Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga Bulldogs
University Gonzaga University
Conference West Coast Conference
NCAA Division I
Athletic director Mike Roth
Location Spokane, Washington
Varsity teams 16
Basketball arena McCarthey Athletic Center
Baseball stadium Washington Trust Field and Patterson Baseball Complex
Mascot Spike the Bulldog
Nickname Bulldogs (official) / Zags
Fight song Go, Gonzaga![1]
Colors Navy blue, White, and Red[2]
              
Website www.gozags.com

The Gonzaga Bulldogs (also known unofficially as the Zags) are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Gonzaga is a member of the West Coast Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I.

History

Gonzaga University was founded in 1887 by Fr. Joseph Cataldo, a Sicilian-born priest. At one time, Gonzaga went by the nickname of Fighting Irish in the 1910s to early 1920s. This name was dropped in 1921 favor of the current "Bulldogs" mascot. Although the school's official mascot is a bulldog, fans and media have long used "Zags" as an alternate nickname.[3]

Gonzaga was an NAIA school from 1947 to 1957, when they moved to the NCAA as an independent. They were a charter member of the Big Sky Conference in 1963, the only one of the six without a football program.[4] In 1979, GU moved over to the West Coast Athletic Conference and the Big Sky added Nevada,[5] now in the Mountain West Conference. The WCAC was shortened to today's WCC in 1989.[6][7][8]

Teams

Gonzaga University sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[9]

Men's basketball

Men's basketball has been the most successful sport for the Bulldogs. Gonzaga home games have been played at the McCarthey Athletic Center since 2004. The Bulldogs opened the arena with a 38-game win streak, the longest at the time in the NCAA, eventually snapped in February 2007 by the Santa Clara Broncos.

The Bulldogs have established a reputation as one of the stronger teams in college basketball, having played in fifteen consecutive NCAA tournaments and ascending to the #1 ranking in both major polls during the 2012–13 season. They are generally reckoned as one of the closest things to a major basketball power in a mid-major conference.

Notable alumni of Gonzaga basketball include hall of famer John Stockton, Dan Dickau, Adam Morrison, Robert Sacre, Kelly Olynyk, Richie Frahm, J. P. Batista, Paul Rogers, Blake Stepp, Ronny Turiaf, and Austin Daye.

Baseball

Men's soccer

Former teams

Football

Gonzaga last fielded a varsity football team 75 years ago in 1941.[10][11] From 1892–1941 (excluding having no teams from 1894–1895 & 1900–1906), Gonzaga went 129–99–20.

Head coaches

Source:[28]

Boxing

The university had a strong boxing program and shared the national title with Idaho in 1950.[29] Gonzaga dropped the sport in 1952,[30] Idaho in 1954, and the NCAA in 1960.[31] Football star Canadeo boxed during his senior year in 1941 at 175 lb (79 kg)[32] and was named team captain.[33][34]

References

  1. ↑ "Gonzaga Develops, Adopts a Fitting Fight Song". Gonzaga University News Service. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Color Palette". Gonzaga University. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  3. ↑ May, Danny (February 12, 1960). "Zags beat Bobcats; Frank breaks mark". Spokesman-Review. p. 14.
  4. ↑ "Jack Friel named Big Sky executive". Spokesman-Review. June 8, 1963. p. 8.
  5. ↑ "Nevada-Reno added to Big Sky". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 26, 1979. p. 5B.
  6. ↑ "Transactions: College". Times Daily. Florence, AL. Associated Press. July 14, 1989. p. 2B.
  7. ↑ "WCAC shortens its name to West Coast Conference". Spokane Chronicle. July 14, 1989. p. B5.
  8. ↑ West Coast Conference Official Athletics Site – On Campus. Wccsports.cstv.com (July 1, 2011).
  9. ↑ "GoZags.com – Gonzaga University Official Athletic Site". Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Kennedy scores on Gonzaga as Cougars romp through to lopsided victory". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 24, 1941. p. 12.
  11. ↑ "Gonzaga Bulldogs". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Gonzaga seeks mentor to succeed Gus Dorais". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 3, 1925. p. 16.
  13. ↑ "Gonzaga coach to be Detroit mentor". The Evening Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Associated Press. February 4, 1925. p. 8.
  14. 1 2 Thorpe, Ellsworth (September 11, 1933). "Famous gridiron men developed at Gonzaga". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 10.
  15. ↑ "Clipper Smith works his outfit overtime". Spokane Daily Chronicle. October 28, 1925. p. 18.
  16. ↑ "Clipper Smith may change job". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 18, 1929. p. 1.
  17. ↑ "Clipper Smith heading south". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 30, 1929. p. 14.
  18. ↑ "Mathews leaves post at Gonzaga". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 26, 1930. p. 1, sports.
  19. ↑ Missildine, Harry (January 27, 1976). "Flaherty named to pro grid hall". Spokesman-Review. p. 11.
  20. ↑ "Ray Flaherty, Gonzaga coach". Spokesman-Review. May 4, 1930. p. 1, sports.
  21. ↑ "Gonzaga coach ready for work". Spokesman-Review. August 18, 1930. p. 10.
  22. ↑ "Eight football games on Gonzaga's 1931 grid schedule; new coach arrives". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 23, 1931. p. 14.
  23. ↑ "Mike Pecarovich goes to Loyola". Spokesman-Review. February 4, 1939. p. 14.
  24. ↑ "Unofficial word says Hunton will be dismissed at Gonzaga". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 8, 1942. p. 17.
  25. ↑ "Gonzaga selects John Hunton to handle university football coach job". Spokesman-Review. March 7, 1939. p. 12.
  26. ↑ "Puggy Hunton will continue as head man of the Gonzaga University football machine". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 15, 1939. p. 15.
  27. ↑ Stark, C.R., Jr. (September 8, 1943). "Gonzaga squad may be formed". Spokesman-Review. p. 9.
  28. ↑ "Gonzaga: coaching records". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  29. ↑ "The bond was boxing". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Associated Press. March 16, 1999. p. 1B.
  30. ↑ "Gonzaga drops mitt sport; may resume in the future". Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 20, 1952. p. 17.
  31. ↑ Kershner, Jim (March 15, 1999). "Crowning the kings of swing". Spokesman-Review. p. A1.
  32. ↑ "Canadeo makes ring debut soon; to captain Bulldogs". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 5, 1941. p. 15.
  33. ↑ "Canadeo shows boxing promise". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 14, 1941. p. 12.
  34. ↑ "Gonzaga opens boxing season December 12". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 5, 1941. p. 11.

External links

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