University of the Pacific health exercise and sport sciences alumnus Ernest DeLosAngeles ’14 was recently appointed as the head performance coach for Team Ignite of the NBA's G League. This appointment is a milestone in DeLosAngeles’ career in athletics, which began in his hometown of Stockton.

DeLosAngeles began his collegiate career at San Joaquin Delta College, with a focus on earning a business degree.

"I had that entrepreneurial itch," he remembered. "But, then I took an anatomy class and it ignited an interest in the human body. I loved learning about movement and what the body is capable of doing."

DeLosAngeles then began volunteering his time with the Delta College training staff and it was there he learned about the career opportunities available in the athletic industry.

"They told me to check out Pacific's health exercise and sport science program," said DeLosAngeles. "I had no idea one of the top athletic training programs was right in my own backyard. I knew I had to apply because I wanted to challenge myself to be one of the best in the industry."

DeLosAngeles transferred to Pacific in 2012 and was part of the Community Involvement Program, a comprehensive need-based scholarship and retention program for first-generation college students from the Stockton area who have demonstrated the potential for sustainable leadership, community awareness and involvement.

"I was pretty nervous when I transferred," said DeLosAngeles. "I thought I was just going to come to Pacific for two years, get my degree and leave. But it was at the CIP retreat where I instantly felt welcomed and part of the Pacific family."

Within the health exercise and sport science program, DeLosAngeles also found that the variety of hands-on clinical experiences offered were extremely beneficial. He credits the program for teaching him how to conduct himself as a professional, which has benefitted him throughout his career.

“All of my professors truly cared about me being successful and went the extra mile to help me even after graduation,” said DeLosAngeles. “Most universities just give you a diploma when you graduate and it ends there. But our program at Pacific helped each of us get into graduate school or get an internship following graduation.”

Throughout his professional career, DeLosAngeles has held multiple positions in the sports industry. He served as an athletic training intern with the San Francisco 49ers, worked as an assistant athletic trainer with the men's soccer team and the track program in the Pacific athletic department and most recently spent three years working simultaneously with the Sacramento and Stockton Kings as a strength coach.

Currently, DeLosAngeles is excited about his new opportunity with Team Ignite, which is part of a new initiative created by the NBA's G League to recruit elite high school basketball players to begin their professional careers instead of playing one year at a college basketball program and internationally. The team is committed to providing these players mentorship and life skills training to ultimately prepare them to enter the NBA Draft the following season.

“I’m really fired up about this new opportunity,” said DeLosAngeles. “I love working with athletes and being able to help them in their careers. For me, the most rewarding part of my job is supporting others in the pursuit of their dreams.”