Legends of the 'Dome
For over 30 years, from the mythic men's basketball teams that slayed the UNLV powerhouses of the late 80's and 90's; to women's Gaucho hoops teams that excited a community and a campus, owned a conference, and produced WNBA players; to a volleyball program that for 26 years was one of just three teams in the nation to make the NCAA Tournament every year, the Thunderdome has housed some of the best players and teams to ever make their imprint at UCSB.
The name is also legendary - the Thunderdome. The loud, passionate fans, clad in gold t-shirts, scared the competition away and baptized it as such. The Thunderdome is not a place of sanction.
To immortalize the Gaucho athletes that consistently turned in legendary performances inside of a legendary building, UCSB Athletics implemented its Legends of the 'Dome program in 2009. Each year, fans will be asked to vote for the next Legend or Legends to be raised in tribute.
In 2009-10 the inaugural Legends class was introduced: Mark French and Barb Beainy (women's basketball), Brian Shaw and Carrick DeHart (men's basketball), and Roberta Gehlke (women's volleyball).
In 2010-11, three more Legends were added to the list.
Kathy Gregory, UCSB's only head women's volleyball coach, led the charge as her banner was raised on Oct. 1. To cap off the night, the Gauchos came back from two sets down to defeat 21st-ranked Long Beach State in five sets! Men's basketball legend Eric "Freeze" McArthur was introduced February 16 and women's basketball great Kristen Mann's banner was unveiled February 24.
|
Barb Beainy Sport: Women's Basketball Position: Guard/Forward Years: 1988-92 Hometown: Hillsborough, Calif. Unveiled: February 27, 2010 |
A member of the UCSB Athletics Hall of Fame
- Led the Gauchos to their first Big West title as a senior
- Guided UCSB to its first two NCAA Tournament appearances
- Named UCSB's first Big West Player of the Year in 1992
- A two-time All-Big West Conference selection
- Her 1,519 career points ranked second in school history when she graduated
- Found on UCSB career top tens lists for points, assists, free throws made, free throw percentage, and scoring average
|
Carrick DeHart Sport: Men's Basketball Position: Guard Years: 1986-90 Hometown: Inglewood, Calif. Unveiled: January 23, 2010 |
Scored 1,687 career points, a record that stood for 18 years,
still ranks second in UCSB history
- Ranks among the school's top-10 in 10 statistical categories
- Named Big West Freshman of the Year in 1987
- A three-time All-Big West selection
- Named an All-American in 1990
- Led the 1988 and 1990 Gauchos into the NCAA Tournament
- In 1990, after helping UCSB to an NCAA first round victory over Houston, led the team with 23 points in the second round against Big 10 Champion Michigan State.
- In 1990, scored a game-high 24 points with an injured ankle against top-ranked UNLV. The Gauchos beat the eventual national champions 78-70, the Runnin' Rebels' only loss over a 55-game stretch.
|
Mark French Sport: Women's Basketball Coach Years: 1987-2008 Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif. Unveiled: February 11, 2010 |
Retired in 2008 after leading the Gauchos for 21 seasons •
Compiled a 438-200 overall record while at UCSB
- His 438 wins are more than all other UCSB women's basketball coaches had combined
- His .687 winning percentage is the highest in the program's coaching history
- A seven-time Big West Coach of the Year selection
- UCSB posted a winning record in each of French's last 18 seasons
- Directed the Gauchos to 13 straight postseason appearances prior to retiring
- Led the team to 12 Big West Conference titles
- UCSB advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2004
- Gauchos posted seven wins in NCAA Tournament games under French
- Coached four All-Americans, seven Big West Players of the Year, and 58 All-Big West honorees
- Of UCSB's 22 1,000-point scorers, French coached 19 of them
|
Roberta Gehlke Sport: Women's Volleyball Position: Outside Hitter Years: 1996-99 Hometown: Huntington Beach, Calif. Unveiled: October 17, 2009 |
Three-time All-American
- Four-time All-Big West First Team selection
- AVCA All-District pick all four years
- Named the 1999 Big West Player of the Year (first Gaucho to earn that title)
