“I am truly, truly grateful for my time and experience at UC San Diego,” Elliott said to the UCSD Athletic Department. “I am so proud of the success we’ve had as a program and I thank all of the student-athletes that have allowed me to coach them and, in doing so, provided me with countless memories that will last a lifetime.”
Elliott began her career at Southwest Missouri State where she served as assistant coach. She received her first head coaching position at Cal Baptist, and after two seasons with the Lancers, took a job at Division I Portland State. Elliott led the Vikings to their first Big Sky conference tournament in three years.
Elliott came to UCSD in 2007 and has since recorded 131 wins with the Tritons, leading UCSD to four West Regional appearances and three regular season titles.
Last season, the Tritons earned the program’s first-ever No. 1 national ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. UCSD’s 2011-12 squad also amassed the program’s longest winning streak, with 26 straight wins. The Tritons lost just one game in their regular season before falling in the West Regional Final of the National tournament.
“Charity had an incredible five-year run at UC San Diego and her team’s record over that time speaks for itself,” Senior Associate Athletic Director Kenneth Grosse said in an email interview. “But her impact went well beyond the court. Her players reflected the academic priorities of the university, she developed excitement around her program and could always be counted on for leadership in the department. We’re definitely going to miss Charity, but wish her the best at [Loyola] and know that the Triton program will continue to flourish under new leadership, in large part because of the solid foundation she has laid.”
Elliott will have her work cut out for her at Loyola Marymount, which went 8-22 overall last season and 3-13 in the West Coast Conference.
“I am looking forward to this next step in my career, but I know there are many great things to come in the future for the UCSD Women’s Basketball program,” Elliott said to the UCSD Athletic Department. “I am looking forward to following the team’s success.”
