Portland State Vikings
Encyclopedia
Portland State Vikings is the nickname
of the NCAA-affiliated, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University
of Portland, Oregon
. PSU, being situated in the downtown district known as the "Park Blocks", has also sometimes been referred to as the Park Block Bombers.
The Vikings compete at the NCAA Division I level in basketball
, soccer, volleyball
, golf
, tennis
, softball
, indoor and outdoor track and field
, and cross country
. The university holds membership in the Big Sky Conference
(joined 1996). and the Pacific Coast Softball Conference
for softball. Along with the other Big Sky football programs, Viking football
takes-part in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA.
Prior to joining Division I, the school won NCAA National Division II Championships in women's volleyball and wrestling. The school has also placed second twice nationally in football and once in women's basketball at the Division II level.
Portland State's colors are forest green and white, and its mascot is the Viking manifested as "Victor E. Viking".
Among the more notable former PSU athletes are Freeman Williams
and Neil Lomax
. Freeman Williams was the NCAA Division I national men's basketball individual scoring leader in 1977 and 1978. Neil Lomax was a record-setting quarterback who went on to star for the then St. Louis Cardinals
in the NFL. Football's "Run & Shoot" offense was first implemented at the college level at PSU by then coach Darryl "Mouse" Davis. Davis' quarterback protégées were Lomax and June Jones
. Jones, the former head coach at the University of Hawaii
now at Southern Methodist, is also a proponent of the Run & Shoot.
Home games for football are held at Jeld-Wen Field, and home games for basketball are held on-campus at the Peter W. Stott Center
.
Torre Chisholm was named new Athletic Director March 26, 2007. Chisholm replaced interim AD Teri Mariani, who filled that role since February 2006 when Tom Burman left for the University of Wyoming
. Washington State University
AD Jim Sterk preceded Burman as PSU AD.
. Mouse Davis installed the "Run & Shoot" which provided prolific scoring teams led by quarterbacks June Jones
and Neil Lomax
. Later in the 1980s, highlights included 2nd place finishes in NCAA Division II in 1989 and 1990 under legendary coach Pokey Allen
.
The 2006 season included a victory over the University of New Mexico
. The team finished the season tied for second in the conference and featured PSU offensive lineman Brennan Carvalho and linebacker Adam Hayword being named All-Americans. Tim Walsh
completed his 14th year at the helm in 2006 and resigned to become the offensive coordinator at Army. Walsh was the longest tenured coach in PSU history. He was succeeded by Jerry Glanville
, former NFL head coach and University of Hawaii
defensive coordinator. Glanville hired Mouse Davis
as his new offensive coordinator who re-installed the Run & Shoot.
Jerry Glanville
's initial season at PSU in 2007 was a disappointing 3–8 campaign. The team recorded a 1–4 home record, worst since 1973. However, enthusiasm was reflected with an increase in attendance and included a wild 73–68 loss to Weber State
. Center Brennan Carvalho finished a brilliant career by being named All-American for a second time. On December 8, 2009, Portland State announced Nevada
defensive coordinator Nigel Burton
as their new head coach.
See: Eastern Washington Eagles Football
Portland State's rival are the Eastern Washington Eagles. The Eastern Washington University Eagles and the Portland State University Vikings is a five-sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup. The Dam Cup will celebrate the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference.
The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam.
The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body.
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Tenure
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Coach
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Years
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Record
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Pct.
