Athletic Administration

	Carl Howell Athletic Director Head Men's Basketball Coach 253.460.4462 chowell@tacomacc.edu

Carl Howell enters his first season as the Athletic Director at Tacoma Community College but he is no stranger to TCC athletics. In April of 2008 he was also named Head Men's Basketball Coach . He was the Head Men’s Basketball coach from 1992-2003 and is the schools all time leader in wins. From 2003-04 to the 2006-07 seasons he was the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA. In his first season with the Eagles he helped guide them to the Big Sky conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament. That EWU team was led by former TCC players Brendon Merritt (Big Sky Conference Tournament M.V.P) Josh Barnard, Khary Nicholas and Rachi Wortham. While at EWU Howell recruited current Detroit Piston Rodney Stuckey who was drafted 15th overall in the 2007 NBA draft. Howell was highly-successful in his first stop at TCC winning the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship in 2002 as well as sending over 30 players onto four-year schools including 15 to the NCAA Division I level.

During his coaching career at TCC he coached the Titans to 239 victories, including 138 in his last five seasons alone for an average of almost 28 wins per year. His overall record in 11 years at the helm was 239-82 (74.5 percent). His last four teams all won at least 26 games. He is the only coach to win over 26 games in a season at TCC. Besides his 2002 NWAACC title, his Tacoma teams appeared in two championship games, the semifinals three times and the quarterfinals on five occasions in a total of 10 postseason appearances. In addition, his teams won four-straight NWAACC Western Region championships from 1998-2002, and he is only the third coach in NWAACC history to have four straight region titles and two 30-win seasons to his credit. In the 1999-2000 season, the Titans went 30-4 and placed fourth at the NWAACC Tournament. He led Tacoma to a runner-up finish the following season, finishing with a 28-5 record. The next season the Titans won the NWAACC title finishing with a 30-3 record. Howell's squad beat top-ranked Big Bend 88-78 in the championship game. Howell's final TCC team finish 26-5 and fifth at the NWAACC Tournament in the 2002-03 season. From January 2nd 2002 to January 25th 2003 TCC won an amazing 37 of 38 games vs NWAACC competition. Howell was selected NWAACC Coach of the Year once, and was the Western Region Coach of the Year four times. The Titans won 4 Straight NWAACC Crossover Tournaments from 1999-2003 and won 7 of the 10 Crossovers TCC participated in. He was also head coach of the NWAACC All-Star Game on five occasions. During his tenure Approximately 75 percent of his players earned their associate degrees.

Prior to arriving at Tacoma in 1992 Howell coached at Central Washington from 1989-1992 and in 1989 guided them to a 31-5 record and a fifth-place finish in the NAIA Tournament. While at Central he played and coached under legendary coach Dean Nicholson and the late Gil Coleman. Prior to transferring to CWU, he played basketball at Skagit Valley Community College in Mt. Vernon, WA. for NWAACC Hall of Fame coach Dave Quall.

Howell earned a B.S. in Physical Education From Central Washington in 1991 and received his Masters of Education from City University in 2007. He graduated from Morton High School in Morton, WA. in 1984 where he played both basketball and football. Howell was born Oct. 26, 1965, in Silver Springs, Md. He and his wife, Jeri are the parents of two sons -- Cameron (15) and Connor (10).

	Traci Hilligoss Program Support Supervisor Women's Athletic Commissioner 253.566.5097 thilligoss@tacomacc.edu

Traci Hilligoss is the Program Supervisor and Women’s Athletic Commissioner for the Tacoma Community College Athletic Department.  She has worked at TCC for 19 years, and she began her career in the Athletic Department in 1990.

Traci graduated from Gig Harbor High School in 1986 where she played Basketball, earning All-Pierce County honors her senior year. She received a basketball scholarship to The University of Puget Sound where she played 1986-1988.  Traci Earned her B.A. in Criminal Justice from Central Washington University, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1993. In 2007 Traci was awarded the prestigious Dutch Triebwasser Award for Outstanding Athletic Administration by the NWAACC.

Traci has been married for 18 years to her husband, Floyd. They have a 13 year old son Ian and a Rottweiler named Amber Lynn.

Position: Gym Manager/Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

Alma Mater: University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

Email: rbarsh@tacomacc.edu

R-Jay Barsh will begin his first year as the Gym Manager for Physical Education and Athletics, he is also the Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach. However he is not new to the TITAN family.  As a freshman and team captain Barsh averaged 9.2 points a game to go along with 2 steals per game and was voted by his teammates as the Most Inspirational Player.  That year the Titans won the NWAACC title finishing with a 30-3 record.  Coached by Carl Howell, the squad beat top-ranked Big Bend 88-78 in the championship game. Barsh’s final TCC teams finished 26-5 and fifth at the NWAACC Tournament in the 2002-03 season, he was named to the NWAACC 2^nd Team and garnered Tacoma Community College Athlete of the Year.

After receiving his degree from T.C.C, Barsh received an athletic scholarship to Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA.  His junior year was marred with a back injury that ended up ending his career.  “After the back surgery I realized my love for basketball went further than just playing and I decided coaching was the career for me”” stated Barsh.  Leaving Central with a minor in Business Administration Barsh returned to Tacoma.

Upon returning to Tacoma, Barsh accepted an assistant coach position at the University of Puget Sound.  In his 1^st year under Eric Bridgeland the Loggers finished 26-5 and made the NCAA Division III Elite 8. In his second year he coached under the then Interim Justin Lunt at the University of Puget Sound, the team finished 18-7 and 2^nd in the Northwest Conference.  Upon the successful years at Puget Sound, Barsh joined fellow Univ. of Puget Sound grad Aubrey Shelton “06” at Lincoln High School.  Lincoln had a memorable season finishing 25-5 that capped off with a 4^th place finish at the WIAA State Tournament