UC San Diego women’s basketball head coach Heidi VanDerveer has announced the addition of PhyNique Allen to the coaching staff. Allen will serve as an assistant coach, joining the Triton staff which consists of VanDerveer, Associate Head Coach Chelsea Carlisle, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Britinee Yasukochi, and Director of Operations Edward Dizon.
“We are excited to have PhyNique join our program,” said VanDerveer. “She brings a wealth of coaching and playing experience to our staff and team. She is an excellent communicator, has high energy, and is truly knowledgeable and passionate about basketball. She is well respected by the young women she has coached as well as her peers. PhyNique will positively influence our championship culture of competing and caring. Welcome to the Triton family, PhyNique!”
Allen comes to UC San Diego by way of Dominican University, where she was an associate head coach since 2014 as well as a strength and conditioning coach since 2019. While Allen was with the Penguins, they secured a 21-7 record in 2018-19, which was their best mark since the 2004-05 season. RIMAC Arena isn’t unfamiliar territory for Allen, as the Penguins’ phenomenal 2018-19 season ended with a loss to the Tritons in the NCAA Division II West Regional.
Additionally, the Penguins made four PacWest tournament appearances during Allen’s tenure.
Prior to her time at Dominican, Allen served as a student-athlete academic mentor for UCLA’s football program.
Allen is a graduate of current Big West member Cal State Bakersfield. In her final season playing basketball at Cal State Bakersfield, she started all 29 games, averaging 16.6 points and 4.6 assists per game. Following graduation, she played professionally for the Nottingham Wildcats in the United Kingdom. Allen later went on to earn her master’s in sports management from the University of San Francisco.
Allen’s hiring at UC San Diego brings her back home. The San Diego native played basketball at Serra High School, where she earned Eastern League MVP honors as a senior in 2005.
“I am overjoyed with the opportunity to be a part of such a special place, alongside such special student-athletes, coaches, and leadership,” said Allen. “It is a dream come true for me to return to my hometown of San Diego and contribute to the continued pursuit of building, leading, and mentoring champions both on and off the court. I’m ready to build with my new family and get to work!”
Allen and the rest of the Triton coaching staff will look to build on UC San Diego’s strong start to the Big West era in 2020-21, in which they had a pair of All-Conference honorees. The upcoming 2021-22 season will be UC San Diego’s second year of its Division I transition.