|- align="center"
| 1947 – 1954 || Joe Holland
|| 8 || 20–42–3|| .331
|- align="center"
| 1955 – 1956 || Ralph Davis || 2 || 4–11–1 || .281
|- align="center"
| 1957 – 1958 || Les Leggatt || 2 || 6–11–0 || .353
|- align="center"
| 1959 – 1961 || Hugh Smithwick || 3 || 6–17–2 || .280
|- align="center"
| 1962 – 1962 || Tom DeSylvia
|| 1 || 4–4–0 || .500
|- align="center"
| 1963 – 1967|| Jerry Lyons
|| 5 || 21–24–1 || .467
|- align="center"
| 1968 – 1971 || Don Read
* || 4 || 20–19 || .513
|- align="center"
| 1972 – 1974 || Ron Stratten
|| 3 || 9–24–0 || .273
|- align="center"
| 1975 – 1980 || Mouse Davis
|| 6 || 42–24–0 || .636
|- align="center"
| 1981 – 1985 || Don Read
* || 5 || 19–33–1 || .365
|- align="center"
| 1986 – 1992 || Pokey Allen
|| 7 || 63–26–2 || .703
|- align="center"
| 1993 – 2006 || Tim Walsh
|| 14 || 90–68–0 || .570
|- align="center"
| 2007 – 2009 || Jerry Glanville
|| 3 || 9–24–0 || .273
|- align="center"
| 2010 – present || Nigel Burton
|| 1 || 2–9–0 || .222
|- align="center"
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| Totals
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 13 coaches
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 64 seasons
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 315–336–10
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| .483
|-
| colspan=5 | * Read's combined statistics: 9 seasons, with a record of 39–52–1 (.429).
|}
starred for PSU during the 1970s under coach Ken Edwards. PSU made the NCAA College Division playoffs in 1967, and twice competed in the NAIA playoffs in the 1950s.
In the Big Sky Conference:
When PSU joined the Big Sky Conference, basketball returned to campus after a hiatus that lasted from 1981 to 1996. The current head coach is Tyler Geving
. Portland State has qualified for the Big Sky Conference Tournament eight times in the eleven years it has been eligible. The Vikings have a 6–6 Big Sky Tournament record, including 2–0 against Montana State, 2–0 against Idaho State, 1–1 against Eastern Washington, and 1–2 against Northern Arizona and 0–3 against Weber State.
PSU completed the 2006–07 season with a 19–13 overall record and a 9–7 conference record. In the conference tournament, PSU defeated Montana State and was then defeated by Weber State to finish the season.
PSU rolled through the Big Sky in 2007–08, losing only two conference games on the way to a second ever conference championship since last winning in 2005. The Vikings went on to win the conference tourney by beating Idaho State in a semi-final match and Northern Arizona University
in the final to secure the school's first NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship Tournament berth. The Vikings (23–9) were selected as a No. 16 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament
in the Midwest Region, losing to #1 seeded and eventual national champion Kansas
by a score of 85–61.
In the 2008–09, for the second year in a row, the Portland State Vikings completed a 23–10 basketball season with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Matched with the previous season, the two 23-win seasons tie for the most in school history. And, both seasons culminated with appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Although the Vikings did not win the Big Sky Conference regular season title (as they did in 2007–08), the second-place team did win the Big Sky Tournament for a second straight season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Portland State earned a number-13 seed but lost in the Tournament to fourth-seeded Xavier in a first-round game, 77–59. The regular season highlights included a victory on the road over then seventh ranked Gonzaga and a victory over Boise State in a ESPN
"bracket-buster" game.
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Tenure
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Coach
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Years
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Record
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Pct.
|- align="center"
| 1946 – 1947 || John Jenkins
|| 1 || 11–10 || .524
|- align="center"
| 1947 – 1948 || Joe Holland
|| 1 || 14–5 || .737
|- align="center"
| 1948 – 1953 || Arba Ager || 5 || 85–52 || .620
|- align="center"
| 1953 – 1965 || Sharkey Nelson || 12 || 162–156 || .509
|- align="center"
| 1965 – 1972 || Marion Pericin || 7 || 85–82 || .509
|- align="center"
| 1972 – 1978 || Ken Edwards
|| 6 || 93–64 || .592
|- align="center"
| 1978 – 1981 || Glen Kinney || 3 || 18–62 || .225
|- align="center"
| 1996 – 1998 || Ritchie McKay
|| 2 || 24–29 || .453
|- align="center"
| 1998 – 2002 || Joel Sobotka
|| 4 || 53–59 || .452
|- align="center"
| 2003 – 2005 || Heath Schroyer
+ || 3 || 35–47 || .427
|- align="center"
| 2005 – 2009 || Ken Bone
* || 4 || 77–49 || .616
|- align="center"
| 2009 – current || Tyler Geving
|| 1 || 13–19 || .406
|- align="center"
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| Totals
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 12 coaches
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 48 seasons
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 670–634
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| .514
|-
| colspan=5 | +Big Sky Conference 2005 Regular Season Champion. *Big Sky Conference '08 Regular Season Champs. 2008 & '09 Tourney Champs. 2008 & '09 NCAA Tournament bids.
|}
was the first Viking to win individual national championships and was a two-time Olympic silver medalist. Portland State eliminated its wrestling program in 2009 due to state budget issues attributed to the worst recessions to hit the US since the great depression.. The programs final head coach was 1987 alum Mike Haluska.
