Sierra College opens state-of-the-art gym. What it means for the athletic department
Brandie Murrish was positively beaming on Tuesday night, her eyes as bright as her smile as she soaked in the view and vibes of what surrounded her. She explained the euphoria like this: “It feels like Christmas!”
The longtime Sierra College women’s basketball coach was ecstatic not because she has her powerhouse program in the playoffs for the 32nd consecutive season, a remarkable feat of its own. Her glee is deeper than that, and on this night, it was shared by scores of school faculty, administrators, students and alums, some in their 80s, who squeezed into crammed quarters for an up-close peek of the now merging with the future.
The 60-year old Placer County community college campus in Rocklin has a sparkling gem of a gymnasium to use, and to show off. The grand opening for the 81,000 square-foot venue proved to be a festive scene with kids waving large foam claws to match the school’s Wolverines mascot. The fun started a good 90 minutes before the games started and lasted throughout the night and during a double-header with Sierra College hosting the women and men’s teams of Santa Rosa in a Big 8 Conference contest.
The state-ranked Wolverines women prevailed and the men lost, but Sierra College won the night.
“It sure passes the eye test, doesn’t it, and it’s been a long time coming, and we haven’t played an official home game in 720 days, since March of 2023,” Murrish said. “We’ve used seven different gyms to practice or play in. I’m just so excited for everyone.”
The original gym did not get torn down. It will now house other events as the oldest structure on this campus. The old gym floor is included in the construction of the new building, a clever way to hold onto the past while vaulting into the future
“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears on that old floor,” Murrish said.
The multi-use gym is located in the heart of the school’s athletic complex, next to the football stadium that hosts Saturday night games, the softball field and the baseball diamond, both boasting of state championship pedigree. Nearby is a still-in-progress project of student housing to include 350 beds. It is adjacent to the student union and library/learning resource center, all part of sweeping campus upgrades.
The new gym seats more than 1,300 with bleacher seats on both sides and behind both baskets. Within the building, there are coaching offices, strength and conditioning rooms and a wide-open concourse that gives this community college a taste of the big time.
The floor is named Goto/Goldenberg Court. It honors George Goto, a championship men’s coach and athletic director at Sierra for decades who died at 91 in 2017; and Roz Goldenberg, who coached the Sierra women’s basketball program for more than 25 years to record success.
Goldenberg embraces retirement so much that she was out of the country on a vacation during the ceremony.
“We’ll get Roz out here at some point, and she’ll just love what she sees,” said Darci Brownwell, the retired Sierra College softball coach who still helps do a lot of the heavy lifting as an assistant athletic director, including carrying bags of food for the players before games.
“I remember Roz talking about a new gym 20 years ago,” Brownwell said. “The facilities here are state of the art. Today’s student athletes, and this community, deserve this.”
Sierra College men’s basketball coach Aaron Lawrence called the gym “the jewel of the area.” A six-year assistant coach now in his first season as head coach and a longtime campus counselor, Lawrence added: “This gives us a small university vibe. It’s a dream come true.”
Sierra uprising
For decades, Sierra College languished in the shadows of larger, more prominent junior college athletic programs in the greater Sacramento region, including American River College and Sacramento City College.
Sierra College’s athletic claim to fame was hosting the San Francisco 49ers as the NFL team’s training camp venue throughout the club’s five Super Bowl championship teams, from 1981-95. Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and teammates sacked out in on-campus dorms. From 120 beds in musty old quarters to 350 in new digs, those dorms have also come of age.
With a boom of growth in Placer County starting in the mid-1990s, Sierra College’s enrollment soared, a new football stadium was constructed and athletic upgrades dotted the campus. The school’s football, basketball, baseball, softball and diving programs all tasted a measure of national and statewide success. A new outdoor sand volleyball court is located near the gym to usher in that sport.
A mover and shaker in the 2000s as Sierra College athletic director was John Volek. He attended the gym unveiling, wearing an old Sierra College block letter S on a letterman’s jacket, having played center for the Wolverines football team in 1965 when there were 1,500 enrolled students. There are now more than 22,000 students enrolled at the two-year school.
“I’m so happy to see this, and this area needs a gym like this,” Volek said. “This is something we were talking about 20 years ago. It’s finally arrived.”
New gym means new ideas
The new gym isn’t just a boom for Sierra College student-athletes. The venue instantly puts Sierra College on the radar with the state JC governing body, which always seeks bids for hosting state wrestling, volleyball and basketball events.
Sierra College can now also be a player in the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for high school sports. The CIF also has open phone lines for venues to submit bids to host playoff events.
“So many possibilities,” Brownwell said. “Exciting times ahead.”
In the changing landscape of college athletics, much of the recruiting done by four-year programs is through the transfer portal, where players can seek new schools without having to sit out a season. The domino affect of the log jam in recruiting means more high school players will flood to junior college sports programs, and sparkling venues catch the eye of recruits.
“This will really help us, and it’s exciting,” said Josh Morton, an assistant baseball coach to head man Ryan Evangelho. “The future here is great.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
CORRECTION: A photo caption incorrectly identified the participating men’s basketball player. He is Mitch Hauxwell Te-Paa.