Golden West Co-Coach Dave Stricklin Leaves

Dave Stricklin, co-coach of the Golden West College women’s basketball team the last eight years, has accepted a teaching and head coaching position at Umpqua College in Roseburg, Ore., a Golden West spokesman announced Friday.

Stricklin, who with his father, Dick, has a record of 259-27 (.906) in guiding Golden West to the State tournament in each of the last eight seasons. The Rustlers advanced to the semifinals seven times and the championship game three times, winning unprecedented back-to-back State championships in 1990 and ’91.

Last year, Golden West was 33-5 and won its fifth consecutive Orange Empire Conference title before losing to Los Angeles Harbor in the State title game.

“I’m excited about going, but I’m not excited about leaving,” Dave Stricklin, 35, said in a release. “I have had the opportunity to be in kind of a special situation the last several years working with my dad and I will really miss that.”

Golden West also announced that Elizabeth Sirchia, a Kodak All-American who led the Rustlers to their consecutive State titles, will rejoin the school’s program, replacing Dave Stricklin as assistant coach.

Sirchia, who was a two-time All-State and all-conference selection at Golden West, transferred to Hawaii, where she was a member of the Rainbow Wahine team that finished 25-7 and second in the Women’s NIT. She later transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, where she played this season and was a first-team All-California College Athletic Assn. selection.

She will work with the Rustlers’ guards and defense and be involved with recruiting.