San Jose State Spartans

The San Jose State Spartans is the name of the athletic teams representing San Jose State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) at the NCAA Division I level. (Football Bowl Subdivision formally known as Division 1-A for football.) The university has participated in athletics since it first fielded a baseball team in 1890.

San Jose State University sports teams have won NCAA titles in track and field, cross country, golf, and boxing. As of 2010, SJSU has won 10 NCAA team championships and produced 52 NCAA Division 1 individual champions. SJSU also has achieved an international reputation for its judo program, winning 45 collegiate judo national championships in 51 years (as of 2012).

SJSU alumni have won 19 Olympic medals (including seven gold medals) dating back to the first gold medal won by Willie Steel in track and field in the 1948 Olympics. Alumni also have won medals in swimming, judo and boxing.

The legendary track team coached by "Bud" Winter earned San Jose the nickname "Speed City," and produced Olympic medalists and social activists Lee Evans, John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Smith and Carlos are perhaps best remembered for giving the raised fist salute from the medalist's podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City.

As of 2010, current head coaches from the women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, men's soccer, and women's soccer programs had all received conference “Coach of the Year” honors.

Current athletics programs
As of 2012, San Jose State University competes at the Division 1 level in each of the following sports:


 * Baseball
 * Basketball (Men)
 * Basketball (Women)
 * Cross Country (Men)
 * Cross Country (Women)
 * Football
 * Golf (Men)
 * Golf (Women)
 * Gymnastics (Women)
 * Soccer (Men)
 * Soccer (Women)
 * Softball
 * Swimming/Diving (Women)
 * Tennis (Women)
 * Volleyball (Women)
 * Water Polo (Women)

On April 6, 2012, the school announced it will field its first women's track and field team starting with the 2013-2014 season.

Nickname and mascot history
Due to the school's original designation as a teachers' college, SJSU's mascot changed many times before the school finally adopted the Spartans as the official mascot and nickname in 1925. Mascots and nicknames prior to 1925 included the Daniels, the Teachers, the Pedagogues, the Normals, and the Normalites.

After 1887, the official name of the San Jose campus was the State Normal School at San José. The school's athletic teams initially played under the "Normal" identity, but they gradually shifted to the State Normal School identity, as evidenced by images of the SNS football and basketball squads from this era. Despite the SNS identity, the school continued to be referred to as the California State Normal School, San José in official publications. A recent historical exhibit in the Martin Luther King Library on the San José State campus featured a number of pieces of State Normal School memorabilia, including a SNS pennant.

Baseball

 * The SJSU baseball team has earned three Western Athletic Conference (WAC) pennants in recent years (1997, 2000 & 2009).


 * In 2000, the SJSU baseball team competed in the College World Series.


 * Under head coach Sam Piraro, the SJSU baseball team reached the 30-win mark 15 times and appeared in the national rankings 47 times.


 * The SJSU baseball team has fielded sixteen All-Americans including four first-team selections.


 * As of 2009, four former Spartans are actively playing Major League Baseball.

Basketball

 * The SJSU men's basketball team has garnered 12 conference titles beginning with a California Coast Conference championship victory in 1925. The Spartans' most recent conference championship victory occurred in 1996 when SJSU defeated Utah State in overtime to win the Big West championship tournament.


 * The SJSU men's basketball team has made three NCAA tournament appearances (1951, 1980 and 1996). SJSU was defeated in the first round all three times.


 * The SJSU men's basketball team has made one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearance (1981), but was defeated in the first round.


 * The SJSU men's basketball team has made one College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournament appearance (2011), but was defeated in the first round.


 * Eleven former SJSU men's basketball players have been drafted into the NBA.

Football


San Jose State first fielded a football team in 1893 and has won 16 conference championships dating back to 1932. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Spartan football program was considered a powerhouse, winning eight conference championships over an 18-year span. The 1932 team finished 7-0-2 and the 1939 team finished 13-0, marking the only undefeated seasons in school history.

San Jose State shares football rivalries with Stanford and Fresno State. The annual game played between Stanford and San Jose State is titled the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, after distinguished SJSU alumnus, the late Mr. Bill Walsh. The Fresno State and San Jose State game is simply known as the Valley Rivalry game.

Additional Football Facts


 * The San Jose State Spartans football team served unexpectedly with the Honolulu Police Department during World War II. The team had just arrived in Honolulu to play the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the Shrine Bowl, but was stranded on the islands after the Pearl Harbor attack.