, was hired July 1, 2007 to lead the program into its second decade in the Big Sky. Murrell was preceded by Coach Charity Elliot who resigned at the end of the 2006-07 season to become the head coach at University of California-San Diego.
Under first-year head coach Sherri Murrell, the 2007-08 Portland State team finished 22-9 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Portland State finished 11-5 in the Big Sky, tying with Montana State for third place, to post its first winning conference mark since going 8-6 in 2002-03. The Vikings were impressive in their conference victories, posting an average margin of victory of 16.7 points. The 22 wins marked the Vikings’ first 20-win season as a Division I program, and their first since going 25-5 as a member of Division II in 1995-96.
In 2008-09 under Murrell's guidance, Portland State posted an impressive 14-2 conference record in the Big Sky Conference losing only to Montana State at home and Montana on the road. PSU finished second behind Montana and beat Idaho State in the conference semi-finals and then lost to Montana in the tournament final.
Under Seemann, the Vikings ended the 2007 season with a 21-8 record and Portland State's first ever Big Sky Regular Championship but missed the NCAA tournament by losing in the conference tournament.
Portland State returned most of its 2007 roster for the 2008 season and finished tied for second in the conference standings. The Vikings hosted and won the 2008 Big Sky Championship tournament at the Peter W. Stott Center for a first ever trip to the NCAA DI tournament.
One of the highlights of Mozzochi’s incredible run at PSU came during the 1992 season when the Vikings ran off one of the best NCAA Division II seasons in history. The Vikings lost their ninth match of the year to Cal State-Bakersfield and would not lose again, winning their last 28 straight (31 including foreign teams) matches. Portland State swept through the first three rounds of the NCAA DII Tournament and then defeated Northern Michigan in five games in front of a sellout crowd at the Stott Center for national title number four.
After seven seasons in charge, Portland State women's golf coach Felicia Johnston announced her resignation, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. Johnston and her husband, Shane, had a son, Connor, summer of 2007. (PSU Vikings Official Athletics Site)
“I have been a head coach for 10 years (seven at PSU, three at Northern Arizona),” said Johnston. “Traveling and (coaching and parenting) was tough. Something was going to suffer. So, if I couldn’t do it 100%, I had to choose my family. I’ve been lucky to help this program grow, and I thank everyone for the support they have given me.” (GOLFWEEK, Nov 22, 2007)
Kathleen Takaishi was named the new women’s golf coach on February 4 and took over the program immediately in preparation for the 2008 spring season.
After his collegiate career, Parrott played professionally for several years. He played in the U.S. Open qualifier in 1973, and was a member of the Sea-Port Cascades of the World Team Tennis league in 1977. Between 1967 and 1980, Parrott was ranked No. 1 in doubles seven times in the Pacific Northwest, and was never ranked lower than No. 8 in singles.
Athletic nickname
The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a university or college within the United States is the name officially adopted by that institution for at least the members of its athletic teams...
of the NCAA-affiliated, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. PSU, being situated in the downtown district known as the "Park Blocks", has also sometimes been referred to as the Park Block Bombers.
The Vikings compete at the NCAA Division I level in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, indoor and outdoor track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
. The university holds membership in the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
(joined 1996). and the Pacific Coast Softball Conference
Pacific Coast Softball Conference
The Pacific Coast Softball Conference is an NCAA Division I conference that only sponsors women's softball. The conference was founded in 2002 as a six-team league, composed of Loyola Marymount University, Portland State University, California State University, Sacramento, Saint Mary's College of...
for softball. Along with the other Big Sky football programs, Viking football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
takes-part in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA.
