is well beyond her years in terms of knowledge of the game. She is a great teacher, and the main thing I was looking for in this coaching search was somebody who can develop players," French said. "I also believe April will be a tremendous recruiter, since she has seen how it works at the highest level. Lastly, I love having former Gauchos on my staff, and April is very passionate about her experience as a Gaucho."

In her only season at UCSB, McDivitt earned honorable mention All-Big West Conference accolades after ranking fourth in the league at 4.39 assists per game while also averaging 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Her 53 total three-pointers were the seventh-most ever by a Gaucho in a single season. In her final game as a collegian, the Connersville, Ind., native poured in a career-high 20 points as Santa Barbara lost a narrow 63-55 decision to eventual National Champion Connecticut in the NCAA East Regional Semifinals. UCSB finished last season with a 27-7 overall record and No. 19 national ranking after advancing to its first-ever Sweet 16.

McDivitt redshirted the 2002-03 campaign with the Gauchos following three years at Tennessee, helping the Lady Vols reach the NCAA Final Four in both 2000 and 2002. She ranks among the top-10 players in UT history in three-point field goals made as well as shooting percentage from beyond the arc. While at Tennessee McDivitt was a two-time Southeastern Conference All-Academic honoree, and earned similar acclaim from the Big West in 2003-04.

In addition to her playing experience, McDivitt has served as an instructor at youth summer camps around the country for the past five years, including UCSB's Elite Camp. The 1999 Miss Indiana Basketball also conducts private lessons for serious players aged 11 through 18, and completed an internship with Santa Barbara-based Titan Sports Performance.

Most recently, McDivitt joined the WNBA's New York Liberty as a free agent, playing in a number of preseason games before being waived in early May. Last week she graduated from UCSB with a degree in psychology.

"I am very excited to have the opportunity to carry on the Gaucho tradition as a coach, and help the team reach even higher levels of success," McDivitt said. "I am in a very unique position in that can serve as a bridge between player and coaching staff. It will be great to give back to a program that has already given me so much."

The UCSB coaching staff also includes assistants Tasha McDowell and Carter Shaw, entering their fourth and third years in Santa Barbara, respectively. They have both taken on additional responsibilities within the program following Close's departure.