 * SJSU earned more Big West Conference football championship titles than any other team in the history of the Big West conference.
 * The SJSU football team has made nine bowl appearances. Its most recent bowl appearance occurred in 2012 when the Spartans defeated the Bowling Green Falcons in the Military Bowl.


 * SJSU, the University of Dayton, Eastern Illinois University and the University of Arkansas are the only schools known to have produced two alumni who would go on to serve as head coaches of Super Bowl-winning teams.
 * SJSU has produced over 70 All-America team members, including five first-team selections.
 * SJSU has sent 110 football players to the NFL, including six NFL Pro Bowl selections, six first-round draft picks, two MVP award winners, and one NFL Rookie of the Year.
 * As of the 2010-2011 season, seven former SJSU Spartans are actively playing in the NFL. Among them is SJSU alumnus James Jones, a starting wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers.
 * On November 10, 1955, the SJSU Spartans played the Washington State Cougars in Pullman, Washington before the lowest paid attendance in history: 1.

Golf

 * The SJSU women's golf team has garnered three NCAA championship titles, one NCAA individual champion, 17 conference championship titles, and 37 All-America honors. The team's most recent championship title came in 2011, when the Spartans won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament for the third year in a row.


 * The SJSU men's golf team has garnered one NCAA championship title and two NCAA individual champions.


 * The SJSU men's golf team has garnered 12 Western Intercollegiate tournament team championships and 12 individual Western Intercollegiate championships, thus earning its place as the winningest team in tournament history.


 * The SJSU men's golf team won the the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament championship in 2012.


 * The SJSU men's golf team has produced 26 All-America team members (including four 1st-team members) and seven different PGA tour winners.

Hockey

 * Founded in 1990, the San Jose State men's ice hockey team garnered one PCHA Division ll championship (1992) and four PCHA Division l championship titles (1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997), before withdrawing from the PCHA and becoming an independent American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division ll team in 1998.


 * In 1992, the team went undefeated, finishing the season with a 17-0 record.


 * The team finished 26-1-1 (18-0-1 at home) in 2006, and went undefeated through 42 consecutive home games from 2004-2007.


 * The SJSU hockey team has qualified for the ACHA national championship tournament eight times, finishing as high as 10th in 2010.


 * San Jose State hosted the 2011 ACHA national tournament.

Judo
The San Jose State judo program was established in 1937 for the Police Studies Department. In 1940, sophomore biology major Yosh Uchida was hired as the student-coach. The program was disbanded during World War II, and reestablished in 1946 upon Uchida's return to the college.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Uchida and University of California, Berkeley coach Henry Stone established rules to allow their students to compete with each other, including a weight class system. Uchida and Stone convinced the Amateur Athletic Union to sanction judo as a sport, and San José State hosted the first AAU national championship in 1953.

In 1962, the Spartans won the first National Collegiate Judo Championship. They would continue to dominate the event to the present day, winning their 45th national championship in 2012.

In 2005, alumnus and coach Mike Swain announced the establishment of the Swain Scholarship, the first full athletic scholarship in judo at an American university. In 2008, the SJSU judo program was named one of six National Training Sites by USA Judo.

Notable SJSU Judoka


 * Yosh Uchida, head coach 1964 United States Olympic Judo Team
 * Ben Nighthorse Campbell, gold medalist, 1963 Pan American Games
 * Gerardo Padilla, gold medalist, 1979 and 1983 Pan American Games
 * Bobby Berland, silver medalist, 1984 Olympic Games
 * Kevin Asano, silver medalist, 1988 Olympic Games
 * Mike Swain, bronze medalist, 1988 Olympic Games; gold medalist, 1987 World Championships (first American male to win World Championships); head coach, 1996 U.S. Olympic judo team
 * Joe Wanang, gold medalist, 1991 Pan American Games
 * Marti Malloy, bronze medalist, 2012 Olympic Games

Soccer

 * The Spartans men's soccer team went an undefeated 18-0-1 during the 2000 regular season, finishing with a 20-1-1 overall record. The team concluded the regular season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
 * The Spartans men's soccer team has made a total of 14 NCAA championship appearances.
 * The Spartans men's soccer team won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) championship title in 2000 and 2003.
 * As of 2009, seven Spartans have been taken in the Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft since 1998.
 * The Spartans women's soccer team won the Western Athletic Conference championship title in 2000, 2009 and 2010.

Additional SJSU athletics facts

 * SJSU garnered 17 NCAA boxing championship titles including three consecutive national team titles (1958–1960) before the NCAA banned the sport in 1961.