Prior to joining Division I, the school won NCAA National Division II Championships in women's volleyball and wrestling. The school has also placed second twice nationally in football and once in women's basketball at the Division II level.
Portland State's colors are forest green and white, and its mascot is the Viking manifested as "Victor E. Viking".
Among the more notable former PSU athletes are Freeman Williams
Freeman Williams
Freeman Williams is a retired American college and professional basketball player. He was the 1978 NCAA men's basketball Division I scoring champion, and the Portland State University all-time scoring leader. Williams was the NCAA Division I national men's basketball individual scoring leader in...
and Neil Lomax
Neil Lomax
Neil Vincent Lomax is a former American football quarterback.-College career:Lomax was a standout college player at Portland State University, going from fifth-string freshman quarterback on partial scholarship to emergency starter to NCAA legend...
. Freeman Williams was the NCAA Division I national men's basketball individual scoring leader in 1977 and 1978. Neil Lomax was a record-setting quarterback who went on to star for the then St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL. Football's "Run & Shoot" offense was first implemented at the college level at PSU by then coach Darryl "Mouse" Davis. Davis' quarterback protégées were Lomax and June Jones
June Jones
June Sheldon Jones, III is the American football head coach for Southern Methodist University.-Playing career:Jones played the quarterback position on three college teams: Oregon , Hawaii , and Portland State . It is during his time at Portland State that he was introduced to the Run and Shoot...
. Jones, the former head coach at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
now at Southern Methodist, is also a proponent of the Run & Shoot.
Home games for football are held at Jeld-Wen Field, and home games for basketball are held on-campus at the Peter W. Stott Center
Stott Center
Peter W. Stott Center is a 2,000 seat multi-purpose arena located in Portland, Oregon, United States on the campus of Portland State University. The facility houses racquet courts, weight training, arena and a pool. It opened in 1966. 2,345 fans came to watch vikings defeat Boise state...
.
Torre Chisholm was named new Athletic Director March 26, 2007. Chisholm replaced interim AD Teri Mariani, who filled that role since February 2006 when Tom Burman left for the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
. Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
AD Jim Sterk preceded Burman as PSU AD.
Football
Football began competing at the college level in 1947. PSU competed at the small college level before beginning to compete at an interstate level in the 1960s. The 1970s brokered a new level of achievement under Mouse DavisMouse Davis
Darrel "Mouse" Davis is an American football coach and former player. A veteran coach at the high school, college, and professional levels, he is currently the wide receivers coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Davis served as the head football coach at Portland State University from...
. Mouse Davis installed the "Run & Shoot" which provided prolific scoring teams led by quarterbacks June Jones
June Jones
June Sheldon Jones, III is the American football head coach for Southern Methodist University.-Playing career:Jones played the quarterback position on three college teams: Oregon , Hawaii , and Portland State . It is during his time at Portland State that he was introduced to the Run and Shoot...
and Neil Lomax
Neil Lomax
Neil Vincent Lomax is a former American football quarterback.-College career:Lomax was a standout college player at Portland State University, going from fifth-string freshman quarterback on partial scholarship to emergency starter to NCAA legend...
. Later in the 1980s, highlights included 2nd place finishes in NCAA Division II in 1989 and 1990 under legendary coach Pokey Allen
Pokey Allen
Ernest Duncan "Pokey" Allen, Jr. was a football player and coach in the United States and Canada. He served as the head football coach at Portland State University from 1986 to 1992 and at Boise State University from 1993 to 1996, compiling a career college football record of 87–41–2...
.
The 2006 season included a victory over the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
. The team finished the season tied for second in the conference and featured PSU offensive lineman Brennan Carvalho and linebacker Adam Hayword being named All-Americans. Tim Walsh
Tim Walsh (football)
Tim Walsh is a college football coach, currently the head coach of the Cal Poly Mustangs. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the Army Black Knights, and the head coach at Portland State and Sonoma State....
completed his 14th year at the helm in 2006 and resigned to become the offensive coordinator at Army. Walsh was the longest tenured coach in PSU history. He was succeeded by Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
, former NFL head coach and University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
defensive coordinator. Glanville hired Mouse Davis
Mouse Davis
Darrel "Mouse" Davis is an American football coach and former player. A veteran coach at the high school, college, and professional levels, he is currently the wide receivers coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Davis served as the head football coach at Portland State University from...
as his new offensive coordinator who re-installed the Run & Shoot.
