University Communications

Fall 2002
Great Expectations
page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

A torn hamstring at the end of his senior year kept Guerrero from being drafted into the major leagues, so he embarked on an unusually diverse career path (major league ball in Italy, aide to a city councilman, nonprofit founder) and eventually earned a master’s degree in public administration at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills.

While teaching management at CSUDH, he was offered the position of associate athletic director. “It was tough, working two full-time jobs for two years. But the promise of getting exposure to all aspects of athletics really came true. I did everything from pulling out bleachers to supervising coaches.”

The hard work paid off and in 1992 Guerrero became UC Irvine’s athletic director. It was a time when California was experiencing a major budget crisis, and UCI’s athletic department already had slashed its budget in all sports and had dropped baseball.

The hard work paid off and in 1992 Guerrero became UC Irvine’s athletic director. It was a time when California was experiencing a major budget crisis, and UCI’s athletic department already had slashed its budget in all sports and had dropped baseball.

“It was devastating for the department, both morale-wise and fiscally,” says Petrina Long, UCI’s interim athletic director. “But in stepped Dan, the little engine that could. He saw that big hill and said, ‘This is a great opportunity.’ And up he went! It was pretty amazing.”

Guerrero convinced UCI’s students to pass a referendum to provide scholarship funding for all sports and allowed the addition of three new women’s sports and the reintroduction of baseball. He also rallied support from the campus administration and the external community, which set record numbers for donations, corporate sponsorships and endowment contributions.

<previous> <next>