Northwest Notes May 21, 2021
Marrion joins men's basketball staff at Idaho
MOSCOW — Tim Marrion was hired as assistant coach of the University of Idaho men’s basketball team, Vandals head coach Zac Claus announced Thursday.
Marrion was previously with the Vandals in 2015-16, acting as the director of basketball operations. The Idaho squad in 2015-16 finished 21-13 and went to the College Basketball Invitational. He returns to Idaho from San Jose State where he spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach.
Prior to SJSU, Marrion spent three seasons in a third stint at Washington State. He first was with the Cougars from 2009-12 and he returned for the 2013-14 season after coaching at San Jose State during the 2012-13 season. During his time at WSU, Marrion acted as the director of player development, academic liaison, coordinator of basketball operations, and assistant coach.
Marrion began his coaching career at San Jose State. When he was named an assistant coach for the 2007-08 season, it was believed that he was the youngest full-time assistant coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
Immediately preceding his first stint at Idaho, Marrion was the associate head coach at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., helping guide the Penguins to the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament championship and a 25-6 record.
Former Vandal player Pierce joins Idaho women's coaching staff
MOSCOW — Idaho women's basketball coach Jon Newlee announced the addition of Taylor Pierce to the coaching staff as an assistant, returning one half of the "Splash Sisters" to Moscow.
Pierce will focus primarily on the development of the guards and wings. Off the court, she will oversee the Fastbreak Club, social media accounts and community service efforts.
Pierce was a standout guard for the Vandals from 2015-19 and is the all-time leading three-point shooter in Idaho women's basketball history. Along with setting several Vandal records, Pierce also set the NCAA women's basketball all-time record after totaling 154 three-pointers in the 2018-19 season. Pierce's 137 threes in 2018 is the fifth most all-time in a single season. In her final season she averaged 4.53 three-pointers made, an NCAA record.
She totaled 472 three-pointers while at Idaho, the second most all-time in NCAA women's basketball history. In April of 2019 Pierce was one of eight women's college basketball players invited to the 31st annual State Farm College 3-Point Championship.
Vandals' Leonard qualifies for NCAA prelim round
Idaho's Grady Leonard, a Coeur d'Alene High grad, is one of nine Vandals that have qualified for the NCAA Preliminary West Round, the NCAA announced Thursday morning.
The meet will be May 26-29 in College Station, Texas.
Leonard was second in the men's hammer throw at the Big Sky Championships last weekend.
The meet will begin with the men’s hammer on Wednesday.