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
's initial season at PSU in 2007 was a disappointing 3–8 campaign. The team recorded a 1–4 home record, worst since 1973. However, enthusiasm was reflected with an increase in attendance and included a wild 73–68 loss to Weber State
2007 Weber State vs. Portland State football game
The 2007 Weber State-Portland State football game was a college football game held on October 23 at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. It pitted the Portland State Vikings against the Weber State Wildcats. The Wildcats defeated the Vikings 73-68...
. Center Brennan Carvalho finished a brilliant career by being named All-American for a second time. On December 8, 2009, Portland State announced Nevada
Nevada Wolf Pack football
The Nevada Wolf Pack Football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Western Athletic Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA...
defensive coordinator Nigel Burton
Nigel Burton
Nigel Burton is the current head coach for the Portland State Vikings college football team.-Playing career:Burton grew up in Sacramento where he attended Jesuit High School...
as their new head coach.
Rivals
See: The Dam CupThe Dam Cup
The Dam Cup Is a five sport rivalry between the Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles. The five sports competing for the cup are football, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball...
See: Eastern Washington Eagles Football
Portland State's rival are the Eastern Washington Eagles. The Eastern Washington University Eagles and the Portland State University Vikings is a five-sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup. The Dam Cup will celebrate the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference.
The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam.
The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body.
Head football coaches
{| border="0" width="100%"| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Tenure
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Coach
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Years
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Record
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Pct.
|- align="center"
| 1947 – 1954 || Joe Holland
Joe Holland (collegiate coach)
Joe Holland was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach in the United States. He was the first head college football coach for the Vanport Vikings located in Portland, Oregon. He held that position for eight seasons, from 1947 until 1954. His coaching record at Vanport was 20 wins,...
|| 8 || 20–42–3|| .331
|- align="center"
| 1955 – 1956 || Ralph Davis || 2 || 4–11–1 || .281
|- align="center"
| 1957 – 1958 || Les Leggatt || 2 || 6–11–0 || .353
|- align="center"
| 1959 – 1961 || Hugh Smithwick || 3 || 6–17–2 || .280
|- align="center"
| 1962 – 1962 || Tom DeSylvia
Tom DeSylvia
-External links:*...
|| 1 || 4–4–0 || .500
|- align="center"
| 1963 – 1967|| Jerry Lyons
Jerry Lyons
-External links:...
|| 5 || 21–24–1 || .467
|- align="center"
| 1968 – 1971 || Don Read
Don Read
Don Read is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Portland State University , the University of Oregon , the Oregon Institute of Technology , and the University of Montana , compiling a career...
* || 4 || 20–19 || .513
|- align="center"
| 1972 – 1974 || Ron Stratten
Ron Stratten
Ron Stratten was the head coach for the Portland State Vikings college football team from 1972 to 1974. He compiled an overall record of 9-24 in three seasons. Stratten was one of the first African American head football coaches at a university with a majority white enrollment.Stratten resigned...
|| 3 || 9–24–0 || .273
|- align="center"
| 1975 – 1980 || Mouse Davis
Mouse Davis
Darrel "Mouse" Davis is an American football coach and former player. A veteran coach at the high school, college, and professional levels, he is currently the wide receivers coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Davis served as the head football coach at Portland State University from...
|| 6 || 42–24–0 || .636
|- align="center"
| 1981 – 1985 || Don Read
Don Read
Don Read is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Portland State University , the University of Oregon , the Oregon Institute of Technology , and the University of Montana , compiling a career...