 * SJSU men's cross country team won the NCAA National championship in 1962 and 1963.


 * In July 2007, SJSU was selected by the United States Olympic Committee to serve as the primary processing center for all Team USA members bound for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. All team members used SJSU campus housing and dining facilities during at least two days of document checks, health exams, cultural briefings, portrait sittings, uniform fittings and last-minute workout sessions. The actual location of the processing center on the SJSU campus was kept secret for security reasons.


 * SJSU softball coach Vicky Galindo won an Olympic silver medal competing with the United States women's national softball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.


 * In April 2009, SJSU student Marc Sanchez was crowned the 132-pound weight class national boxing champion at the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) championships held at the University of Maryland, College Park. He became SJSU's first national boxing champ since the sport was banned by the NCAA in 1961.


 * The SJSU women's water polo team has earned a top-10 postseason national ranking nine out of 12 seasons beginning in 1998, and earned a top-20 postseason national ranking 12 seasons out of 12 from 1998 through 2009.


 * The SJSU women's gymnastics team was named the Western Athletic Conference regular-season champion in 2012.


 * The SJSU women's swimming and diving team won two consecutive WAC championship titles in 2012 and 2013.

Baseball

 * Jeff Ball &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, San Francisco Giants
 * Aaron Bates &mdash; Major League Baseball player, Boston Red Sox
 * Mike Brown &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, California Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates
 * Ken Caminiti &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Houston Astros et al.
 * Anthony Chavez &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, California Angels
 * Chris Codiroli &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Oakland Athletics
 * Kevin Frandsen &mdash; Major League Baseball player, San Francisco Giants
 * Gary Hughes &mdash; former Major League Baseball assistant coach, Chicago Cubs
 * Pat Hughes &mdash; play-by-play radio broadcaster for Chicago Cubs
 * Jason Jimenez &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays
 * Randy Johnson (third baseman) &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Atlanta Braves
 * Brad Kilby &mdash; Major League Baseball player, Oakland Athletics
 * Hal Kolstad &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Boston Red Sox
 * Mark Langston &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Seattle Mariners, California Angels, et al.
 * Larry Lintz &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Montreal Expos et al.
 * John Oldham &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds
 * Sam Piraro &mdash; winningest head baseball coach in SJSU history
 * Jason Simontacchi &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals
 * Anthony Telford &mdash; former Major League Baseball player, Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, et al.
 * Carlos Torres &mdash; Major League Baseball player, Chicago White Sox

Basketball

 * Tariq Abdul-Wahad (Olivier Saint-Jean) &mdash; former NBA player (Sacramento Kings)
 * Ricky Berry &mdash; former NBA player (Sacramento Kings)
 * Bobby Crowe &mdash; former NBA player (Baltimore Bullets)
 * Coby Dietrick &mdash; former NBA player (San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors)
 * Justin Graham &mdash; current professional basketball player overseas
 * Dick Groves &mdash; former NBA player (San Diego Rockets)
 * Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman &mdash; former NBA player (Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets et al.)
 * Ed Hughes &mdash; former BAA player (Washington Capitols)
 * Stu Inman &mdash; former NBA player and coach (Chicago Stags, Portland Trail Blazers, et al.)
 * Chris McNeally &mdash; former NBA player (Kansas City-Omaha Kings)
 * Doug Murrey &mdash; former NBA player (Golden State Warriors)
 * Adrian Oliver &mdash; current professional basketball player overseas
 * Wally Rank &mdash; former NBA player (San Diego Clippers)
 * Sid Williams &mdash; former NBA player (Portland Trail Blazers)
 * C. J. Webster &mdash; current professional basketball player overseas

