UP hires new men’s basketball head coach

By William Seekamp | March 22, 2021 11:56am
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Shantay Legans (left) is the new Head Coach of the men's basketball team. Photo from: https://goeags.com/staff-directory/shantay-legans/37

UP has hired Shantay Legans as the men's basketball head coach, Senior Associate Athletic Director Jason Brough has confirmed to The Beacon. Legans was the head men's basketball coach for Eastern Washington University. A virtual news conference is scheduled for tomorrow.

Legans’ team was 16 and eight this year, won the Big Sky tournament and went to the NCAA tournament. Legans played college basketball at Cal and Fresno State before joining EWU as an assistant coach during the 2009-10 season. 

Eastern Washington head coach Shantay Legans welcomes Eastern Washington guard Michael Meadows (25) back to the bench during the second half of a first-round game against Kansas in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

UP was looking for a candidate with an established profile, a winning track record and the ability to create and foster a strong team culture. 

“He knocked all those out of the park,” Brough said. “He’s coming off a couple great seasons at Eastern Washington and we think that with the resources we can provide him he can elevate our program to new heights.”

Legans replaces Terry Porter who was let go after four and a half years with Portland and a record of 43 wins and 103 losses.

William Seekamp is the Sports Editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at seekamp22@up.edu.

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