University of Portland has named Michael Meek as the sixth women’s basketball head coach in program history, Portland Vice President for Athletics Scott Leykam announced on Wednesday. Meek joins the Pilots after a highly successful nine-year run at George Fox University.
Meek led the Bruins to remarkable results including NCAA Division III championship game appearances in 2012 and 2015. He guided George Fox to eight NCAA Tournament appearances overall – including the last six seasons – and to six Northwest Conference (NWC) championships, and his teams were ranked at the end of the year seven times.
With a career collegiate coaching record of 230-35 (.868), Meek ranks fourth in career winning percentage among active coaches with five-plus years of experience at all divisions of women’s college basketball.
He was named the D3hoops.com NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 2012 and was three times named the NWC Coach of the Year, including in 2019. He coached four players to All-America recognition, while Hannah Munger also earned Academic All-America honors in 2012.
The Bruins have been a historical Division III power in women’s basketball and Meek was the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins. He succeeded current Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck at George Fox.
“In addition to being an outstanding basketball coach, Michael is a terrific institutional fit at the University of Portland,” Leykam said. “He has proven abilities in player and personal development, has strong Pacific Northwest recruiting ties, is an exceptional mentor and leader, and has a winning pedigree. We are excited for him to lead our program.”
“My family and I are excited to begin this journey at the University of Portland,” Meek said. “My vision is to help build a successful program that makes a positive impact for the student-athletes well beyond their four-year experience. Through hard work, positive communication, selflessness, and by investing in one another, I believe we are capable of accomplishing this goal.”
Prior to George Fox, Meek was head coach at Southridge High School (Beaverton, Ore.) for 10 seasons. He led Southridge to a record of 213-58 (.786) and five Oregon state titles over a six-year span between 2005 and 2010. Meek guided the Skyhawks to Oregon 4A titles in 2005 and 2006, the top classification at the time, and then to the Oregon 6A championships in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
He was named the 2006 MaxPreps.com National Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year, four times he earned Oregon Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010), and he was league coach of the year six seasons. A total of 20 players went on to play college basketball from those rosters. Eleven student-athletes played at the Division I level, while all five starters on his 2006 squad signed with schools currently in the Pac-12.
Meek began his coaching career at La Grande (Ore.) High School, where he went 51-21 (.708) in three years (1997-2000) as head coach.
In addition to his coaching accolades, Meek has published articles in Women’s Basketball magazine, developed five basketball coaching instructional videos, and is a regular presenter at various coaching clinics and summits throughout the region.
Meek developed and hosted one of the top national high school basketball tournaments in the nation while at Southridge High School – the NIKE Northwest Girls Basketball Invitational (2006-10).
A Puyallup, Wash. native, Meek played basketball at Tacoma Community College and Eastern Oregon University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and health in 1999. He earned his Master of Arts in Teaching from Grand Canyon University in 2004.
Meek and his wife, Lisa, reside in Beaverton with their daughters McKelle and Audrey.
The University will host an official welcome and introduction of Meek as head coach on Monday, April 1 at 4 p.m. on campus at the Chiles Center Hall of Fame Room. The event will be open to the public.
Photo Courtesy Portland Athletics
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