Former Big Bend coach headed to Oregon
BBCC Vikings Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. - When Kelly Graves took over as head women's basketball coach for Big Bend Community College the program was an afterthought.
The Vikings were a perennial bottom feeder that hadn't recorded more than eight wins since the NWAACC moved to divisions in the 1984-85 season.
In Graves' first season, 1989-90, Big Bend plodded toward a 4-22 record. However, the foundation had been put in place and just one year later the Vikings' record shot up to 18-8.
By year three, Big Bend had become a force in the NWAACC with a 23-10 record and a fourth place finish in the championship tournament.
Graves left after three seasons in Moses Lake and was most recently the head women's basketball coach for Gonzaga University.
Monday, the University of Oregon announced that the school had hired Graves to take over its women's basketball program. The Ducks finished last season 16-16, have only one winning record in the last seven years and last made the NCAA tournament in 2005.
Graves, 51, became an assistant at the University of Portland before taking the head coaching job at St. Mary's University in 1997.
The Gaels made one NCAA tournament appearance before Graves migrated to Spokane in 2000.
In 14 seasons with the Bulldogs, Graves compiled a 317-176 record with seven NCAA tournament appearance, advancing as far as the Elite Eight in 2011.
Graves is a Utah native and a graduate of the University of New Mexico.
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