Football

 * Courtney Anderson &mdash; former NFL tight end, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders
 * Stacey Bailey &mdash; former NFL wide receiver, Atlanta Falcons
 * Kim Bokamper &mdash; former NFL linebacker, Miami Dolphins
 * John Broussard &mdash; NFL wide receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars
 * Gill Byrd &mdash; former NFL defensive back, San Diego Chargers; two NFL Pro Bowl appearances
 * Jim Cadile &mdash; former NFL guard, Chicago Bears
 * Matt Castelo &mdash; former NFL linebacker, Seattle Seahawks; former CFL linebacker, Hamilton Tiger-cats
 * Steve Clarkson &mdash; nationally renowned quarterbacks coach; founder of Steve Clarkson Dreammaker quarterback camp
 * Sherman Cocroft &mdash; former NFL defensive back, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Clarence Cunningham &mdash; former AFL wide receiver, defensive back, running back, and kick returner; former AF2 starter, Stockton Lightning; IFL free safety, Catania Elephants
 * Neal Dahlen &mdash; former SJSU quarterback, NFL manager and scout; holds the record for the most earned Super Bowl rings at seven.
 * Rashied Davis &mdash; NFL wide receiver, Chicago Bears
 * Steve DeBerg &mdash; former NFL quarterback, Dallas Cowboys
 * David Diaz-Infante &mdash; former NFL and CFL offensive guard, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and Sacramento Gold Miners
 * Terry Donahue &mdash; UCLA head football coach; College Football Hall of Fame inductee (attended SJSU for one year)
 * Carl Ekern &mdash; former NFL linebacker, Los Angeles Rams; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance
 * Mervyn Fernandez &mdash;former NFL wide receiver, Los Angeles Raiders
 * Coye Francies &mdash; NFL defensive back, Cleveland Browns
 * Jeff Garcia &mdash; NFL quarterback, San Francisco 49ers et al.; four NFL Pro Bowl appearances; also played in the CFL and UFL
 * Jarron Gilbert - NFL defensive tackle, Chicago Bears
 * Charlie Harraway &mdash; former NFL running back, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns
 * Paul Held &mdash; former NFL quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers
 * Willie Heston &mdash; former SJSU halfback; College Football Hall of Fame inductee (attended SJSU from 1898-1900; graduated from University of Michigan)
 * James Hodgins &mdash; former NFL fullback, Saint Louis Rams et al.
 * Johnny Johnson &mdash; former NFL running back, New York Jets; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance; consensus choice for Rookie of the Year (1990)
 * Cody Jones &mdash; NFL defensive tackle, Los Angeles Rams; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance
 * James Jones &mdash; NFL wide receiver, Green Bay Packers
 * Rick Kane &mdash; former NFL running back, Detroit Lions
 * Bob Ladouceur &mdash; among winningest high school football coaches in U.S. history; coached De La Salle High Spartans to 151 consecutive wins from 1992-2003
 * Bill Leavy &mdash; NFL referee; officiated Super Bowl XL
 * Dwight Lowery &mdash; NFL defensive back, New York Jets and two-time All-American at SJSU
 * Joe Nedney &mdash; NFL kicker, San Francisco 49ers
 * William Yaw Obeng &mdash; Arena Football League lineman, San Jose Sabercats
 * Chris Owens &mdash; NFL defensive back, Atlanta Falcons
 * Tom Petithomme &mdash; former AFL player, San Jose Sabercats
 * Art Powell &mdash; NFL wide receiver, Oakland Raiders; Raiders' 7th all-time leading receiver
 * Waylon Prather &mdash; former NFL punter, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals
 * David Richmond &mdash; former NFL wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
 * Scott Rislov &mdash; AFL quarterback, San Jose Sabercats
 * Al Saunders &mdash; former NFL head coach for the San Diego Chargers
 * Rufus Skillern &mdash; CFL and NFL wide receiver, BC Lions and Baltimore Ravens
 * Gerald Small &mdash; former NFL defensive back, Miami Dolphins
 * Carl Sullivan &mdash; former NFL defensive end, Green Bay Packers
 * Adam Tafralis &mdash; CFL quarterback, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * Tyson Thompson &mdash;NFL kick returner, Dallas Cowboys
 * Bob Titchenal &mdash; former NFL linebacker, Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Dons; one Pro Bowl appearance; former head football coach, University of New Mexico and SJSU
 * Dick Vermeil &mdash; NFL head coach; winning coach, Super Bowl XXXIV
 * Bill Walsh &mdash; NFL head coach; winning coach, Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XIX, and Super Bowl XXIII; Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
 * Gerald Willhite &mdash; former NFL running back, Denver Broncos
 * Billy Wilson &mdash; former NFL receiver, San Francisco 49ers; six NFL Pro Bowl appearances
 * Louis Wright &mdash; former NFL defensive back, Denver Broncos; 1st round NFL draft pick; five NFL Pro Bowl appearances
 * Roy Zimmerman &mdash; former NFL quarterback, Washington Redskins; one Pro Bowl appearance

