Student-Centered Leader
Joddie Gleason, Eastern’s new women’s basketball head coach, aims to elevate a program in search of titles.
Helping student athletes flourish both on and off the basketball court is the goal for Joddie Gleason, who in November made her debut as head coach of Eastern’s women’s basketball team.
Gleason comes to Eastern from Seattle University, where she served as an associate head coach. She also has 12 years of head coaching experience with the Lumberjacks of Humboldt State University in California, where she earned California Collegiate Athletics Association Coach of the Year honors in 2015. Gleason succeeds Wendy Schuller, who had served as women’s basketball head coach since 2001.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to be the next women’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington,” Gleason said after accepting the job in May. “Throughout the interview process, I have been lucky to meet so many great people at Eastern and know that it is the right fit for me and my family.”
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to be the next women’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington,” she said after accepting the job in May. “Throughout the interview process, I have been lucky to meet so many great people at Eastern and know that it is the right fit for me and my family… [Eastern’s] student-centered approach aligns with my values as a leader and creates additional excitement to get started.”
Gleason’s new boss, EWU Athletic Director Lynn Hickey, said that she expects big things. “We look forward to working with her to help rebuild our program to be a dominant force in Big Sky women’s basketball competition.”
At Seattle University, Gleason worked as the team’s offensive coordinator. As head coach at Humboldt State, the Lumberjacks qualified for the NCAA DII Tournament four times and won two California Collegiate Athletic Association championships. Her coach of the year honors came after guiding the Lumberjacks to a 23-6 overall record and a regular season title.
Gleason, who earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University, Chico, also served as the head coach at Butte Community College in Oroville, California, from 1999-2004.
“I can’t wait to start working with this group of young women and to build something special that the passionate Eagle fans can be proud of… Go Eags!”
