George Mason University Athletics

In her first season with the Patriots, the team, which finished with a 4-26 record, became the first Mason squad to defeat archrival Old Dominion when the Patriots downed the Lady Monarchs, 63-57, in Fairfax on February 22. The Patriots also recorded victories over Georgia State, Appalachian State and Howard during the season, and nearly upset sixth-seeded UNC Wilmington in the first round of the CAA Championship.

The seventh head coach in the program's history, Porter was hired in April 2008 with 10 years of successful head coaching experience in collegiate women's basketball.

Porter arrived in Fairfax after spending six years at the helm of the Radford women's basketball program. She compiled a 93-85 record (43-39 Big South) and led the Highlanders to a WNIT berth.

Under the direction of Porter, the Highlanders reached the Big South Conference Championship for the second year in row and recorded the second most wins in school history (23-12) in the 2007-08 season. The Highlanders received an automatic bid to the WNIT as the highest finisher in the Big South that did not receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. It was the first postseason berth for the Highlanders since 1996 and the fifth bid overall. Radford fell to CAA foe James Madison in the first-round game at the Convocation Center in Harrisonburg.

In 2006-07, Porter coached the Highlanders to their first 20-plus wins since the 1991-92 season and it was the first trip to the Championship game since 1996. Radford posted a 20-11 overall record and 10-4 in the Big South. 2006-07 also marked the first time since 1991-92 that three Highlanders earned All-Conference honors, including Big South Defensive Player of the Year Kelli Darden.

Having the reputation as a solid recruiter, two members of Porter's first signing class were named to the Big South's All-Rookie team. It was the first time RU had two freshmen honored and the first time it had an All-Rookie performer since the 1995-96 season. A year later, Corrie Fertitta was named Big South Freshman of the Year, the first since 1996 and was joined on the All-Rookie team by Kelli Darden.

Porter was named Radford University's fifth head women's basketball coach on April 4, 2002. She arrived in Radford after four years as the head coach at University of North Alabama. In just her second season on the RU bench, Porter guided the Highlanders to their first winning season (15-14) since 1995-96 and their first victory (58-57 at Charleston Southern) in the Big South Tournament in five years.

She took her first head coaching position at UNA on April 14, 1998 after spending six seasons under head coach Rick Reeves as an assistant at Liberty University, and winning the Big South Conference Championship in her last two years. In her four-year tenure at UNA, Porter led the Lions to a 64-43 record that included three straight winning seasons and a Gulf South Conference East Division championship in 2000. That season, Porter garnered GSC Coach of the Year honors, advancing UNA to the semifinals of the GSC Tournament. She guided them to a 21-7 overall and 12-2 record in the GSC, marking the most wins at UNA since the 1993-94 team won 22 games on the way to the NCAA Division II Final Four.

As a player at Liberty, Porter was inducted into the Lady Flames Hall of Fame in the spring of 1998. She was also selected the team's Most Valuable Player in both the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons, and was selected first-team All-Big South Conference following the 1991-92 season. Porter scored 717 points in just two seasons and still ranks among the top 20 scorers in school history.

In 1998, as an assistant coach, she helped direct the Lady Flames to a 28-1 record that included the Big South Conference regular-season and tournament championships and an NCAA Tournament bid. The Lady Flames' only loss was to eventual national champion Tennessee. That followed a 22-7 record in 1997 that included the Big South Tournament championship, ending Radford's seven-year run.

As the primary recruiter for the Flames, Porter was responsible for recruiting two-time BSC Player of the Year Elena Kisseleva and 2000 Player of the Year Sharon Wilkerson. She also was responsible for many other All-Conference players and two Rookies of the Year.

A 1991 graduate of Liberty with a B.S. degree in Psychology, Porter, raised in Capital Heights, Md., is married to Mike Porter. The Porters have two children, son Edward John (E.J.) and daughter Jada Nicole.

PORTER'S COACHING RECORD
Career Record
199-207 (14 Seasons)

North Alabama