Washington assistant to guide Portland State program

PORTLAND, Ore. -- University of Washington assistant Ken Bone was hired as the new basketball coach at Portland State on Monday, taking over a program that won 19 games and the Big Sky Conference regular-season title last season.

He succeeds Heath Schroyer, who left the Vikings after three seasons to become associate head coach at Fresno State. Bone spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Washington and was head coach at Seattle Pacific University for the 12 seasons.

"First of all, it's exciting to coach at the Division I level at a program like Portland State, where they are coming off a great season with 19 wins and a conference title," Bone said in a statement.

"I really think this is a great fit for myself and my family."

Bone takes over a team that went 11-3 in the conference and 19-9 overall and is losing six seniors.

Bone was part of a Washington team that won the Pac-10 title and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies reached the round of 16.

At Division II Seattle Pacific, Bone went 253-97 in 12 seasons and earned eight NCAA playoff appearances.

"It is exciting that our program has been elevated to the point that we can hire someone who has had his success as a head coach, and the experience he has had with a nationally prominent program the past few seasons," said Portland State athletics director Tom Burman.

Bone also coached at Cal State Stanislaus and Olympic Community College before becoming an assistant at Seattle Pacific.