Malley Fitness Center

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The Pat Malley Fitness and Recreation Center, at Santa Clara University was constructed in 1999 and provides a large new space for on-campus recreational activities. Dedicated October 8, 1999 the center is the primary sports and fitness center for the general population at Santa Clara University.

Built at a cost of $8.8 million, the 44,000 square-foot facility is named for legendary SCU football coach Pat Malley and includes three full basketball/volleyball courts, a large weight room, two locker rooms, a 2,100 square-foot multipurpose room, lounge space, and new offices for recreation and wellness programs. As weight and fitness facitilies are available for University athletics in the Leavey Center, Malley is always open to the campus community for recreational use.

SCU alumni, including many of Coach Malley's former football players, were significantly involved in the financing, planning and construction of the facility, which includes approximately $400,000 in exercise equipment.

Daily attendance of SCU students, staff, faculty and alumni at the 44,000-sauare-foot fitness center averaged about 1,200 (more than 25% of the undergraduate population) per day in its first month of operation. The tile-roof and adobe-wall structure situated next to the Leavey Activities Center and pool on the east side of the SCU campus was designed by Cannon architects of Los Angeles.

Gary J. Filizetti, SCU '67, is one of several former Bronco football players who were instrumental in the planning and fundraising for the project. He is president of DEVCON Inc. of Milpitas, general contractor for the project. DEVCON's manager for the SCU project was another Bronco football player coached by Malley, Andy Schatzman, SCU '83. At the dedication ceremonies, a large mural honoring Malley, the late SCU football coach, was unveiled.

The 9,500-square-foot weight room is named the Filizetti-McPherson Weight Room, after Filizetti's father, John, and Bill McPherson, SCU '54, the former Santa Clara and San Francisco 49ers assistant coach. The lobby area was donated by another Bronco, former 49er Brent Jones, SCU '85, and his wife Dana, SCU '86.

Master of ceremonies at the dedication was John Ottoboni, SCU '69, a San Jose lawyer who as a member of the SCU Board of Trustees was an early advocate of the Malley Center project.

A highlight of the Oct. 8 dedication ceremony was the unveiling of the Malley mural: three 74-inch-by-56-inch photo montages of Malley silk-screened on blue glass, under the titles, Coach, Educator, Friend; above a limestone panel inscribed with a quote from the coach.

The mural was designed by SCU Marketing Communications Art Director Greg Mar and Tony Tirapelli and was constructed by General Graphics of San Francisco, which does the displays and graphics for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. An interactive video kiosk with a large plasma display screen directs visitors to Malley Center activities and informs them about the university and its programs.

Other alumni involvement in the center's construction includes:

The Class of '61 Multi-Purpose Room
The Hayden Gymnasium -- The William R. and Virginia Hayden Foundation (Stan Hayden, SCU '63)
The Nelson Wellness Center - Dick , SCU '69, and Nancy Nelson
The Anne Halligan Helmstein Women's Locker Room - the wife of the late Homer Helmstein, SCU '37
The Albanese Family Men's Locker Room - Jos. Albanese Inc. (Joseph J. Albanese, SCU '40, John L. Albanese, SCU '70), Central Concrete (Bill Albanese, SCU '65 and Thomas Albanese, SCU '68
The Souza Family Courtyard - Lou Souza, SCU '57
The Blair Family Patio - Jim, Donna and Ronald (SCU '93) Blair
The Class of '67 Conference Room