BIOGRAPHY
Part of the Portland State women’s basketball program for the past 10 years, Keithan Gregg will serve his fourth year as associate head coach of the Vikings during the 2024-25 season. Gregg spent his first two years as the Vikings' director of basketball operations, before serving as a full-time assistant for the next four seasons.
Gregg helped orchestrate the biggest year-to-year turnaround in program history during his second year as associate head coach. After an 0-20 conference campaign during their 2021-22 season, the Vikings went 8-10 during the 2022-23 season. The +8 win differential was not only the largest turnaround in program history, but one win away from the biggest year-to-year turnaround in Big Sky Conference history.
A WIZ WITH A WHITE BOARD
An expert in defensive scheme and end-of-game scenarios, the Vikings leaned on Gregg's knowledge in both areas during their turnaround 2022-23 season. While the Vikings were 0-3 in Big Sky games decided by five points or less during the 2021-22 season, they went a perfect 5-0 in such games in 2022-23. That included a pair of one-point games over Weber State and Idaho State, as well as a come-from-behind overtime win over Montana. Defensively, the Vikings gave up 10 fewer points per game than they did the previous year, a turnaround that saw them go from 322nd in the NCAA for scoring defense to third in the Big Sky Conference in 2022-23.
Gregg works closest with the team’s guards and has made a significant impact in that regard during his time with the Vikings. Portland State has consistently been one of the better three-point shooting teams within the Big Sky Conference during Gregg’s tenure. Esmeralda Morales led the Big Sky Conference and ranked in the top 20 nationally with 87 three-pointers during the 2023-24 season. Her 87 three-pointers were the second most by a Viking in a single-season in program history.
During the 2019-20 season, the Vikings shot 37.3 percent from three-point range to set a new Big Sky-era program record. The .373 mark crushed the old record of .359 that the Vikings set two years earlier in 2017-18. The Vikings broke the single-game record with 15 three-pointers against Eastern Washington on Feb. 15 that season, breaking a mark that had stood since Dec. 29, 2007. The Vikings matched the record two weeks later while going 15-of-31 (.484) from deep against Weber State. The Vikings also set a new overall program record with 261 made three-pointers as three different Vikings moved into the single-season top 10 between Belle Frazier (64), Kylie Jimenez (63) and Desirae Hansen (60).
At the 2023 Big Sky tournament, the Vikings shot their way past defending Big Sky champion Montana State, upsetting the Bobcats to advance to the Big Sky semifinals for the first time since 2019. The Vikings tied their single-game record with 15 three-pointers in the upset win, with Morales and Jada Lewis accounting for 11 of those 15.
Those efforts have helped rewrite the Portland State record book. Three of the top five seasons for three-point makes have come in Gregg’s three years as associate head coach. That includes Morales’ 87 in 2023-24, as well Lewis’ 80 makes from the 2022-23 season and Morales’ 77 makes from the same year.
Three of the program’s top 10 scorers all-time have also now played during Gregg’s tenure. Morales entered the top 10 most recently, finishing her PSU career eighth all-time with 1,365 career points. Ashley Bolston and Sidney Rielly entered the top 10 during the 2018-19 season when Gregg was an assistant coach. Rielly finished fourth on the all-time scoring list after becoming just the fourth PSU player to score over 1,500 points her career (1,501), while Bolston now ranks 10th with 1,334 career points.
The record-setting performances have resulted in a number of Vikings receiving all-conference honors during Gregg’s tenure. As an associate head coach, Gregg helped lead Morales to All-Big Sky first team honors in 2024, making her the first Viking to make the first team since Rielly in 2019. Morales earned the honor after becoming the first Viking ever to lead the Big Sky Conference in scoring (16.5 points per game). Morales also earned All-Big Sky second-team honors following the 2022-23 season.
As an assistant, Gregg led PSU players to nine all-conference honors between one first team (Rielly, 2019), two second team (Bolston, 2018, 2019), five third team (Rielly, 2018; Jimenez, 2020, 2021; Hansen, 2020, 2021) and one honorable mention (Jimenez, 2019).
A CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Gregg's defensive work with the Vikings reached its pinnacle during the program’s championship run in the 2018-19 season. The Vikings led the Big Sky while ranking 13th in the nation in field goal percentage defense that season, holding opponents to only 35.6 percent shooting from the floor. The Vikings also led the Big Sky in steals per game (9.8), blocks per game (5.3) and turnover margin (+1.39) that season, and ranked second in scoring defense (60.3 points allowed per game) and three-point field goal percentage defense (30.4%).
The 2018-19 title marked only the second Big Sky tournament title for the Vikings, and advanced them to the NCAA tournament for only the second time in program history. The 2018-19 Vikings also made history while going 25-8 overall, the most wins in a season during the program’s Big Sky era. Additionally, the Vikings tied Big Sky era records for home wins (14) and Big Sky wins (14), and set a new Big Sky era record for road winning percentage (.615).
The Vikings led the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories during the 2018-19 season, and ranked second in the conference in five more. The Vikings led the Big Sky in scoring margin (+10.4), field goal percentage defense (.356), free throw percentage (.790), defensive rebounds per game (28.1), assists per game (17.2), turnover margin (+1.39), steals per game (9.8) and blocks per game (5.3).
The Vikings’ .790 free throw percentage in 2018-19 ranked them fourth nationally in the category. They also ranked in the top 25 of the nation for assists per game (13th, 17.2), field goal percentage defense (13th, .356) and blocks per game (15th, 5.3).
Additionally, the Vikings earned national recognition for their standout 2018-19 season, as they twice were ranked eighth in the espnW Mid-Major Poll and made two appearances in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. The Vikings had never appeared in either poll before the season.
March runs have been common during Gregg's tenure at Portland State. The Vikings are 11-8 at the Big Sky tournament in Gregg's nine previous years on the Park Blocks, having won at least one game at six of the last eight conference tournaments. Besides the 2019 tournament title, the Vikings made the semifinals in 2017, 2018 and 2023, and made the quarterfinals in 2020 and 2021.
In his first year as a full-time assistant in 2017-18, Gregg helped assist in the development of All-Big Sky guards Bolston and Rielly. Rielly joined the 1,000-point club during the 2017-18 season, making her just the third Viking to ever reach the benchmark after only two years in the program. Rielly went over 1,000 points while leading the team with 24 points in the Viking’s Big Sky first-round win over Northern Arizona on March 5, 2018.
Gregg was also instrumental in Jimenez being named the 2018 Big Sky Freshman of the Year, making her the first Viking to earn the honor since Kelli Valentine in 2008. Jimenez earned the honor while leading the Big Sky with a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio, and also ranked fourth in assists per game (4.5) and seventh in steals per game (1.8).
PREVIOUS STOPS AND PERSONAL
A native of Cut Bank, Mont., Gregg played three years of basketball at the University of Great Falls (now the University of Providence) from 2005-2006 and then from 2007-2009. He led the NAIA in assists during the 2005-06 season.
He became the assistant coach at Great Falls in 2009 and coached there for five seasons, helping the team get as high as No. 21 in the nation in 2013. He recruited the 2013 and 2014 Frontier Conference Player of the Year in Marcel Towns.
Gregg became the Ashland High School Head Boys’ Basketball coach for the 2014-15 season, and led the team to a 12-12 record and a first-round appearance at the Oregon 5A state tournament, two years removed from a one-win season. Gregg coached Collin Malcom, an All-Midwestern conference first-team selection who went on to become an NAIA honorable mention All-American at Warner Pacific in 2017-18. Gregg also led the Ashland High School Girl’s Tennis team to the 2015 Oregon 5A State Championship as its head coach.
Gregg earned a Master’s Degree in organizational management from the University of Great Falls in 2013. Gregg also earned his Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education from Great Falls in 2010.
