The Jen Mountain Coaching File:
Head Coach
• Santa Clara University (2008-pres.)
Assistant Coach
• Gonzaga University (2001-08)
Boys Head Coach
• St. George's School (1994-2001)
Amateur Player
• Gonzaga University (1987-91)

Jennifer Mountain became the eighth Santa Clara head women's basketball coach in April 2008. Mountain came to the Mission Campus after serving seven seasons as the top assistant coach at Gonzaga, where she helped the Bulldogs to four-straight West Coast Conference regular-season championships and one WCC Tournament crown.

The Santa Clara women's basketball team ended the 2008-09 season on a strong note as the Broncos advanced to the quarterfinals of the WCC Tournament after defeating Saint Mary's with an impressive 82-55 score. However, SCU faced its final setback of the season with a hard-fought 71-60 loss to Loyola Marymount.

Mountain earned her first career victory on Nov. 28 against Chicago State in the first round of the UM Thanksgiving Tournament, hosted by the University of Miami. SCU rallied back to claim a 52-48 triumph. Then, on Feb. 21 - `Senior Night' at the Leavey Center - the Broncos produced a 51-46 win over San Francisco. The rivalry win was Mountain's first career conference victory.

A pair of Broncos earned athletic and academic honors for their outstanding efforts throughout the season. Sophomore Lena Gipson was named an All-WCC honorable mention after leading the conference in rebounding and defensive rebounds for the entire season. She was also ranked in the top-10 of four additional statistical categories: scoring, FG%, blocked shots and offensive rebounds. Senior Elizabeth Doran continued to shine academically as she became of a two-time recipient of three honors - ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII First Team, WCC All-Academic and Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Team. She boasts a 3.93 GPA as a bioengineering major.

While at Gonzaga, Mountain helped turn the Bulldogs from a 2-12 WCC record in 2001-02 to four-time regular-season champion. The Bulldogs compiled a 140-79 overall record and a league mark of 72-40 when Mountain rejoined the coaching staff. Gonzaga advanced to the NCAA Tournament once and twice advanced to the Women's NIT, and in 2005 garnered the school's first national ranking.

"She knows us, she knows our conference and she clearly knows how to win," said redshirt senior forward Kimee Goeggel. "Gonzaga has a winning tradition, and she was there for the process of going from a good program to one of the consistently best in our conference. Coach Mountain is an individual that will take our program to the next level."

Mountain, a 1991 Gonzaga graduate, worked as an assistant under Julie Holt and helped recruit and coach many of the players that guided the Bulldogs to their first WNIT appearance in 1994.

From 1994-2001, she served as the head boys' basketball coach at Saint George's School in Spokane, where they compiled a 134-62 overall record. In 1996 and 2001, Mountain coached the Dragons to a pair of Panorama League Tournament titles. In those two seasons, the Dragons were the Washington State Class B Tournament runner-up in 1996 and 2001. In their only other State B Tournament appearance under Mountain, the Dragons finished seventh.

Under her tutelage, Saint George's also advanced to the District 7 Tournament five times, finishing in the top four three times including winning the 1996 title. Mountain returned to Gonzaga as an assistant coach in 2001.

Mountain became a double alumna of Gonzaga in 1999 when she received a masters degree in athletic administration. She also holds a bachelors degree in physical education and health. Following her first stint as assistant coach, Mountain also served as the head coach for the boys and girls' track and girls' volleyball teams at Saint George's, and was a volunteer assistant basketball coach at Spokane's Whitworth College.

A native of Portland, Ore., Mountain scored 1,422 points in her Gonzaga career, including 465 points her senior season of 1990-91. She ranks in the top 10 in school history for career field goals made, 3-point field goals made, free throws made, assists and steals. She was also a three-time first-team All-West Coast Conference selection while earning honorable mention National Jesuit News Academic All-America team honors.