Mike Neighbors

Mike Neighbors

Sport(s)	Women's college basketball
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Washington
Conference	Pac-12
Record	75–36 (.676)
Biographical details
Born	(1969-03-29) March 29, 1969 Greenwood, Arkansas
Alma mater	University of Arkansas – Fort Smith University of Arkansas
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1994–1998	Bentonville HS
1998–1999	Cabot HS
2001–2005	Tulsa (asst.)
2005–2006	Colorado (asst.)
2006–2007	Arkansas (asst.)
2007–2010	Xavier (asst.)
2011–2013	Washington (asst.)
2013–present	Washington
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1999–2001	Arkansas (dir. of ops.)
Head coaching record
Overall	75–36 (.676) (college)
Tournaments	4–2 (NCAA) 3–1 (WNIT)

Michael Earl Neighbors (born March 29, 1969)^[1] is the University of Washington head women's basketball coach. He is in his third year as a head coach, having served as an assistant under Kevin McGuff for several years, including two years with the Huskies.

Early years

Neighbors was born and raised in Greenwood, Arkansas, where he played basketball at Greenwood High School. His family was very involved in the school system, as teachers, school secretaries, assistant superintendent and superintendent positions.^[2] Neighbors completed his associate's degree at Westark Community College (now the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith) in 1989 and bachelor's degree at the University of Arkansas in 1993.^[3]

Coaching career

In 1994, Neighbors became head girls' basketball coach at Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas. The team improved from a 1–24 record in his first season to winning at least 18 games each of the next three seasons and reached the state finals in 1997.^[4][3]

Neighbors then took the same job at Cabot High School in Cabot, Arkansas in 1998 and taught biology at the school also. During his year at Cabot, he was playing some pickup basketball. He had bet a high school player he could dunk. He won and played five pickup games that morning. After going home, he was resting on his couch when he experienced a heart attack. Doctors placed two stents in his chest to help with the blood flow, and he was back to coaching the following Friday. However, he decided he had to change his life and he resigned the head coaching position to take an administrative job at the University of Arkansas. The change resulted in a substantial pay cut.^[5]

College assistant

From 1999 to 2001, Neighbors was director of operations for Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball.^[3] Neighbors explains his philosophy: "...be the head coach of whatever they ask you to do."^[5] He did his so well, he moved on to more responsibilities. Blair asked him to help out with camps, then viewing opponents videos to write scouting reports. When he works on scouting reports, he follows a routine, which never varies. He watches the game four times before he takes his first note. Then he uses a specific kind of pad, and the same four writing instruments to record his thoughts. He doesn't just record what the team is doing, but what they are trying to accomplish and what will be an effective counter.^[6]

After two years as director of basketball operations at Arkansas, Neighbors became an assistant coach at Tulsa under Kathy McConnell-Miller.^[7] While an assistant at Tulsa, the school had their best record in school history (19–12) and their first ever post-season invitation.^[3]

When McConnell-Miller left to take over the Colorado program, Neighbors continued as her assistant at Colorado. After one year at Colorado, Susie Gardner persuaded Neighbors to return to Arkansas, this time as a full assistant.^[8]

After one year at Colorado, Susie Gardner persuaded Neighbors to return to Arkansas, this time as a full assistant.^[8] The return home did not last long, as Gardner and Arkansas parted ways at the end of the season. Arkansas replaced Gardner with Tom Collen, who chose to bring in his own staff as assistants.^[9]

Neighbors was hired by Xavier head coach Kevin McGuff in time for the 2007-08 season. He continued as McGuff's assistant through the 2010–11 season, during which time the Musketeers were 108–22, winning the A10 Conference Tournament three of the four years, making the NCAA tournament each year, and advancing to the Elite Eight in 2010, losing to national runner-up Stanford by just two points.^[10] While at Xavier, Neighbors was selected as one of the best assistant coaches in the country. He was chosen as one of five recipients for the BasketballScoop.com and ONS Performance Rising Star award.^[11]

The Huskies turned around their 11–17 record, improving to 20–14 and making it to the Quarterfinals of the WNIT. The next year, the team improved again, finishing 21–12, and finishing 5th in the Pac-12 Conference, their best finish since 2007. However, at the end of McGuff's second season, Ohio State decided to move on from Jim Foster, and persuaded McGuff to take over the head coaching position for the Buckeyes. McGuff, who had signed a three-year contract extension just three weeks earlier, was persuaded to return to his home state.^[12]

Washington head coach

On April 21, 2013, Washington hired Neighbors to be women's basketball head coach.^[13]

In his first year, Washington finished 20-14 (10-8 Pac-12). Among the team's wins was a nationally televised upset of then-No. 3 Stanford at Alaska Airlines Arena that snapped Stanford's 58-game road conference winning streak.^[14]

Washington earned its first top-25 ranking since 2003 in Neighbors's second season in 2014–15 and made the NCAA Tournament as a #6 seed. In the first round, Washington lost to #11 seed University of Miami.^[14]

In the 2015–16 postseason, the Huskies were picked as an at-large bid as a #7 seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament in the Lexington region. After beating #10 seed Penn 65-53, the Huskies upset #2 Maryland on their homecourt 74-65 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. The Huskies played against #3 Kentucky on their homecourt to defeat the Wildcats 85-72 to advance to the Elite 8. The Huskies played against their Pac-12 opponent Stanford in the Elite Eight, where the Huskies and Cardinals split the season series. The Huskies led throughout the game and they defeated the Cardinals 85-76 to advance to their first ever Final Four berth.^[15]

Head coaching record

References