Oregon State University Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis announced Monday that head women’s basketball coach Scott Rueck has received a two-year contract extension through June 30, 2020.
Rueck guided the Beavers to the NCAA Tournament last season, advancing to the Second Round, after being selected to finish eighth in the Pac-12 Conference prior to the campaign. It was the first NCAA appearance for the Beavers since 1996.
The Beavers enter this season among the nation’s elite teams, per preseason prognosticators. The team is predicted to finish third in the Pac-12, the highest preseason outlook ever for the program, and received first place votes (2) for the first time ever.
“Coach Rueck has done a phenomenal job in a short period of time,” De Carolis said. “He has captured the imagination of Beaver Nation, not only women’s basketball fans, but the entire University on what can be accomplished with a plan and determination. I know I share the feelings of many that look forward to the upcoming season and years beyond with Coach Rueck at the helm.”
The Beavers are coming off a 2013-14 season that saw them post a 24-11 record overall and a league mark of 13-5, good for a tie for second in the Pac-12. The 24 wins equaled the most in school history and the 13 Pac-12 victories is a new school benchmark. The Beavers ended the year ranked No. 25 in the country, the first time the program escalated into the polls in 18 years.
“I am grateful to President Ed Ray and Athletic Director Bob De Carolis for their support and for providing the stability necessary for this program to grow,” Rueck said. “It is a great honor to represent Beaver Nation and a university I deeply care about. I love the culture that has developed within our program. It has been built with amazing people who each share the same vision, and I couldn’t be more excited about the future.”
Five starters and a total of nine returning letterwinners highlight the roster for the upcoming season, as the Beavers bring back 95 percent of the scoring and 96 percent of their rebounds from a year ago. Among the returning starters are 2014 All-Pac-12 selection and school record-setting three-point shooter Sydney Wiese, Pac-12 shot-blocking standout Ruth Hamblin, Deven Hunter, Jamie Weisner and Ali Gibson. Five Beavers also earned Pac-12 Academic honors last March.
Among last season’s 24 victories was an 11-game win streak at the end of the season that catapulted the Beavers into the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Beavers advanced to the championship game for the first time in school history.
Rueck was named the Pac-12, per the league’s media (also in 2012), and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Region Coach of the Year last season. He also was a finalist for the National Coach of the Year last spring.
Rueck has an overall record of 63-66 at OSU that includes two winning seasons after taking over the program in 2010.
The 1991 OSU graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science and a ’92 master’s degree recipient in physical education, Rueck has an overall win-loss mark of 351-154. He spent 14 seasons at George Fox University and led the Bruins to six NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and the 2009 National Championship.
