The Portland State Athletics Department has elevated Tyler Geving to Head Men's Basketball Coach and charged him with furthering the development of the most successful era in Viking basketball history.

Geving was introduced as Portland State's new Head Coach at a press conference in the Stott Center's Morrow Team Room on the PSU campus on Tuesday afternoon. His selection as the 12th Head Coach in Viking basketball history comes after four seasons as the number one assistant to former coach Ken Bone, and the last two seasons as Associate Head Coach.

Geving takes over a program that has had back-to-back 23-10 seasons, Big Sky Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. The 35-year-old native of Burien, WA played a major role in those successes as the team's recruiting coordinator and defensive coach. Geving's hiring is the culmination of 14 years as an assistant and one season as a co-Head Coach at the junior college level.

“It was important that we not make the easy choice, but that we make the right choice,” said Director of Athletics Torre Chisholm, “and Tyler Geving is the right choice for this program. He takes this position with the support of the players, the boosters and the administration.

“We are really excited to have Tyler here. He presents a great opportunity for us to continue forward with the positive success that we've had. It is important to us that he played a significant role in helping us develop that success. I think, as we talked to other coaches, he is the one that stood out in really understanding our circumstances because he has lived through them and been successful through them. He is the guy that really is committed to being the head coach at Portland State.”

Unquestionably, Geving brings continuity to the program that will be extremely valuable in maintaining success. That should bear itself out in recruiting, as Geving will remain in charge of that area and build on the recent successes that has brought outstanding talent to the Viking program.

“I am very excited for this opportunity,” said Geving. “We have a great team coming back and I want to keep this program going in the same direction we have been. I want to maintain the continuity and make this program better than it is right now.

"I feel like I bring great energy and enthusiasm to this job every day. I have a good rapport with our players and feel that is a great strength on the court, in recruiting, and within this program."

Portland State will return seven letterwinners from the 2008-09 roster, including three starters and sixth-man Dominic Waters, who was a second team All-Big Sky Conference selection. The Vikings also have three redshirts returning and have signed two high school student-athletes to national letters of intent during the early signing period. Geving expects the Vikings to sign two more players in the spring signing period which opens on April 15.

Geving becomes the fifth Viking Head Coach since the return of basketball to the Park Blocks in 1996-97. The previous four, in reverse chronology: are Ken Bone (4 years, 77-49); Heath Schroyer (3 years, 35-47); Joel Sobotka (4 years, 53-59) and Ritchie McKay (2 years, 24-29).

BACKGROUND
Prior to coming to Portland State with Bone for the 2005-06 season, Geving had spent a decade coaching collegiately in the state of Washington. In 2004-05, Geving served as co-Head Coach at Edmonds Community College. He was scheduled to take over as Head Coach prior to coming to Portland State.

Geving worked three seasons at Seattle University under Joe Callero (now the Head Coach at Cal Poly), the first year as an assistant and the next two as associate head coach. Geving spent the 2000-01 season as an assistant for Bone at Seattle Pacific. That team was 21-6 and made a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Geving first worked under Callero at Highline Community College. From 1996-98 the Thunderbirds posted a combined 63-2 record, claiming back-to-back NWAACC titles. In Geving's four years as an assistant at Highline CC, the team compiled a 107-18 record. He also coached current Boston Celtic Brian Scalabrine at Highline.

Geving began his coaching career as an assistant under Greg Sparling at Central Washington University from 1994-96. The Wildcats advanced to the NAIA sweet 16 in the 1994-95 season.

Geving also played during Callero's first head coaching stint at Highline CC during the 1991-92 season, helping the Thunderbirds to the NWAACC tournament.

A 1991 graduate of Highline High School in Burien, Geving set career, season and single-game scoring records and was a three-time all-league selection as a prep. He received his bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in health education from Central Washington in 1996 and earned his master's degree in education from City University in 2000.

THE TYLER GEVING FILE
1st year as Head Coach, 5th year at Portland State overall

Hometown: Burien, WA
Alma Mater: Central Washington, '96, Elementary Education; MA, City University, '00, Education
Date of Birth: June 22, 1973

Coaching Experience:
2007-09    Portland State - Associate Head Coach (46-20, one Big Sky title, two Big Sky Tournament titles, two NCAA appearances)
2005-07    Portland State - Assistant Coach (31-29 ? total record while a PSU assistant, 77-49)
2004-05    Edmonds CC - co-Head Coach
2002-04    Seattle University - Associate Head Coach
2001-02    Seattle University - Assistant Coach
2000-01    Seattle Pacific - Assistant Coach
1996-00    Highline CC - Assistant Coach
1994-96    Central Washington - Assistant Coach