Gordy Presnell (born July 20, 1960) is the women's basketball coach for Boise State University since 2005. Before joining Boise State, Presnell coached boys basketball teams for Lapwai High School and Kendrick High School during the 1980s. After joining Seattle Pacific University as a graduate assistant in 1986, Presnell became their women's basketball coach in 1987. With Seattle Pacific, Presnell's team won three Pacific West Conference events and reached the final of the 2005 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament. Upon leaving the team in 2005, Presnell had 396 wins and 127 losses.

Presnell became the head coach of the women's basketball team at Boise State University in 2005. From 2007 to 2020, Presnell's team won the WAC women's basketball tournament once and the Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament five times. In between this time period, Presnell and his team reached the second round of the 2008 Women's National Invitation Tournament and the 2014 Women's Basketball Invitational. With the two schools, Presnell received nine conference Coach of the Year awards from the 1990s to 2019. For Division II schools, Presnell won the WBCA National Coach of the Year Award in 2003 and 2004. As a women's basketball coach, Presnell won his 700th game in 2021.

Early life and education

Presnell was born in Lapwai, Idaho on July 20, 1960.[1] He started his basketball experience as a child while living at the Nez Perce Reservation. During his studies at Northwest Nazarene University, Presnell continued to play basketball throughout the early 1980s. He also briefly attended the University of Idaho in 1986.[2] In the late 1980s, Presnell completed his education at Seattle Pacific University.[3]

Career

Early career

In the mid-1980s, Presnell was an assistant coach with Lapwai High School and Kendrick High School when they won Idaho championships in boys basketball.[3] During this time period, Lapwai was the A-3 division winner in 1984 and Kendrick was the A-4 division winner in 1985.[4][5] As the boys basketball coach for Kendrick, Presnell and his team were fifth at the A-4 division of the 1986 Idaho championships.[2][6]

Seattle Pacific

In 1986, Presnell worked for Seattle Pacific in men's basketball as a graduate assistant.[2] Starting in 1987, Presnell was the women's basketball coach for Seattle Pacific when they competed in the NAIA.[7] While working as a coach for Seattle Pacific, Presnell also stocked ice cream trucks until 1989.[2]

In 1991, Presnell's team began playing in the NCAA Division II.[7] During the early 1990s, Seattle Pacific played in the Continental Divide Conference before joining the Pacific West Conference upon its creation in 1992.[8] While in the Pacific West, Presnell's team won the conference in 1997 and 1998.[9] Seattle Pacific won an additional Pacific West title in women's basketball during 2001.[10]

That year, Seattle Pacific was scheduled to move into the newly established Great Northwest Athletic Conference.[11] While part of the GNAC, Presnell and Seattle Pacific reached the final of the 2005 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament in March 2005.[12][13] Upon leaving the team in June 2005, Presnell had accumulated 396 wins and 127 losses, won six conference championships and reached the postseason 14 times with Seattle Pacific.[14]

Boise State

Presnell became the coach of the women's basketball team at Boise State University in 2005.[15] While with Boise State, Presnell and the team were the 2007 WAC women's basketball tournament champions.[16] In 2011, the school joined the Mountain West Conference.[17] Between 2015 and 2020, Presnell and his team won the Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament five times.[18] At the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, Presnell and his team reached the first round in 2007.[19][20]

In the early 2010s, Presnell considered taking a sabbatical to look after his ill mother.[21] From 2015 to 2019, Presnell and Boise State appeared in four more NCAA Tournaments.[22][23] Presnell's team had received a spot in the 2020 edition before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the NCAA event from happening.[24] During this time period, Boise State reached the second round of the 2008 Women's National Invitation Tournament and the 2014 Women's Basketball Invitational.[25][26] By 2023, Presnell had 334 wins and 227 losses with Boise State and entered the 2023-24 season with the 10th most wins among active Division I women's basketball head coaches.[27]

Awards

In women's basketball, Presnell was Coach of the Year three times for Seattle Pacific as a member of the Pacific West Conference during the 1990s.[28][9] He received an additional Coach of the Year award from the PWC in 2001.[29] In the GNAC, Presnell was named Coach of the Year consecutively from 2003 to 2005.[30]

During this time period, he won the WBCA National Coach of the Year Award in 2003 and 2004 for Division II schools.[31] While at Boise State, Presnell received the 2007 Coach of the Year award with the Western Athletic Conference.[32] He also was named Coach of the Year for the Mountain West Conference in 2019.[33]

