Women’s basketball coach: Fired

After a rough season, and five years of coaching here at PSU, the Portland State women’s basketball head coach, George Wolfe, will not return to the Portland State athletics department. Athletics Director Tom Burman announced the decision at a team meeting on Monday afternoon..

“On behalf of the entire athletics department, I want to thank George for his commitment to the program and wish him well in all future endeavors,” Burman said.

With five years in the women’s basketball program, Coach Wolfe’s tenure was the second longest of the last eight coaches who have directed the Viking program since its beginning in 1975.

In these last five years, Coach Wolfe has led the PSU ladies to a couple of Big Sky tournament appearances. He has accumulated a 43-97 record and during Wolfe’s four seasons on the job, his players have received 21 Academic All-Big Sky Awards.

One of coach Wolfe’s original recruits, senior forward Sarah Hedgepeth, earned first team All-Big Sky honors as a junior and became the new Portland State career rebounding leader this past season. Hedgepeth was once again named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team once again this season. Big Sky officials gave the announcement Tuesday evening.

Last season was much more fortunate for the ladies. The Vikings posted a very appealing winning conference mark of 8-6 in 2002-03, but unfortunately didn’t have the same results this season. After struggling quite a bit this past season, the Viks went 3-11 in Big Sky play and 6-22 overall. In the past 29 seasons, the PSU women’s basketball program has a record of 400-397.

Of the last five years of Coach Wolfe’s stay at PSU, this year has been his second worst record-wise. This season ended with a final record of 6-22 overall and 3-11 in the Big Sky. His winningest season came last year when the Viks finished 13-15 overall and 8-6 in the Big Sky.

Portland State’s search for a new women’s head coach has already begun. Next season, the Vikings will return four starters. Six letterwinners and two redshirts currently make up the 2004-05 roster.

At this point coach Wolfe has not decided what he will do or if he wants to go back to coaching.