The Pierce College Athletic Department would like to welcome Brian Kovacevich as the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Kovacevich is no stranger to Pierce College, having been a member of the Raiders coaching staff this last season and a staff member and instructor at the College for the past thirteen years.
“I want to thank Chancellor Dr. Michele Johnson, Fort Steilacoom Campus President Dr. Julie White, Puyallup Campus President Dr. Darrell Cain, Athletic Director Duncan Stevenson, plus the rest of our Raider Athletic department for this incredible leadership opportunity. During my years at the college, I have appreciated the fact that the core values at Pierce College align with my own leadership philosophy. The athletic and academic programs at Pierce emphasize the importance of hard work, preparation, and student success on and off the court. The College mission to ‘create quality educational opportunities for a diverse community’ is what I want to achieve in our basketball program.”
Kovacevich brings to this position eighteen years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels. The majority of his sixteen-year college coaching career occurred at the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University. Between both schools, Kovacevich was a part of multiple record-breaking seasons, as well as a Northwest Conference Championship and an NCAA Division III National Tournament sweet sixteen run. Coach “K” was one of the main recruiters for both programs and brought in many high-level student athletes that not only were recognized on a national level for their skills in basketball, but also in the classroom.
“We are very excited to have Brian begin this new era of Raider Men’s Basketball,” says Duncan Stevenson. “He brings a great deal of knowledge and experience working at the D-III level in the Pacific Northwest, along with his familiarity of the NWAC as a former player.. As a longtime employee at Pierce, and a member of the Raider Athletics staff, he understands the philosophy and mission of our program, and will work tirelessly on behalf of our student-athletes.”
As a former student athlete at Centralia College, Kovacevich is very familiar with how a student athlete balances academics and athletics in the NWAC. “I learned a lot during my time with Coach Bob Peters. He was a top-notch teacher of life, not just basketball.” The Central Washington University graduate also had stops at the University of Washington and participated in the CA Professional Summer League in Long Beach, California.
Kovacevich and his wife Jennifer live in Puyallup with their daughters, Maya and Brooke.
https://pierceraiders.com/news/2020/4/29/kovacevich-named-to-lead-mens-basketball.aspx