- UCSB's all-time leader in career kills (2,153)
- UCSB's all-time leader in career attack attempts (5,535)
- UCSB's all-time leader in career kill average (4.67 per set)
- Second on UCSB's career digs list (1,619)
- Holds UCSB's single season record for kill average (5.35 in 1999)
- Holds UCSB's single match record for kills (38 v. Long Beach State, 9/30/99)
- Holds UCSB's single match record for attack attempts (98 v. Long Beach State, 9/30/99)
- Propelled the Gauchos to four straight NCAA Tournament berths
- Helped UCSB advance to the Elite 8 in 1997 and again in 1998
- Led the Gauchos to a Sweet 16 appearance in 1999
- UCSB went 112-26 during Gehlke's career
|
Kathy Gregory Sport: Women's Volleyball Coach Years: 1975-present Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif. Unveiled: Oct. 1, 2010 |
Just the third woman enshrined into the Volleyball Hall of Fame on
October 21, 1989 • Became the 12th woman inducted into the
USVBA's Hall of Fame in 1997
- Currently in her 36th season as the only head coach UCSB women's volleyball has known
- The fourth-winningest active coach in the NCAA
- One of just five coaches to amass over 800 wins and coach in over 1,200 matches
- Has led the Gauchos to 27 NCAA Tournament appearances in the 29 seasons it has existed
- The 1993 NCAA National Coach of the Year
- A four-time AVCA West Region Coach of the Year
- A seven-time Big West Coach of the Year
- Her teams have finished in the top-25 on 27 different occasions
- As a player, was named Women's Beach Tournament Player of the Year five times
- The "Queen of the Beach" captured two world championships
- Named to the USVBA's All-Era Team from 1949-79
|
Brian Shaw Sport: Men's Basketball Position: Guard Years: 1986-88 Hometown: Richmond, Calif. Unveiled: February 13, 2010 |
An All-American selection in 1988
- An All-District pick in 1988
- Named the 1988 Big West Player of the Year
- A two-time All-Big West player
- Helped the Gauchos to a school-record 22 victories in 1988
- UCSB earned its first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 1988
- The only player in Big West history to lead the league in rebounding and assists in the same season
- In 1988, he led UCSB to two wins over UNLV. The Gauchos' win in Las Vegas ended the Runnin' Rebels' home winning streak at 28 games.
- The only player in school history to record a triple-double, doing so five times
- In a 96-78 win over 5th-ranked North Carolina State in 1987, he had 22 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals
- Won a World Championship gold medal with Team USA in 1986
- A first round draft pick of the Boston Celtics
- As a member of the Miami Heat, he made a then-NBA record 10 three-pointers in a game
- His final four seasons as an active NBA player were spent with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won three NBA Championships
- Currently a member of the Lakers' coaching staff
| Eric "Freeze" McArthur Sport: Men's Basketball Position: Forward Years: 1986-90 Hometown: South Pasadena, CA Unveiled: February 16, 2011 |
School's all-time leader in rebounds with 904
- At just 6-6, he is the all-time leader in blocked shots with 249 -- 95 more than next closest player
- Named All-America in 1990
- Set a school-record with 28 rebounds against New Mexico State on Jan. 11, 1990.
- Helped the Gauchos to a school-record 22 victories in 1988
- Led UCSB to NCAA Tournament in 1988 and 1990.
- In an NCAA first round game against Houston in 1990, McArthur led his team to a 70-66 win when he had 20 points, 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and four steals.
- In 1988, he led UCSB to two wins over UNLV. The Gauchos' win in Las Vegas ended the Runnin' Rebels' home winning streak at 28 games.
|
Kristen Mann Sport: Women's Basketball Position: Forward Years: 1986-88 Hometown: Santa Ana, Calif. Unveiled: February 24, 2011 |
Three-time All-America selection
- Led Gauchos to Sweet 16 appearance in 2004.
- Three-time First Team All-Big West pick.
- 2005 Big West Player of the Year.
- 2005 Big West Tournament MVP.
- 2001 Big West Freshman of the Year
- Ranks third in school history with 1700 career points.
- Played five seasons in WNBA (Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics) before continuing her professional career in France.