April 16, 2008
Fairfax, Va.--Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor announced that Jeri Porter has been hired as women's basketball coach. She becomes the seventh head coach in Mason's 34-year history of women's basketball.
"I truly believe that Jeri Porter is the person that has the passion and commitment to lead the women's program to the top of the CAA," O'Connor said. "Throughout her career she has been a proven leader and has demonstrated that she has the knowledge and the ability to help us achieve our goals of academic and athletic excellence in our basketball program."
"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to return home and become a part of the George Mason family," Porter said. "As I walked around campus this week I was so impressed with the growth and the expansion that is taking place everywhere and the undeniable excitement of everyone that I met. The potential for this women's basketball program is unlimited and I can't wait to get started!"
A native of Capital Heights, Md. Porter has 10 years experience as a head coach in collegiate women's basketball. This past season was her sixth season as head coach of the Radford University women's basketball team. Prior to that, she spent four seasons at the helm of the North Alabama program.
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. A total of six Highlanders have earned All-Rookie honors in Porter's first five recruiting classes.
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. That team also had two players earn All-Conference honors for the first time since 1999-2000.
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.
Along with the reputation as a solid recruiter, she was known as a coach that took care of the academic interests of her athletes at UNA, she recruited two consecutive GSC Rookie of the Year award winners (2000 & 2001) and two all-conference players in 2000. Her teams were regularly recognized for their academic achievements as well, including the highest GPA in the athletic department of 3.19 for the 2001-02 year.
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 is married to Mike Porter. The Porters have one son, Edward John (E.J.), 7.
COACHING RECORD:
NORTH ALABAMA
Year Record Conf.
1998-99 13-14 6-8
1999-00 21-7 12-2
2000-01 15-11 8-8
2001-02 15-11 11-5
Total 64-43 37-23
RADFORD
Year Record Conf.
2002-03 9-18 5-9
2003-04 15-14 7-7
2004-05 12-16 6-8
2005-06 14-14 7-7
2006-07 20-11 10-4
2007-08 23-12 8-4
Total 93-85 43-39
