This summer we'll be featuring various coaches from our 23 teams in a Q&A format on UCSDTritons.com as well as our social media accounts.
Eric Olen enters his 10th season as head coach of the UC San Diego men's basketball program in 2022-23, the team’s third season competing in NCAA Division I.
Over his nine years as head coach, Olen has transformed the program, guiding the Tritons into their Division I transition with victories over three of the Big West Conference opponents UC San Diego faced in its debut Division I campaign. In the team's second Division I season, the Tritons strung together 13 victories, including a season-opening win at Cal -- UC San Diego's first triumph over a Pac-12 opponent. The Tritons won seven games against Big West opponents.
In Division II, Olen led the Tritons to three California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season titles, four consecutive CCAA tournament crowns over seven seasons. In Division II, he posted a 159-56 (.740) overall record with a 110-40 (.733) mark in CCAA play.
In 2019-20, Olen was named NABC West Region Coach of the Year for the first time after leading the Tritons to a 30-1 record and the top seed in the NCAA West Region. Ranked fourth nationally by the NABC in Division II, UC San Diego won 22 consecutive games to end the season. Posting a 21-1 mark in conference play, the Tritons captured their second straight CCAA regular season and fourth straight CCAA Tournament title. In addition, the Tritons were 16-0 away from home, including a perfect 14-0 mark in true road games. Along the way, Olen became the fastest UC San Diego head coach to reach 150 career wins, and his .740 winning percentage is the best in program annals. He was recognized as the CCAA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career.
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Any exciting summer plans?
We spent a couple days at Disneyland. At least it was exciting for the kids.
What's one skill/talent you wish you had or would like to learn?
I'd love to be a world-class chef.
What are three words you would use to describe your team culture?
Competitive, Resilient, Unselfish.
What has stood out most during the transition to Division I competition?
The people in the room are the most important thing. You can change the opponents, the venues, the schedule or any other external factors but as long we have great people in our locker room we can do special things.