Golf

 * Dina Ammaccapane &mdash; LPGA golfer
 * Ron Cerrudo &mdash; PGA golfer and tour winner
 * Bob Eastwood &mdash; PGA golfer and tour winner
 * Tracy Hanson &mdash; LPGA golfer
 * Pat Hurst &mdash; LPGA golfer and tour winner; #16 on the all-time LPGA money list
 * Juli Inkster &mdash; LPGA golfer; two-time U.S. Women's Open winner (1999 and 2002); #4 on the all-time LPGA money list
 * Mark Lye &mdash; PGA golfer and tour winner
 * Roger Maltbie &mdash; PGA golfer and tour winner
 * Janice Moodie &mdash; LPGA golfer and tour winner
 * Arron Oberholser – PGA golfer; AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am winner (2006)
 * Patty Sheehan &mdash; LPGA golfer; two-time U.S. Women's Open winner (1992 and 1994)
 * Ken Venturi &mdash; PGA golfer; 1964 U.S. Open winner and Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year"
 * Mark Wiebe &mdash; PGA golfer and tour winner

Olympic Games

 * Kevin Asano &mdash; 1988 Olympian (judo); silver medalist; USA Judo Hall of Fame inductee
 * Charles Adkins &mdash; 1952 Olympian (boxing); gold medalist
 * Bob Berland &mdash; 1984 Olympian (judo); silver medalist
 * Vinnie Bradford &mdash; 1984 Olympian (fencing)
 * Ed Burke &mdash; 1964 and 1968 Olympian (track and field)
 * John Carlos &mdash; 1968 Olympian (track and field - 200 meters); bronze medalist; best known for giving raised fist salute from the medalist's podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City
 * Dedy Cooper &mdash; 1980 Olympian (track and field - 110 meter hurdles)
 * Jim Doehring &mdash; 1992 Olympian (track and field - shot put); silver medalist
 * Lee Evans &mdash; 1968 Olympian (track and field - 4x400 meters and 400 meters); two-time gold medalist and world record holder
 * Jeff Fishback &mdash; 1964 Olympian (track and field)
 * George Haines &mdash; swim coach for seven U.S. Olympic teams; head swim coach at UCLA and Stanford University
 * Steve Hamann &mdash; 1980 Olympian (water polo)
 * Mike Hernandez &mdash; 1972 Olympian (soccer)
 * Mitch Ivey &mdash; 1968 and 1972 Olympian (swimming); silver and bronze medalist
 * Margaret Jenkins &mdash; 1928 Olympian (track and field)
 * Stacey Johnson &mdash; 1980 Olympian (fencing)
 * Marti Malloy &mdash; 2012 Olympian (judo); bronze medalist
 * Keith Nakasone &mdash; 1980 Olympian (judo)
 * Ben Nighthorse Campbell &mdash; 1964 Olympian (judo)
 * Ray Norton &mdash; 1960 Olympian (track and field)
 * Christos Papanikolaou &mdash; 1968 Olympian (track and field - pole vault); world record holder (first man over 18 feet)
 * John Powell &mdash; 1976 and 1984 Olympian (track and field - discus); two-time bronze medalist
 * Ronnie Ray Smith &mdash; 1968 Olympian (track and field athlete - 4x100 meters); gold medalist and world record holder
 * Tommie Smith &mdash; 1968 Olympian (track and field athlete - 200 meters); gold medalist; best known for giving raised fist salute from the medalist's podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games
 * Willie Steele &mdash;1948 Olympian (track and field - long jump); gold medalist
 * Jill Sudduth &mdash; 1996 Olympian (synchronized swimming): gold medalist
 * Mike Swain &mdash; 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992 Olympian (judo); bronze medalist; first American male to win the World Judo Championships, 1996 US Olympic Judo Coach
 * Lynn Vidali &mdash; 1968 and 1972 Olympian (swimming); silver and bronze medalist
 * Jim Zylker &mdash; 1972 Olympian (soccer)

Other

 * C.J. Brown &mdash; MLS soccer player (Chicago Fire)
 * Krazy George Henderson &mdash; professional cheerleader and inventor of the audience wave
 * Ryan Lowe &mdash; ECHL goaltender (Utah Grizzlies)
 * Ernie Reyes, Sr. &mdash; world-renowned martial artist
 * Tony Reyes &mdash; Professional Bowlers Association member; 17th bowler to throw a perfect 300 game on television; PBA tour winner
 * Ryan Suarez &mdash; former MLS soccer player (Los Angeles Galaxy and Dallas Burn)
 * Yoshihiro Uchida &mdash; head coach, SJSU judo team; team coach, 1964 U.S. Olympic judo team; instrumental in developing organized intercollegiate judo competition in the U.S.
 * Peter Ueberroth &mdash; Major League Baseball Commissioner (1984 – 1989); U.S. Olympic Committee chair; Time (magazine) "Man of the Year"