When Petrina Long replaces Betsy Stephenson as an associate
athletic director and the senior women’s administrator at
UCLA this month, she is confident there won’t be a steep
learning curve to her new job.
After all, she has held the very same position at UC Irvine
since 1993, and is a product of the University of California
system, having earned her undergraduate degree at Berkeley.
“You always beat (Cal) in football so it’ll be fun
to be on this side of it now,” Long said.
While Long will work with all of UCLA’s sports programs,
she will directly oversee five: women’s basketball,
men’s and women’s volleyball, softball and gymnastics.
Additionally, Long will supervise academic services, something she
was doing at Cal as a student, when she tutored
student-athletes.
Long said she will take a hands-on approach to her job and looks
to work closely with players and coaches to ensure student-athletes
and coaches have everything they need to excel on and off the
field. She is also prepared to cope with the effects the California
budget crisis may have on UCLA.
“I believe UCLA has outstanding people in place (in the
athletic department), and it takes all of us coming together in
terms of being creative and working with a vision,” Long
said. “We will work very well with the entire campus. People
who are committed can solve most challenges and we will work to
bring the best out in one another.”
Long also has a great deal of experience with a key member of
UCLA’s current staff ““ Athletic Director Dan Guerrero,
who hired Long at UCI. Guerrero and Long worked together until
Guerrero left UCI for UCLA in 2002, and Long acted as UCI’s
interim athletic director.
Another person who has seen Long in action is UCI men’s
volleyball coach John Speraw, who is a former UCLA men’s
volleyball player and assistant coach.
“I think she’s exceptional at what she does,”
Speraw said. “She has a perfect balance of providing support
and going out of her way to make sure I have had what I needed,
especially my first two years as a head coach making the transition
from UCLA.
“She also blended the perfect balance of making sure I did
the administrative tasks, which no coach is a fan of, and making me
feel comfortable in my position.”
While Long has yet to meet the coaches she will be working with,
she has met with Stephenson, who is leaving UCLA to work as the
director of athletics and recreation at Emory University.
“Betsy has done an excellent job and she set very high
standards and she leaves big shoes to fill,” Long said.
“I respect what she has accomplished. There will be a nice
transition between the two of us. She’s been very generous in
that way.”
Stephenson agrees.
“Petrina will do great at UCLA,” she said. “I
think her familiarity with Dan (Guerrero) and his management style
will be a very invaluable asset to UCLA.”
Long looks forward to beginning her tenure at UCLA and hopes to
hit the ground running. Speraw has no doubts that she is a perfect
match for this university.
“She fits exceptionally well at UCLA,” he said.
“She is the type of person who will get along with everyone.
At the heart of her interests is making sure that student-athletes
have a good experience at school. That is a goal of UCI and
certainly of UCLA.”