Eastern Washington University Associate Vice President/Athletic Director Lynn Hickey announced the hiring of the eighth head coach in EWU women’s basketball history, Joddie Gleason, today (May 21). Gleason takes over at the helm after five successful seasons as Seattle University’s associate head coach and has 12 years of head coaching experience at Humboldt State.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to be the next women’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington. I would like to thank President David May, Athletic Director Lynn Hickey and the search committee for their trust in me to lead this program,” said Gleason. “Throughout the interview process I have been lucky to meet so many great people at Eastern and know that it is the right fit for me and my family. The department is passionate about helping student-athletes flourish both on the court and in the classroom. This student-centered approach aligns with my values as a leader and creates additional excitement to get started. I can’t wait to start working with this group of young women and to build something special that the passionate Eagle fans can be proud of. I would also like to thank my husband, Skip, and daughter, Raimee, for their love and support as we embark on this next adventure. Go Eags!”
“We are very excited to have Coach Gleason agree to become the new leader of our women’s basketball program. She brings a wealth of coaching and leadership experience to our program, as well as having outstanding networking and recruiting connections in our state and region,” said Hickey. “Joddie and her family are a great fit for Eastern Washington University and we look forward to working with her to help rebuild our program to be a dominant force in Big Sky women’s basketball competition.”
“I am excited to welcome Coach Joddie Gleason to the EWU family and I look forward to continuing to move the women’s basketball program forward,” added interim EWU President Dr. David May.
At Seattle University, Gleason worked as the team’s offensive coordinator where she was responsible for implementing practice plans and scouting reports. Gleason was also the point person for scheduling and summer camps while overseeing guard development.
In her tenure with the Redhawks, Seattle U was in the top-three in scoring offense in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 2018, 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2017-18, Gleason helped coach the Redhawks to the program’s first-ever WAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The year prior, Seattle U advanced to the WAC title game and qualified for the WNIT for the first time since 2013.
Gleason also coached seven WAC All-Conference selections, two WAC Freshman of the Year honorees, two WAC Defensive Players of the Year and the 2021 Seattle Sports Commission Female Sports Star of the Year. Additionally, six players continued to play professionally oversees and the Redhawks maintained a team grade point average over 3.4.
Prior to her five seasons in Seattle, Gleason spent 12 years as the head coach at Humboldt State University. She compiled an overall record of 201-137 and was the program’s all-time winningest coach upon her departure.
Under her leadership, the Lumberjacks qualified for the NCAA DII Tournament four times and won two California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships. In 2015, she was named the CCAA Coach of the Year after the guiding the Lumberjacks to a 23-6 overall record and a regular season title. Gleason coach three All-Americans, 14 First Team All-Conference selections and 34 First Team Academic award winners.
Gleason also served as the head coach at Butte Community College from 1999-2004 where she compiled a 107-45 overall record in five seasons.
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (1992), a teaching credential (1994) and a Master of Arts in Kinesiology (2000) from California State University, Chico.
Gleason and her husband, Skip, who is currently an assistant coach for the women’s basketball program at Seattle U, have one ten-year-old daughter named Raimee.