Overall performance and personal life

Overall, Presnell won his 600th women's basketball game in 2016.[34] In 2021, he won his 700th game.[18] Presnell has two kids and is married.[27]

References

  1. ^ Blomenberg, Jean; Senappe, Bonnie; Feldman, Amber; Myers, Erin; Prescott, Bob (March 2007). NCAA Women's Basketball's Finest (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 140. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Rains, B.J. (November 27, 2019). "Family Man: Boise State's Gordy Presnell Has Overcome Challenges to Become a Winner on the Court and in Life". Blue Turf Sports. Idaho Press. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Lapwai native hired at BSU". Lewiston Tribune. June 4, 2005. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "Lapwai wins first A-3 title since 1956". South Idaho Press. Associated Press. March 11, 1984. p. B2.
  5. ^ McRoberts, Flynn; Crump, Steve (March 10, 1985). "Palouse keeps A-4 franchise". The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. p. D1.
  6. ^ Gates, Ron (March 9, 1986). "Wolves stun No. 1 Injuns, take A-4 title". The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho.
  7. ^ a b Glancy, John; Lingren, Wes; MacDonald, Frank; Meier, Adrienne (2021). Go Birds! A Concise History of Varsity Athletics at Seattle Pacific University 1933-2017 (SPU 125 ed.). Seattle Pacific University. p. 162. ISBN 9781792370281. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Issuu.
  8. ^ "New Division II conference formed". The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. June 4, 1992. p. B-4.
  9. ^ a b "SPU coach honored". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. March 26, 1998. p. C7.
  10. ^ "PacWest Titles By School". The Pacific West Conference. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "Lewis and Clark athletic director stepping down". The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. April 28, 2001.
  12. ^ Carpenter, Wendy (March 26, 2005). "Seattle Pacific women vie for national title". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. p. C6.
  13. ^ "SPU women take tumble". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. News Tribune news services. March 27, 2005. p. C9.
  14. ^ Seattle Times staff (June 4, 2005). "NW brief: Presnell leaving SPU for Boise State job". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  15. ^ "Presnell quits Seattle Pacific to take over at Boise State". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. June 4, 2005. p. C2.
  16. ^ "Boise State women win WAC". The Honolulu Advertiser. Associated Press. March 11, 2007. p. C5.
  17. ^ Cripe, Chadd; Murphy, Brian (July 1, 2011). "A Brand New Day". The Idaho Statesman. p. S1.
  18. ^ a b Roberts, Rachel (February 6, 2021). "'Heart of a lion.' Boise State's Presnell checks off another milestone in storied career". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  19. ^ "Women's Division I Basketball Championship". Lansing State Journal. March 18, 2007. p. 6C.
  20. ^ "Fast start buoys GW, 76-67". The Baltimore Sun. Wire reports. March 18, 2007. p. 15D.
  21. ^ Rains, B.J. (April 15, 2019). "Q & A: Boise State women's basketball coach Gordy Presnell on 32 years as a head coach, the pain of losing to Oregon State and more". Blue Turf Sports. Idaho Press. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  22. ^ Roberts, Rachel (March 14, 2019). "BSU women fighting for berth at NCAA tourney". The Idaho Statesman. p. 1B.
  23. ^ Gress, Steve (March 25, 2019). "Seeds don't always hold true". Corvallis Gazette-Times. p. B3.
  24. ^ Rains, B.J. (March 16, 2020). "Presnell "heartbroken" after Boise State seniors miss out on NCAA Tournament". Blue Turf Sports. Idaho Press. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  25. ^ "Women's National Invitation Tournament". The Park City Daily News. March 27, 2008. p. 2C.
  26. ^ "Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament". The Idaho Statesman. March 24, 2014. p. S5.
  27. ^ a b "Gordy Presnell". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  28. ^ "PSU guard honored". Statesman Journal. AP wires. February 28, 1995. p. 2C.
  29. ^ "Kaczor named to PacWest first team". The Bellingham Herald. March 6, 2001. p. B1.
  30. ^ "GNAC Women's Basketball All-Time Award Winners" (PDF). Great Northwest Athletic Conference. p. 1. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  31. ^ "Past Recipients". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. 17 February 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  32. ^ "Pack's Criner earns first team All-WAC". Reno Gazette-Journal. March 5, 2007. p. 3C.
  33. ^ Roberts, Rachel (March 11, 2019). "Boise State junior guards, Broncos' coach honored". The Idaho Statesman. p. 2B.
  34. ^ Simonar, Zachary (December 20, 2016). "Lapwai native Presnell nets win 600 at BSU". KLEW-TV. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
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