SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco State head volleyball head coach Michelle Patton announced Friday the hiring of Eric Ballelos as her top assistant for the 2011 campaign. The Daly City, Calif., native has been a fixture on the Bay Area prep and club volleyball coaching scene since 2007 and also served as a volunteer assistant for the Gators during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
“I have had the opportunity to work with Eric the past two years and he has shown a great passion for the game of volleyball,” Patton said. “I am most impressed with his outstanding work ethic, and he is a great student of the game, constantly learning and adapting. He has played and coached for several years and I believe he has the instinct and drive to do a great job here at SF State. I am excited to bring Eric into this elevated position and I am looking forward to us getting in the gym with our team.”
An SF State alumnus, Ballelos recently completed a four-year stint as head coach at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., where he twice led the Padres to a berth in the CIF Central Coast Section playoffs.
“I feel blessed for this opportunity to continue coaching at SF State,” Ballelos said. “The chance to work in the city where I grew up is really a dream come true. I'm looking forward to help Coach Patton continue to build the Gator volleyball program.”
Ballelos' endless coaching duties also included a stint in the fall of 2010 as a girls' varsity assistant at Mercy High in Burlingame, Calif., where he helped the Crusaders to a 25-11 record en route to the West Bay-Foothill League championship and a spot in the CCS Division IV championships. In addition, Ballelos has spent time as a coach and assistant director for the Peninsula Juniors club volleyball program based in Belmont, Calif.
Ballelos prepped at St. Ignatius High in San Francisco and later enrolled at UC Davis where he competed on the Aggie men's club team as a middle blocker and outside hitter. While at Davis, he also doubled as a club officer, assisting with team travel and fund-raising efforts and successfully directing the UCD Boys' High School Tournament.
After transferring to SF State, Ballelos continued his competitive career with the Gator men's club team, leading the squad in kills as the Purple and Gold finished second in the Northern California Collegiate Volleyball League last spring.
Ballelos is certified through USA Volleyball's Coaching Accreditation Program and also received a Gold Medal Squared Level I credential. He earned his bachelor's degree in English Literature from SF State in May 2011.
The Gators kick off their 2011 regular-season slate Sept. 2-3 when they travel south for the Cal Poly Pomona Tournament, squaring off against Cal Baptist, Western New Mexico, Simon Fraser and Dixie State.
