McCutcheon reflects on time at UCSB as he gets ready to retire as Gauchos Director of Athletics
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Facility improvements and the hiring of Joe Pasternack highlight John McCutcheon's time as UCSB Director of Athletics.
As KEYT NewsChannel was first to report last week McCutcheon will retire on December 31, 2021 and Kelly Barsky will be named interim athletic director.
McCutcheon was hired by UCSB in January of 2015 and he made facility upgrades and winning as priorities.
The Thunderdome now has chair backs, a state-of-the-art video board and an improved practice court.
Caesar Uyesaka Stadium finally has lights and the 5.25 million dollar Arnhold Tennis Center will have its grand opening early next year.
UCSB also hosted the College Cup in men's soccer at Harder Stadium in 2018.
McCutcheon hired Joe Pasternack to take over the UCSB men's basketball program in the spring of 2017.
Pasternack has delivered four consecutive 20-win seasons and last season the Gauchos won the Big West regular season and conference tournament titles advancing to their first NCAA Tournament since 2011.
McCutcheon also hired head coach Bonnie Henrickson for women's basketball and the program appears to be headed in the right direction after several down seasons before Henrickson arrived.
McCutcheon said his greatest Gauchos moment came on the baseball field in 2016 when Sam Cohen belted a grand slam in the NCAA Super Regionals to send UCSB to their first ever College Baseball World Series appearance.
That was one of four postseason appearances for the Gauchos baseball team since 2015.
UCSB men's soccer made the Elite Eight in 2019 and went to to the NCAA Tournament three times during McCutcheon's tenure including this season.
Both Gauchos tennis programs are thriving.
Men's tennis has won six consecutive Big West titles and they won the program's first NCAA Tournament match in 2019.
UCSB men's volleyball won the Big West in 2021 and advanced to the NCAA semifinals.
The Gauchos women's volleyball team won an NCAA Tournament game in 2019 and won over 20 games this year.
Water polo, swimming and track and field continued to thrive during McCutcheon's time at UCSB.
Before UCSB, McCutcheon was the athletic director at UMass and at Cal Poly.
He has been in collegiate athletic administration for 45 years and at age 69 McCutcheon said he is ready to retire.
He plans on staying on the Central Coast.
