(Santa Ana, CA) – Santa Ana College (SAC) has announced Mary Hegarty as its new Athletic Director. Hegarty will serve within the Athletics and Kinesiology Department at SAC, and be responsible for the entire intercollegiate athletics program, as well as department personnel and student athletes. She will additionally represent SAC within the California Community College Athletic Association.
Hegarty most recently spent five years as the Athletic Coordinator for Long Beach City College (LBCC) where she coordinated the Student Athlete Success Center and all academic support for student athletes, provided personal development workshops to students, managed 18 intercollegiate sports and served as the assistant athletic director.
Hegarty has a strong background in coaching with over 15 years of experience in women’s basketball. Her first head coaching job was at Chapman University where, during her 10-year stint, she turned the program around by posting nine consecutive winning seasons and an overall record of 160-92.
Following her decade at Chapman, Hegarty moved to Long Beach State where she led the 49ers to their first Big West Conference Championship in 14 years and earned the Big West Coach of the Year award.
Additionally, she coached at Fullerton College and Santa Barbara City College before transitioning to the coordinator position at LBCC.
As a player, Hegarty was named one of the 15 greatest women’s basketball players in UCLA history. In 2015, she was named a recipient of the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for student success on the national level and was accepted into the inaugural Leadership Engagement and Development (LEAD) Academy at LBCC.
Hegarty holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from UCLA and a master's in Physical Education from Humboldt State.
About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Tustin.. Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.
