Hornet athletic director Terry Wanless named University of Oregon assistant coach Dan Muscatell the new head coach of Sacramento State women’s basketball team on Tuesday.

Muscatell, who has been an assistant for the Div. I women’s basketball program at Oregon for four years, was the coaching staff’s main recruitor and defensive strategist.

In 2001 he was credited with bringing in one of the most talented recruiting classes in the nation.

“This was a great opportunity personally and professionally,” Muscatell said. “Momentum generating at Sac State and their athletic department is catching. This is a chance to build something special.”

Sac State’s athletic department received 112 applicants for the vacant position, which opened on March 10 when it was announced that Carolyn Jenkins’ contract would not be renewed.

“The program is at a point right now where we have to have someone come in and really establish a foundation for a program,” Wanless said.

In Jenkins three-year stint at Sac State she compiled an overall record of 6-74 and a Big Sky record of 2-42. In her final season with the Hornets, the team finished 3-24 and eighth in the conference, but did score a major upset with a win at Montana State.

In the three-year period when Jenkins was coach, her players misses 220 games due to injury.

“We need to build a foundation,” Muscatell said. “From the standpoint of how we want to play basketball, how we want to treat people and how we wan to be on and off the floor. We need to create that environment and championship mentality.”

Three other applicants were also interviewed and considered for the position, including University of Nevada Reno associate head coach Kristi Kincaid, current California School for the Deaf High school and former Cal State Fullerton head coach Deborah Ayers and University of Minnesota — Crookston Div II head coach Mike Curfman.

Muscatell was first hired in Oregon in 1999 after coaching 16 years of boy’s high school basketball in Washington.

“What we’re trying to do is elevate the program to where we’re in the top four in the conference,” Wanless said. “We need to find a way to get from eighth place to fourth. Once you’re there you can worry about building a championship program…”

Wanless emphasized that the new coach would be responsible for recruiting players that are capable of being successful in athletics and academics and sees next season’s justifiable goal as eight games in the win column.

“I’d like to see us compete in the top half of the conference and be a consistent contender,” Wanless said. “It’s a pretty big goal, but I think it’s an achievable goal.

Muscatell will be in Sacramento early Wednesday morning to begin the process of introducing himself to the school, the program and more importantly, the players. He anticipates his next week will include establishing a plan for his players before they leave for the summer.

“(The program) just got better and it is going to get much better,” Muscatell said.