Brianna Finch begins her first season as an assistant coach for the UC San Diego women's basketball program. She was the second hire by first-year head women’s basketball coach Charity Elliott. Finch brings a wealth of experience to the program having been an assistant and head coach at the collegiate level while also competing as a player during her days at the University of Portland and Sonoma State.
Prior to coming to UCSD, Finch coached in Dublin, Ireland, serving as the head coach for the UCD Marian Men's College Team. In addition to her duties with Marian College, she also led after-school clinics at several elementary schools and coached two youth teams in the Dublin area.
Before traveling abroad, she built a solid reputation for recruiting, scouting and developing post players in Northern California and Oregon. In 2005-06, Finch assisted and served as the Recruiting Coordinator at NAIA powerhouse Menlo College, helping the team to a Cal-Pac Championship and a spot in the Sweet 16 at the NAIA II National Tournament.
Prior to Menlo College, Finch spent one year as the Head Coach of the women's basketball team at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon. She took the job at Mt. Hood after spending two seasons as an assistant coach Santa Rosa Junior College alongside head coach Molly Goodenbour, who is currently the head coach at Chico State. At Santa Rosa, Finch established herself as a post clinician, developing three all-state post players who powered the Bearcubs to the NAIA Elite Eight in 2004.
Her coaching career started with the Petaluma Chicks AAU program shortly after completing her B.A. in Business at Sonoma State in 2001.
A graduate of Oak Ridge High School where she remains the school’s all-time leading scorer, Finch co-authored the book Championship Basketball Plays and has had articles published in Basketball Sense magazine.
