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Mike Neighbors
Michael Earl Neighbors (born March 29, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). He previously served as the head coach at Washington and at his alma mater, Arkansas.
Neighbors was born and raised in Greenwood, Arkansas, where he played basketball at Greenwood High School. His family was very involved in the school system, as teachers, school secretaries, assistant superintendent and superintendent positions. Neighbors completed his associate degree at Westark Community College (now the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith) in 1989 and bachelor's degree at the University of Arkansas in 1993.
In 1994, Neighbors became head girls' basketball coach at Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas. The team improved from a 1–24 record in his first season to winning at least 18 games in each of the next three seasons and reached the state finals in 1997.
Neighbors then took the same job at Cabot High School in Cabot, Arkansas in 1998 and taught biology at the school also. During his year at Cabot, he was playing pickup basketball. He had bet a high school player he could dunk. He won and played five pickup games that morning. After going home, he was resting on his couch when he experienced a heart attack. Doctors placed two stents in his chest to help with the blood flow, and he was back to coaching the following Friday. However, he decided he had to change his life and he resigned the head coaching position to take an administrative job at the University of Arkansas. The change resulted in a substantial pay cut.
From 1999 to 2001, Neighbors was director of operations for Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball. Neighbors explains his philosophy: "...be the head coach of whatever they ask you to do." He quickly moved upward to additional responsibilities. Coach Gary Blair asked him to help out with camps, then with viewing opponents' videos to write scouting reports.
After two years as director of basketball operations at Arkansas, Neighbors became an assistant coach at Tulsa under Kathy McConnell-Miller. While an assistant at Tulsa, the school had their best record in school history (19–12) and their first ever post-season invitation.
When McConnell-Miller left to take over the Colorado program, Neighbors continued as her assistant at Colorado.
After one year at Colorado, Susie Gardner persuaded Neighbors to return to Arkansas, this time as a full assistant. The return home did not last long, as Gardner and Arkansas parted ways at the end of the season. Arkansas replaced Gardner with Tom Collen, who chose to bring in his own staff as assistants.
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Mike Neighbors
Michael Earl Neighbors (born March 29, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). He previously served as the head coach at Washington and at his alma mater, Arkansas.
Neighbors was born and raised in Greenwood, Arkansas, where he played basketball at Greenwood High School. His family was very involved in the school system, as teachers, school secretaries, assistant superintendent and superintendent positions. Neighbors completed his associate degree at Westark Community College (now the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith) in 1989 and bachelor's degree at the University of Arkansas in 1993.
In 1994, Neighbors became head girls' basketball coach at Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas. The team improved from a 1–24 record in his first season to winning at least 18 games in each of the next three seasons and reached the state finals in 1997.
Neighbors then took the same job at Cabot High School in Cabot, Arkansas in 1998 and taught biology at the school also. During his year at Cabot, he was playing pickup basketball. He had bet a high school player he could dunk. He won and played five pickup games that morning. After going home, he was resting on his couch when he experienced a heart attack. Doctors placed two stents in his chest to help with the blood flow, and he was back to coaching the following Friday. However, he decided he had to change his life and he resigned the head coaching position to take an administrative job at the University of Arkansas. The change resulted in a substantial pay cut.
From 1999 to 2001, Neighbors was director of operations for Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball. Neighbors explains his philosophy: "...be the head coach of whatever they ask you to do." He quickly moved upward to additional responsibilities. Coach Gary Blair asked him to help out with camps, then with viewing opponents' videos to write scouting reports.
After two years as director of basketball operations at Arkansas, Neighbors became an assistant coach at Tulsa under Kathy McConnell-Miller. While an assistant at Tulsa, the school had their best record in school history (19–12) and their first ever post-season invitation.
When McConnell-Miller left to take over the Colorado program, Neighbors continued as her assistant at Colorado.
After one year at Colorado, Susie Gardner persuaded Neighbors to return to Arkansas, this time as a full assistant. The return home did not last long, as Gardner and Arkansas parted ways at the end of the season. Arkansas replaced Gardner with Tom Collen, who chose to bring in his own staff as assistants.