Four Pillars of Success: Our Mission and Vision
The University of San Francisco is committed to excellence in athletics as part of a larger commitment to educating students in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. USF Athletics is built upon Four Pillars of Success that aim to develop young people in this tradition: Excel in the Classroom; Win at the Highest Level of Competition; Engage in the Community; and Become Leaders in the World.
The entire department, including coaches, training staff, facilities and equipment personnel and administrators, work to support student-athlete achievement in each of the Four Pillars, develop leaders and support the principles of the West Coast Conference and the NCAA.
I. EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM
USF student-athletes combined to post a 3.56 grade point average in the spring 2020 semester, the highest semester GPA in program history. 92% of USF student-athletes marked a 3.0 GPA or higher and 39 individuals posted a 4.0.
The women's teams posted a GPA of 3.64 with the men's team recording a GPA of 3.46. Every program earned a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
The 3.56 grade point average eclipses the previous high of 3.45 set in the spring of 2018. Spring 2020 marks four-straight semesters where the department posted a GPA above 3.3.
USF finished the fall 2019 semester with a department GPA of 3.43 with 208 student-athletes earning a 3.0 or higher.
Last year, 130 Dons were named to the 2018-19 WCC Commissioners Honor Roll, the fifth time in the last six years the department had at least that many honorees. Following last fall's performances in the classroom, the Dons are well on their way to repeating that honor once again.
II. WIN AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMPETITION
Over the years, USF teams have captured nine national team championships and has produced three individual champions. USF’s men’s soccer team has won five national championships while men’s basketball captured the 1949 NIT title before winning back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1955 and ’56 behind legends Bill Russell and K.C. Jones. USF teams have combined to win 114 conference championships and 22 individuals have claimed championships. Most recently, the women’s cross country team won five consecutive WCC Championships from 2009-13, which was the longest championship run by any women’s team in conference history.
Last year, the USF men's basketball team secured it's fourth-straight 20-win season behind first-year head coach Todd Golden and were seemingly assured their first NIT invitation in nearly a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic put a premature end to the season.
Similarly, women's track and field and cross country star Aoibhe Richardson was set to compete in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in mid-March, the first woman to qualify for the event in program history. Her race was slated for March 16: it was canceled in March 15
USF Dons have gone on to do great things after their careers on the Hilltop. Bill Russell famously went on to win 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and Bill Cartwright won an additional five as both a player and coach with the Chicago Bulls. 101 former student-athletes have broken onto the scene of major American sports in Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA, the MLS, and the NASL.
The Dons have been represented in the Olympics 20 times.
III. ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY
The mission of USF's athletics program goes far beyond competition. USF Athletics understands it has a strong responsibility to the individual growth of all student-athletes and is invested in the intellectual, social, moral, spiritual and emotional development of every person who wears the Green & Gold.
This past year, USF student-athletes, coaches and staff involved themselves in various service projects in order to gain a better sense of the community in which they live, make a difference in the lives of others and develop a passion for genuine goodness.
It's through this commitment to service leadership all members of the athletic department are inspired to follow their hearts and conscience to become greater persons of integrity and ethics.
IV. BECOME LEADERS IN THE WORLD
USF student-athletes graduate with the skills they need to succeed in whatever career path they choose. USF student-athletes will excel in setting and achieving goals throughout their college years and beyond. Approximately 76 percent of recent USF graduates begin their full-time careers or pursue a graduate degree.
