COOS BAY - Since her arrival at Southwestern Oregon Community College, Stacia Rustad's phone hasn't stopped ringing.

Make that all three of her phones.

It's been a busy week of welcome for the former University of Maine standout, who in late May was named Southwestern's new women's basketball coach and PE/health instructor.

“I still have my California phone, I have an Oregon phone and my office phone, and they all rang at the same time earlier when I was talking with someone else,” Rustad said Thursday. “Southwestern has just welcomed me with open arms. It's been non-stop since I got here, and I'm excited for that. Coaching and being full-time faculty at the community college level is something I've been working for.”

Rustad comes to Southwestern after spending eight years coaching at the high school and junior college levels in Southern California. She was named the Delta Kappa Gamma Society High Desert Athletic League Coach of the Year in 2004 - the same year she took over as coach at Victory Valley Community College. She led the Rams to an 8-20 record in 2005-06 - her final season.

Rustad takes over a Lakers club that posted a 1-24 record in 2006-07. The lone win came by forfeit.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Rustad said. “I have extremely high expectations. My biggest goal is to get this team to a competitive level this year.”

Southwestern Athletic Director Jon Speasl hopes to see the same from Rustad, who brings 10 years of coaching experience to the Lakers bench plus a contagious level of energy.

“She's a very enthusiastic person, and we think she's going to bring that energy to the players,” Speasl said. “She's been around the game for a while and is excited to be here. We think she's going to turn things around.

“When the players meet her, they're going to be impressed.”

The only question now is who those players will be.

Rustad said improvement starts with recruiting a solid class that will join returning starters Kathleen Luce, Joy Ribao and Kaila Morris - all sophomores.

Although Rustad hopes to fill all 12 of her roster spots this offseason, Rustad said she's mainly focused on adding quality over quantity to the program.

“The No. 1 priority is getting the type of student athletes that are going to be proud to play for Southwestern and that hold themselves to a high standard in the classroom and on the court,” Rustad said. “Right now, it's late in the recruiting season, but I'm convinced we can get solid players that might have missed out on their top choices.”

Rustad sees Southwestern as an easy sell for recruits, comparing it to St. Bonaventure University - one of her previous coaching stops. Rustad was an assistant there and at West Virginia Wesleyan College after playing for four years at UM.

“That was a very educational experience in the recruiting realm,” Rustad said of St. Bonaventure. “The biggest thing I learned was how to recruit Division-I caliber players and sell a program that might not be doing so well at the time.

“Southwestern is a lot like St. Bonaventure in that it's a little remote - St. Bonaventure is two hours out of Buffalo, N.Y. ... Southwestern has so many positive aspects that you don't typically find in community colleges.”

On-campus housing and no increase in out-of-state tuition top the list of advantages, Rustad said.

“I didn't anything like that in California,” she added. “I plan to recruit hard in Oregon and California but also in my home state of Alaska. Coming from there, I know how hard it is to get recognition.

“I was fortunate to get a full-ride scholarship, but a lot of kids are not in that same situation. So, I really plan to look hard and draw some kids from nearby states.”

Rustad describes herself as an “old-fashioned” coach, relying on full-court man-to-man press with an offense that “can get out and run.”

“We're going to use a system that works with this team first and foremost,” she said. “But, obviously walking the ball up court isn't going to put fans out there. I'm a demanding person with high expectations, and I'm going to make these girls push themselves.

“Southwestern is a stepping stone for them to a four-year school, and I want to put them in position to make the most of their time as student athletes.”