* || 5 || 19–33–1 || .365
|- align="center"
| 1986 – 1992 || Pokey Allen
Pokey Allen
Ernest Duncan "Pokey" Allen, Jr. was a football player and coach in the United States and Canada. He served as the head football coach at Portland State University from 1986 to 1992 and at Boise State University from 1993 to 1996, compiling a career college football record of 87–41–2...
|| 7 || 63–26–2 || .703
|- align="center"
| 1993 – 2006 || Tim Walsh
Tim Walsh (football)
Tim Walsh is a college football coach, currently the head coach of the Cal Poly Mustangs. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the Army Black Knights, and the head coach at Portland State and Sonoma State....
|| 14 || 90–68–0 || .570
|- align="center"
| 2007 – 2009 || Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
|| 3 || 9–24–0 || .273
|- align="center"
| 2010 – present || Nigel Burton
Nigel Burton
Nigel Burton is the current head coach for the Portland State Vikings college football team.-Playing career:Burton grew up in Sacramento where he attended Jesuit High School...
|| 1 || 2–9–0 || .222
|- align="center"
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| Totals
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 13 coaches
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 64 seasons
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 315–336–10
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| .483
|-
| colspan=5 | * Read's combined statistics: 9 seasons, with a record of 39–52–1 (.429).
|}
Basketball
National scoring champion Freeman WilliamsFreeman Williams
Freeman Williams is a retired American college and professional basketball player. He was the 1978 NCAA men's basketball Division I scoring champion, and the Portland State University all-time scoring leader. Williams was the NCAA Division I national men's basketball individual scoring leader in...
starred for PSU during the 1970s under coach Ken Edwards. PSU made the NCAA College Division playoffs in 1967, and twice competed in the NAIA playoffs in the 1950s.
In the Big Sky Conference:
When PSU joined the Big Sky Conference, basketball returned to campus after a hiatus that lasted from 1981 to 1996. The current head coach is Tyler Geving
Tyler Geving
Tyler Geving is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of Portland State University's Vikings men's basketball program. Before accepting the job as head coach, Geving served for four years as the assistant head coach of Portland State under Ken Bone...
. Portland State has qualified for the Big Sky Conference Tournament eight times in the eleven years it has been eligible. The Vikings have a 6–6 Big Sky Tournament record, including 2–0 against Montana State, 2–0 against Idaho State, 1–1 against Eastern Washington, and 1–2 against Northern Arizona and 0–3 against Weber State.
PSU completed the 2006–07 season with a 19–13 overall record and a 9–7 conference record. In the conference tournament, PSU defeated Montana State and was then defeated by Weber State to finish the season.
PSU rolled through the Big Sky in 2007–08, losing only two conference games on the way to a second ever conference championship since last winning in 2005. The Vikings went on to win the conference tourney by beating Idaho State in a semi-final match and Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
in the final to secure the school's first NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship Tournament berth. The Vikings (23–9) were selected as a No. 16 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in the Midwest Region, losing to #1 seeded and eventual national champion Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
by a score of 85–61.
In the 2008–09, for the second year in a row, the Portland State Vikings completed a 23–10 basketball season with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Matched with the previous season, the two 23-win seasons tie for the most in school history. And, both seasons culminated with appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Although the Vikings did not win the Big Sky Conference regular season title (as they did in 2007–08), the second-place team did win the Big Sky Tournament for a second straight season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Portland State earned a number-13 seed but lost in the Tournament to fourth-seeded Xavier in a first-round game, 77–59. The regular season highlights included a victory on the road over then seventh ranked Gonzaga and a victory over Boise State in a ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
"bracket-buster" game.
Head basketball coaches
{| border="0" width="100%"| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Tenure
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Coach
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Years
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Record
!bgcolor="#02461D"| Pct.
|- align="center"
| 1946 – 1947 || John Jenkins
John Jenkins
John Jenkins may refer to:*John Jenkins , Maine state senator, mayor and candidate for Governor of Maine*John Jenkins , English composer*John Jenkins , colonial governor of North Carolina...
|| 1 || 11–10 || .524
|- align="center"
| 1947 – 1948 || Joe Holland
Joe Holland
Joe Holland is an American nordic combined skier who competed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His best finish at the Olympic Winter Games was eighth in the 3 x 10 km event at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France...
|| 1 || 14–5 || .737
|- align="center"
| 1948 – 1953 || Arba Ager || 5 || 85–52 || .620
|- align="center"
| 1953 – 1965 || Sharkey Nelson || 12 || 162–156 || .509
|- align="center"
| 1965 – 1972 || Marion Pericin || 7 || 85–82 || .509
|- align="center"
| 1972 – 1978 || Ken Edwards
Ken Edwards
Ken Edwards is a poet, editor, writer and musician who has lived in England since 1968. He is associated with The British Poetry Revival....
