Herb Sendek introduced at Santa Clara

At each stop in his 22-year head-coaching career, Herb Sendek has built NCAA Tournament teams.

After starting at Miami of Ohio and then turning around struggling programs at North Carolina State and Arizona State, Sendek faces a new challenge as head coach at Santa Clara.

Sendek officially was introduced as the Broncos’ head coach Wednesday, tasked with building a program that can compete with Gonzaga, St. Mary’s and BYU in the WCC and getting the school back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996.

Athletic director Renee Baumgartner said a blue-ribbon panel recommended more resources be devoted to the athletic department and that has led to a new Nike-designed floor at the arena, new locker rooms for the men’s and women’s teams and new offices for the coaches.

The timing is perfect to bring in a veteran coach and proven winner (who) really mirrors our values.

Julius Hodge, who played for Sendek at N.C. State and was a first-round draft pick by the Denver Nuggets, will join Sendek’s staff as an assistant, along with associate coach Barret Peery, who coached on Sendek’s staff at Arizona State.