Head Coach
Eric Anderson
Coach Eric Anderson embarks on his eighth season with the Citrus College Women’s Basketball Program and his fourth season as Citrus’ Head Coach. “This season has been very exciting and rewarding. To watch the leadership of our seasoned players and the development of our younger players is very satisfying.”
Prior to taking over the head coaching spot, Anderson spent four of the past five seasons as the top assistant with the program and has been a successful high school and college basketball coach for many years.
Upon graduating from high school, Anderson received a scholarship to Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he was named freshman All-American in varsity basketball and baseball. He was also named MVP of his basketball squad during his junior and senior years. Anderson was a 10th round draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1975.
Eric received his B.A. in history from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and currently has 24 units toward his master's degree from Azusa Pacific University. Eric has taught in the Pomona Unified School District for over 25 years.
After playing in pro leagues and turning down offers to play in Mexico, Anderson joined the Garey High School coaching staff. In 1987, Coach Anderson was named head coach and his teams won three league championships in 1988, 1990 & 1991. He also received Coach of the Year honors for all three years, and his basketball teams qualified for the CIF playoffs six out of seven years.
Coach Anderson left Garey High School and led Pomona High School to a division championship and Coach of the Year honors in 1996. The next year he joined legendary men's basketball Coach Bill Genian as an assistant at Citrus College.
That season the team went 22-11 and advanced to the second round of the regional state playoffs. In 1997, Coach Anderson became the head coach of the Fighting Owls for the next two years.
Over the past four years Anderson has played a pivotal role in making the Lady Owls one of the top programs in the Western States Conference. Anderson helped build Citrus College women’s program as the top assistant to Coach Ken Guttman and was an integral part of the Lady Owl’s successful run towards the Western State Conference Championship in 2004-2005.
Anderson was also the top recruiter for the women’s program, and was responsible for bringing in successful players such as Ebony Johnson, Nicole Cunningham, Alexis Pope (the electrifying two-time all state player and conference MVP) , Simone Funn, JaTon Parhan, and Jenny Sirk.
Coach Anderson believes that “if you want to be considered one of the best respected programs, you must begin by organizing a schedule that includes games against those types of programs.”
This season the Citrus College Lady Owls have played a very tough non-conference schedule. Citrus has played 10 of the top 20 teams in the state of California and have been very successful and competitive against those teams as well as against the other teams on their schedule.
“Our league, the Western States Conference, is very tough and competitive. We have to play very good teams to be ready to make a run at finishing high in the conference standings and to have a serious chance to be considered for playoff contention.”
Citrus returns five returning players from last years team that finished with an overall record of 19 and 12. Leading the way will be a trio of guards led by 2008 all league guards Jasmine Mathews, Terri (T.T.) Washington (honorable mention all-league), Jessica Nieves, Shatiah West (honorable mention all league), and Caitlyn Hernandez.”
“I feel that that our sophomores have provided leadership that displays dedication wisdom and competitiveness, and our younger players who have learned from them have been able to contribute mightily in some crucial situations so far this the season,” Anderson said.
Key newcomers will be Krystyn Jacobs (Monrovia High), Dayna Lee (Diamond Bar), Bianca Nunez (West Covina), Sophia Jackson (Locke High School), Jessica Ochoa (Norwalk High), and London Reams (Chino Hills).
“We define character as having a genuine love for yourself, your family, your teammates, your academics and all the people that you have been fortunate to be acquainted with. That epitomizes the type of student athlete we have recruited and will continually recruit here at Citrus College.”
“I have appreciated the opportunity of watching our student athletes enjoy the pleasures of playing basketball at a high level, experience the joys of winning, competing and sacrificing in order to achieve some common goals, which we are still in the process of attaining.”
“Ultimately, I look forward to seeing their faces when they toss the tassels on their caps from one side to the other side, which signals the successfully completion of the academic requirement to receive an A.A. degree from Citrus College. I look forward to that day the most. Academic success for our student athletes is our number one priority for our Women’s Basketball Program here at Citrus College.”
Eric Anderson and his wife, Yolanda, have three daughters, Jamila, Erica and Crystal and three sons, Michael, Eric and Eric Jr.
Assistant Head Coach
Monica Peters
Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Monica Goldsont-Peters begins her fourth season with the Lady Owls, and has been a part of basketball for two decades whether it’s playing or coaching, giving Coach Peters plenty of experience to bring to the Owls. Peters, who is a graduate of West Covina High School, was an All-League honoree and Co-Captain of her squad while in high school. Peters went on to play at California State University Los Angeles, where she was co-captain of her squad while playing from 1987-1989.
After leaving CSULA Peters went on to become the head coach at a junior high where she was the 6th and 7th grade girl’s volleyball and basketball coach. Peters continued to climb up coaching ladder as she moved on to bigger and better things. From 1992-1994 Peters was the head coach of the South Bay Girls Basketball Program where she led her squad to the 12 and under Southern California AAU Championship. During her tenure there, Peters also handled duties as the head women’s coach at Peninsula High School.
From 1996-1999 Peters was the Jr. Varsity Coach at Bishop Amat High School. In 1999 she took over her alma mater becoming the varsity women’s head coach at West Covina High School, where she led her squad to a CIF appearance. In 2001 Peters left West Covina and went on to become the women’s head coach at La Sierra Academy. While there she earned Arrowhead League Coach of the Year honors, won the Arrowhead League Championship in 2002, and led her team through 3 rounds of CIF playoffs. After leaving La Sierra, Peters went back to her alma mater becoming the assistant men’s basketball coach at West Covina High School. In 2003 she became once again the head women’s basketball coach at West Covina, leading them to the 2005 League Championship and a 1st round appearance in CIF playoffs.
Along with her coaching duties, Peters serves as Vice-President of the West Covina Youth Sports Council. Peters is married to Alvin Peters and has two sons Tyler (14) and Bryce (8).