|| 6 || 93–64 || .592
|- align="center"
| 1978 – 1981 || Glen Kinney || 3 || 18–62 || .225
|- align="center"
| 1996 – 1998 || Ritchie McKay
Ritchie McKay
Ritchie Lawrence McKay is an assistant coach for the Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team. Previously, the Indianapolis, Indiana native was the head coach of Liberty University, the University of New Mexico, Oregon State, Colorado State, and Portland State.-Biography:McKay got his first head...
|| 2 || 24–29 || .453
|- align="center"
| 1998 – 2002 || Joel Sobotka
Joel Sobotka
Joel Sobotka is a current University of Portland assistant men's basketball coach. He formerly was an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge. Prior to Cal State Northridge, he was an assistant coach under Ritchie McKay and then head coach for four seasons at Portland State University.-Head...
|| 4 || 53–59 || .452
|- align="center"
| 2003 – 2005 || Heath Schroyer
Heath Schroyer
Heath Schroyer is an American college basketball coach, currently an assistant under Dave Rice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas...
+ || 3 || 35–47 || .427
|- align="center"
| 2005 – 2009 || Ken Bone
Ken Bone
-Coaching career:Bone graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1983. He was an assistant coach at Shorecrest HS in Shoreline, WA and Cal State Stanislaus before returning to Seattle Pacific as an assistant coach in 1986, becoming the head coach in 1990...
* || 4 || 77–49 || .616
|- align="center"
| 2009 – current || Tyler Geving
Tyler Geving
Tyler Geving is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of Portland State University's Vikings men's basketball program. Before accepting the job as head coach, Geving served for four years as the assistant head coach of Portland State under Ken Bone...
|| 1 || 13–19 || .406
|- align="center"
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| Totals
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 12 coaches
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 48 seasons
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| 670–634
!bgcolor="#DAA520"| .514
|-
| colspan=5 | +Big Sky Conference 2005 Regular Season Champion. *Big Sky Conference '08 Regular Season Champs. 2008 & '09 Tourney Champs. 2008 & '09 NCAA Tournament bids.
|}
Wrestling
PSU's wrestling program has won NCAA Division II Championships in 1969, 1989 and 1990. Rick SandersRichard Sanders (wrestler)
Richard Sanders was an Olympic wrestler from the United States. He won a silver medal in both the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, the flyweight division, and the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in Germany in the bantamweight division. Both medals were won in freestyle wrestling...
was the first Viking to win individual national championships and was a two-time Olympic silver medalist. Portland State eliminated its wrestling program in 2009 due to state budget issues attributed to the worst recessions to hit the US since the great depression.. The programs final head coach was 1987 alum Mike Haluska.
Track & Field
The men and women's track & field teams are led by interim head coach Ronnye Harrison. The assistant track & field coaches are John Parks and Seth Henson.Tennis
Head Coach Brian Parrott leads the Vikings' tennis program starting with the 2008–09 season. After his collegiate career, Parrott played professionally for several years. He played in the U.S. Open qualifier in 1973, and was a member of the Sea-Port Cascades of the World Team Tennis league in 1977. Between 1967 and 1980, Parrott was ranked No. 1 in doubles seven times in the Pacific Northwest, and was never ranked lower than No. 8 in singles. But recently Parrott resigned from his coaching position, and is now taken over by assistant coach Jay Starling.Basketball
The women's basketball tradition includes considerable success at the NCAA DII level playing for national championships prior to moving to Division I. Head Sherri Murrell, formerly the head coach of Washington StateWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, was hired July 1, 2007 to lead the program into its second decade in the Big Sky. Murrell was preceded by Coach Charity Elliot who resigned at the end of the 2006-07 season to become the head coach at University of California-San Diego.
Under first-year head coach Sherri Murrell, the 2007-08 Portland State team finished 22-9 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Portland State finished 11-5 in the Big Sky, tying with Montana State for third place, to post its first winning conference mark since going 8-6 in 2002-03. The Vikings were impressive in their conference victories, posting an average margin of victory of 16.7 points. The 22 wins marked the Vikings’ first 20-win season as a Division I program, and their first since going 25-5 as a member of Division II in 1995-96.
