EWU basketball assistant Riley promoted to head coach

From wire and news services

CHENEY — Eastern Washington promoted David Riley to head basketball coach Thursday following the school's third NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

Riley will replace Shantay Legans, who left Eastern Washington this week after four seasons to take over as the head coach at Portland. Riley has been with the Eagles' program for the past decade in a variety of roles.

"The past 10 years at EWU have been an incredible journey and I am grateful to all the current and former players who helped put me in this position," Riley said.

Riley, 32, will inherit an Eagles program that won the Big Sky Conference tournament title to claim the league's automatic bid to the NCAAs. As a No. 14 seed, the Eagles then put a major scare into No. 3 seed Kansas before the Jayhawks pulled away late in the second half.

Riley joined Eastern Washington in 2011 after playing and graduating from Whitworth. Riley's first role was as the director of basketball operations. He's spent the past seven seasons as an assistant, first for former coach Jim Hayford, now coach at Seattle U., and then the past four seasons with Legans.

Riley's uncle, Mike Riley, has been head football coach at Nebraska (2015-2017), Oregon State (1997-98, 2003-2014), the San Diego Chargers (1999-2001) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (1987-1990). Riley's grandfather, Bud Riley, was an assistant football coach at Idaho (1962-65), Oregon State (1965-72) and the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1974-77).

Under Hayford and Legans, Eastern's four 20-victory seasons are among the top five win totals in EWU's now 38-year history in NCAA Division I. The combined 125 wins in six seasons, 102 wins in five, 86 in four, 66 in three and 44 in two are also the most since EWU became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season.

"David has been an integral part of Eagle basketball for years and so he understands the culture and the potential that this program has," EWU athletic director Lynn Hickey said. "He is a very bright young coach who has a tremendous work ethic and a heart for Eastern Washington University."