FOREST GROVE – With coaching experience developed at the NCAA Division I level, Jennifer Mountain has been named Pacific University's new head women's basketball coach, athletic director Ken Schumann announced Monday.
 
"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity ahead and am extremely grateful for Ken and everyone at Pacific," Mountain said. "I felt like it was a great fit, great people and the plan for the future is something very exciting to be a part of. I'm ready to get going and thrilled to have this next chapter at a place that I really think is going to be special."
 
Mountain, most recently the associate head coach at Portland State, becomes the 10th head coach in Pacific women's basketball history. Mountain succeeds Sharon Rissmiller, who left Pacific for a role as Director of Basketball Operations at Oregon State.
 
"I am very excited to welcome Jennifer Mountain to Pacific University athletics," Schumann said. "She is a great fit for our athletic department and she embraces the values and mission of the university and NCAA Division III. Jennifer is an outstanding coach and will be a great leader of our women's basketball program."
 
As the associate head coach on Portland State's staff over the last year, Mountain served as the Viking's recruiting and scouting coordinator. Mountain was part of the a Portland State staff that saw guard Emily Easom named honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference.
 
Prior to her time in the Park Blocks, Mountain served as the head women's basketball coach at Santa Clara. In six seasons as the Broncos' head coach, Mountain compiled a record of 56-127, seeing her teams' win-loss percentage improve from .129 to .467 over the first five seasons.
 
At Santa Clara, Mountain had three All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team selections, two All-WCC First Team honorees and five All-WCC Honorable Mention selections. Three Broncos surpassed 1,000-career points during Mountain's tenure.
 
In addition to on the court honors, Mountain's Bronco's earned eight All-WCC Academic honors and community service leaders laurels. Mountain's squad produced the 2013 Santa Clara valedictorian and the 2008-09 Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association Scholar-Athlete.
 
Before entering the head coaching ranks, Mountain served as the top assistant coach at Gonzaga. In seven seasons at her alma mater, Mountain helped the Bulldogs to four-straight WCC regular season titles and one WCC tournament title.
 
In Mountain's time at Gonzaga, she helped the Bulldogs go from a 2-12 conference mark in 2001-02, to four-straight seasons atop the conference standings. Mountain helped Gonzaga reach the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and saw the Bulldogs reach the Women's NIT on three occasions.
 
Mountain's first stint as an assistant for Gonzaga came from 1991-93.
 
Sandwiched between her two stints at Gonzaga, Mountain served as an assistant for Whitworth and then as the boy's varsity head coach at Saint George's School.
 
Mountain led Saint George's to two state runner-up finishes, three state tournaments, two Panorama League Tournament Championships and a overall record of 134-62.
 
A double alumna of Gonzaga, Mountain earned a Masters Degree in Athletic Administration in 1999. Mountain complimented her collegiate playing career at Gonzaga with a Bachelors Degree in Physical Education and Health in 1991.
 
A native of Portland, Mountain scored 1,422 points over her career, which includes a 465-point senior season. Mountain was a three-time All-WCC First Team selection and earned honorable mention National Jesuit News Academic All-America laurels.

Mountain's sister Janay was a member of the Pacific women's basketball and women's soccer program's in the early 1990's.