WSA Honors Pete Carroll Westcoast Sports Associates (WSA) hosted the 14th Annual Roy Firestone Awards Dinner and Gala at the Galen Center at USC on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, honoring USC football coach Pete Carroll. Carroll is 88-15 in eight years as a college head coach (all at USC), the best winning percentage of any current Division I coach with at least five years of experience. He reached 50 career USC wins faster than any head coach in Trojan history. Also under Carroll, USC is the first school to have three Heisman Trophy winners in a four-year span. Carroll has produced 33 All-American first teamers and 53 NFL draft picks. In the 2008 pre-season, he was picked as the nation's top head coach by CBSSports.com. In 2003, Carroll helped develop "A Better L.A.," a non-profit group working to reduce gang violence by empowering change in individuals and communities. The prestigious award, presented at an annual gala hosted by Roy Firestone himself, honors a prominent sports figure who has made significant contributions to the community and typifies WSA's mission to support youth sports. Past honorees have included Jerry West, Jack Nicklaus, Hank Aaron, Steve Young, Arnold Palmer, Terry Bradshaw, Cal Ripken, Jr., Howie Long, Wayne Gretzky, Sugar Ray Leonard, John Wooden, Jim Brown and Roy Firestone. Proceeds from the Roy Firestone Dinner and Gala will go to several Los Angeles and Orange County recreation centers funded by WSA, as well as to a number of other programs for at-risk Southern California youth. WSA Speaker Series WSA had two networking events in 2009 featuring longtime Dodger great and current Fox Sports MLB analyst and commentator Eric Karros in May and nine-time NFL Pro Bowler John Lynch in July. Over the past two years, WSA has hosted the "WSA Speaker Series," a social event for WSA's members and their guests with a prominent sports figure. Other past speakers have included Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis, and Los Angeles Clipper and former UCLA standout basketball player Baron Davis. All of the events have taken place at the 900 Club in Manhattan Beach. Stay tuned for more networking events in 2010!