In 2008-09 under Murrell's guidance, Portland State posted an impressive 14-2 conference record in the Big Sky Conference losing only to Montana State at home and Montana on the road. PSU finished second behind Montana and beat Idaho State in the conference semi-finals and then lost to Montana in the tournament final.
Volleyball
Long time coach Jeff Mozzochi led the Vikings to it most successful DI finish in 2006 since moving up from DII. With a .750 winning percentage (21-7, 14-2), the best in the school’s Division I era, PSU finished second in the conference’s final standings for the second straight year. In the off-season, Mozzochi relinquished the head coaching reigns of the program to assistant Michael Seemann. Mozzochi moved into an associate head coaching position.Under Seemann, the Vikings ended the 2007 season with a 21-8 record and Portland State's first ever Big Sky Regular Championship but missed the NCAA tournament by losing in the conference tournament.
Portland State returned most of its 2007 roster for the 2008 season and finished tied for second in the conference standings. The Vikings hosted and won the 2008 Big Sky Championship tournament at the Peter W. Stott Center for a first ever trip to the NCAA DI tournament.
One of the highlights of Mozzochi’s incredible run at PSU came during the 1992 season when the Vikings ran off one of the best NCAA Division II seasons in history. The Vikings lost their ninth match of the year to Cal State-Bakersfield and would not lose again, winning their last 28 straight (31 including foreign teams) matches. Portland State swept through the first three rounds of the NCAA DII Tournament and then defeated Northern Michigan in five games in front of a sellout crowd at the Stott Center for national title number four.
Soccer
A new era in Portland State women’s soccer began on Feb. 22, 2008, when former All-American and professional player Laura Schott was named the Vikings’ new head coach. Schott is the seventh head coach in program history. The soccer team won the Big Sky Conference Championship in 2004 under then coach Tara Erickson who subsequently was hired by the University of Oregon.Golf
The Viking program has been in existence since 1996, but has already proven to be competitive at a high level under former Portland State golf coach Felicia Johnston’s guidance. Johnston, led the Vikings to three Big Sky Conference Championships during her tenure (2003, 2004, 2005).After seven seasons in charge, Portland State women's golf coach Felicia Johnston announced her resignation, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. Johnston and her husband, Shane, had a son, Connor, summer of 2007. (PSU Vikings Official Athletics Site)
“I have been a head coach for 10 years (seven at PSU, three at Northern Arizona),” said Johnston. “Traveling and (coaching and parenting) was tough. Something was going to suffer. So, if I couldn’t do it 100%, I had to choose my family. I’ve been lucky to help this program grow, and I thank everyone for the support they have given me.” (GOLFWEEK, Nov 22, 2007)
Kathleen Takaishi was named the new women’s golf coach on February 4 and took over the program immediately in preparation for the 2008 spring season.
Softball
Tobin Echo-Hawk has been coach since the 2008-'09 season and is just the third head softball coach at PSU since 1977. The teams record for her first two years is 59-33. They are 27-16 with three games left (as of 5/3/11) in the '10-'11 season. Prior to joining the Vikings staff she was the head coach at Broomfield High School in Colorado in 2006. She also spent three years coaching at her alma mater in Colorado, Centaurus High School, and guided the team to a record of 60-15 from 2000-02. Overall as a high school head coach, she compiled a four-year record of 97-26, produced seven all-state performers, and was twice named the league coach of the year.Track & Field
The men and women's track & field teams are led by interim head coach Ronnye Harrison. The assistant track & field coaches are John Parks and Seth Henson.Tennis
Head Coach Brian Parrott leads the Vikings' tennis program starting with the 2008-'09 season.After his collegiate career, Parrott played professionally for several years. He played in the U.S. Open qualifier in 1973, and was a member of the Sea-Port Cascades of the World Team Tennis league in 1977. Between 1967 and 1980, Parrott was ranked No. 1 in doubles seven times in the Pacific Northwest, and was never ranked lower than No. 8 in singles.