Dear Viking Family,
 
Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are committed to building a stronger Athletic Department to serve our community.  To start the Spring 2015 quarter all student-athletes, coaches, and staff came together to kick off the term and begin the work to grow our Viking Family.  Our student-athletes are our best ambassadors to connect Athletics with the entire campus community.  We all agreed to start three basic initiatives:
 
1) Support each other.  Between our entire staff and student athletes we are 350 strong.  If you want to grow your support it has to start from within.  Our student-athletes do a great job of supporting one another, but we can always improve.  Remember our job is to get better every day.  
2) Become engaged with all areas of campus life.  From ASPSU to student organizations to residence life, we will not stand on the sidelines but will become better campus partners and impact our great campus in new and exciting ways.
3) Take pride in everything we do.  WE ARE PORTLAND STATE.  You will see and hear that phrase more and more over the next several months.  Our student body, 29,000 strong, and our faculty are serving our city through education, service, and scholarly research.  Our student-athletes are representing our school in athletic competitions across the country with the gritty determination that is part of our PSU identity.  
 
As a visual reminder of the pride and passion we have in Portland State we are planning to show our pride by wearing green on Fridays.   All Vikings can take part, and WEAR YOUR GREEN . . . WITH PRIDE!
 
Although sometimes it's hard for everyone to see, we are making steady progress.  Spring Football is underway and Coach Barnum and his staff have brought a renewed energy to both sides of the ball.  Watching practice at 7 a.m., and seeing first hand the teamwork, enthusiasm, and discipline shown by our team is not good for the rest of the Big Sky.  (Lookout Montana, EWU, et al, we are coming after you!)  We will be ready for Fall 2015, and I am excited about this team. 
 
Coach Geving and his staff have not rested since the Big Sky Tournament and have recently landed some talented recruits to help our Men's Basketball program build on two consecutive winning seasons.   Men's Basketball is poised to take the next step to contend for a conference title.
 
Also, we announced this week the hiring of Lynn Kennedy as our new Women's Basketball Head Coach.  He brings a ton of coaching experience to Portland State serving as a successful head coach over the past 14 seasons.  I hope Viking fans like scoring, because Coach Kennedy believes playing fast and playing tough will win the day. His teams will be fun to watch. 
 
April is a great month for our department because Softball, Track & Field, Tennis, and Women's Golf are in full swing competing for postseason play, and our fall sports are also working hard to prepare for next season.  We have great coaches, and I am fortunate to work with each of them.
 
We are also attempting to expand our reach to fans and the general public. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We have added a weekly Viking sports video notebook called "The Norse Code." It runs anywhere from 6-12 minutes and has information on our teams, Viking events and interviews with coaches and student athletes. You can find the Norse Code on our YouTube page or on GoViks.com.
 
Our staff is also working hard to shape our future.  We are currently working on a six-year plan for comprehensive excellence to give our student-athletes the necessary resources to compete for Big Sky Championships, graduate from Portland State, and be leaders in our community.  This plan will include details of how we will need to grow our revenues to out-pace expenses so WE CAN TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE FIELD.  Together we will make great things happen for PSU. 
 
Stay tuned, there will be more to come . . .
 
Go Viks!
Mark
Mark Rountree
Director of Athletics
 
 
FOLLOW THE VIKINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
 
YouTube
Athletics: www.youtube.com/GoPortlandState
 
Facebook
Portland State Vikings
Portland State Women's Golf
Portland State Women's Basketball
Portland State Softball
Portland State Men's Tennis
Portland State Women's Tennis
 
Instagram
Athletics: psu_vikings
 
Twitter
Athletics: @PSU_Vikings
Athletics Director Mark Rountree: @MarkRountree
Vikings Football: @viks_football
Football Coach Bruce Barnum: @CoachBarnum69
Women's Golf Coach Kailin Downs: @Kailin Down
Women's Golf: @VikingsWGolf
Women's Tennis: @viking_tennis
Softball: @PortlandStateSB
Softball Coach Barb Sherwood: @PSUSB!
Cross Country: @VIKSCX
Women's Basketball: @PSU_WBB
Media Relations Director Mike Lund: @mikelund65


The Athletic Director's Corner: Feb. 24, 2015