June 23, 2009


SEATTLE – Grant Leep, who worked the last four years on the staff at Eastern Washington, was hired as an assistant coach at Seattle Pacific University, first-year men's basketball coach Ryan Looney announced Tuesday.

Leep, 29, served the last two seasons at EWU under coach Kirk Earlywine after working for Mike Burns the previous two years. The Eagles posted a 53-66 record during Leep's four years. During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he helped develop Rodney Stuckey, who is now a member of the NBA's Detroit Pistons.

“Grant is a great addition to the coaching staff. He fits the mission of the university and will add even more of a Christian influence to our coaching staff,” said Looney. “He will really be able to help us recruit student-athletes to SPU because of all his connections to people in Seattle and the surrounding community.”

Leep is the first assistant hired by Looney, who assumed the SPU head coaching position on May 26 after leading the Eastern Oregon men's basketball program for five years.

“First of all I'm really thankful to the administration for hiring me. It's a great situation to come into,” Leep said. “SPU is a program that is deep in history and I think, with Ryan Looney on board as the head coach, that history will continue if not improve. It's a very exciting time for my wife and I to come back over to the Seattle area, but most importantly to be a part of an institution with the tradition of Seattle Pacific.”

Leep joined the Eastern Washington coaching staff prior to the 2005-06 season after spending two years as an assistant coach at Spokane Community College under former UW assistant coach Eric Hughes. The Sasquatch had a 40-22 record in two seasons with Leep on the staff.

Spokane finished 24-9 in the 2005 season en route to winning the Eastern Region title and placing fourth at the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) Tournament. In his first year at the school, the Sasquatch finished 16-13.

Leep began his coaching career in 2002-03 with a one-year stint as an assistant at North Seattle Community College.

A 2002 Washington graduate in political science, Leep lettered four years for the Huskies from 1999-2002. He was a freshman on UW's 1999 NCAA Tournament team.

Leep captained the team as a senior in 2002 and averaged 7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a starting forward. He led all Pacific-10 Conference players in 3-point field goal percentage that season, converting a school-record 52.7 percent (39-of-74) of his attempts. Leep also holds the UW record for career 3-point shooting at 42.9 percent (60-of-140).

After his senior season, Leep was honored with numerous team awards. He received the Hec Edmundson Award (most inspirational) and the Wurster Award (top hustler). He also received recognition for Tyee Sports Council Community Service and the 101 Club Scholar/Athlete Award.

Leep garnered honorable mention prep All-America accolades while at Mount Vernon (Wash.) High School and three times was honored as an all-state selection.

As a senior in the 1998, he averaged 17.3 points per game to lead the Bulldogs to a 25-2 record and a third-place finish at the state Class 3A tournament. He scored 28 points and had 13 rebounds in the final game of his high school career, a 70-56 victory over Mercer Island.

In 1997, Mount Vernon finished 28-1 and lost to Mercer Island in the championship game of the state tournament. He averaged 18.2 points and 8.5 rebounds that season, and 20.1 points and 9.0 rebounds as a sophomore.

Before joining the Huskies, Leep scored 13 points and had 12 rebounds for a group of all-stars from the state of Washington in a 68-67 loss to Oregon in the Northwest Shootout.

“It's very important for coaches to have playing experience,” said Looney. “Obviously, Grant having been a very successful high school player in this area and then having a good college career at Washington makes him somebody that not only the players on our team can identify with, but also players and coaches throughout the state of Washington as well.”

Leep is married to the former Allison Richardson, a standout volleyball player at Washington. She is employed in EWU's Development Office after working as a sports reporter and anchor for KXLY Television in Spokane.