Description
This collection contains the historical records of the University of San Diego Athletics Department. Records include administrative
materials, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
Background
Fon Johnson served as the first athletic director and the first basketball coach for the College for Men in 1955. He oversaw
the creation of the football field which was completed in 1955. Gil Kuhn formed the USD Booster Club to help support the football
program and coached the inaugural year of football. Desire for a football program was lackluster, however, and the program
was discontinued in 1961. USD continued to compete in intercollegiate basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf. The athletic
program reintroducing football in 1973 with an anonymous donation of $115,000 also adding soccer around that time. With the
advent of Title IX in 1972, the athletics program grew to include female sports. Wendy Gilchrist competed in Tennis in 1971,
and Terry Fowler competed as the first female swimmer in 1973. In 1978, the athletics program began moving from NCAA Division
III to NCAA Division I, with the exception of the football program which remained Division III until 1993.