Joe Hash named new West Hills Coalinga Associate Dean of Athletics

COALINGA - Joe Hash has been named West Hills College Coalinga's new Associate Dean of Athletics. Hash, who comes to Coalinga from College of the Redwoods in Eureka, began in his position prior to the start of the 2020 fall semester.

Hash oversaw the athletic department at College of the Redwoods for 16 years as athletic director and dean. He also held positions of Dean of Students and Counseling/Advising as well as Vice President of Student Development just prior to his arrival at West Hills.

"I'm glad to be a Falcon!" said Hash. "I've spent the last few years in administration at Redwoods, though I did have oversight of athletics and served on the CCCAA Board, I was out of athletics on a day-to-day basis. It's great to now be back in athletics day-to-day at a school with a strong athletic tradition. My wife Marina and I love Coalinga and the community centeredness of everyone in town."

Hash brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership experience to the Coalinga campus. One of his greatest achievements while at Redwoods was the development of the community-oriented Redwoods Dinner and Sports Auction in 2004. The annual fundraising event averages around $100,000 in revenue that directly support sports teams and its student-athletes.

The success of his student-athletes off the field is just as important. In 2015, Hash implemented the Cap and Gown program that was comprised of mandatory supervised tutoring for all student-athletes. The program resulted in a first-year increase in every team's combined grade point average. He also helped create the Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll in the fall of 2004 as an incentive for student-athlete academic success. The first honor roll class had 46 student-athletes and continued to grow to over 70 by the fall semester of 2016.

Now at West Hills, Hash hopes to transfers some of those initiates in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

"While these are difficult times for everyone, the staff, faculty and administration at WHCC strive to serve students and prioritize student success," he said. "As for goals, the first is to attempt to deliver as much of a great athletic experience for our student athletes in these trying times.

"We'd also like to grow the opportunities to participate in intercollegiate athletics at WHCC, especially for women," Hash continued. "We will be looking into a number of sport options."

While at Redwoods, Hash was instrumental in adding the sports of women's soccer, men's soccer and women's beach volleyball to the athletic program. He also successfully reinstated the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs that were previously dropped as intercollegiate sports at the college.

Prior to Redwoods, Hash held athletic director positions at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. (1998-2001), Holy Names University in Oakland (1994-98), the Naval Air Station in Oakland (1989-94), and at St. Mary's High School in Medford, Ore. (1987-89). While at Holy Names, Hash was named the 1997-98 California Pacific Conference Men's Athletic Director of the Year.

Hash is also an experienced coach in men's basketball (1991-95) and cross country (1997-98) after holding head coaching positions at Holy Names. In 1997, he was honored as the California Pacific Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Hash is a graduate of Humboldt State University, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies (recreation administration) while minoring in business administration. He went on to receive his master's degree from Humboldt State in physical education.

(Chris Ruiz, Central Valley Conference)