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Mike Neighbors
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Michael Earl Neighbors (born March 29, 1969)[1] is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). He previously served as the head coach at Washington and at his alma mater, Arkansas.
Key Information
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Early years
[edit]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.[2] 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.[3]
Coaching career
[edit]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.[4][3]
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.[5]
College assistant
[edit]From 1999 to 2001, Neighbors was director of operations for Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball.[3] Neighbors explains his philosophy: "...be the head coach of whatever they ask you to do."[5] 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. [6]
After two years as director of basketball operations at Arkansas, Neighbors became an assistant coach at Tulsa under Kathy McConnell-Miller.[7] While an assistant at Tulsa, the school had their best record in school history (19–12) and their first ever post-season invitation.[3]
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.[8] 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.[9]
Neighbors was hired by Xavier head coach Kevin McGuff in time for the 2007–08 season. He continued as McGuff's assistant through the 2010–11 season, during which time the Musketeers were 108–22, winning the A10 Conference Tournament three of the four years, making the NCAA tournament each year, and advancing to the Elite Eight in 2010, losing to national runner-up Stanford by just two points.[10] While at Xavier, Neighbors was selected as one of the best assistant coaches in the country. He was chosen as one of five recipients for the BasketballScoop.com and ONS Performance Rising Star award.[11]
McGuff was hired by the Washington Huskies for the 2011–12 season, bringing Neighbors along with him. In their first season under McGuff, the Huskies turned around their 11–17 record from the previous season, improving to 20–14 and making it to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. The next year, the team improved again, finishing 21–12, and finishing 5th in the Pac-12 Conference, their best finish since 2007. However, at the end of McGuff's second season, Ohio State decided to move on from Jim Foster, and persuaded McGuff to take over the head coaching position for the Buckeyes. McGuff, who had signed a three-year contract extension just three weeks earlier, was persuaded to return to his home state.[12]
Washington head coach
[edit]On April 21, 2013, Washington hired Neighbors to be its women's basketball head coach.[13]
In his first year, Washington finished 20–14 (10–8 Pac-12). Among the team's wins was a nationally televised upset of then-No. 3 Stanford at Alaska Airlines Arena that snapped Stanford's 58-game road conference winning streak.[14]
Washington earned its first top-25 ranking since 2003 in Neighbors's second season in 2014–15 and made the NCAA tournament as a #6 seed. In the first round, Washington lost to #11 seed University of Miami.[14]
In the 2015–16 postseason, the Huskies were picked as an at-large bid as a #7 seed in the 2016 NCAA tournament in the Lexington region. After beating #10 seed Penn 65–53, the Huskies upset #2 Maryland on their homecourt 74–65 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. The Huskies played against #3 Kentucky on their homecourt to defeat the Wildcats 85–72 to advance to the Elite Eight. The Huskies played against their Pac-12 opponent Stanford in the Elite Eight, where the Huskies and Cardinal split the season series. The Huskies led throughout the game and they defeated the Cardinal 85–76 to advance to their first ever Final Four.[15]
Arkansas head coach
[edit]On April 3, 2017, Neighbors was announced as the ninth coach in program history at his alma mater, where he once served as director of basketball operations and as an assistant. His contract is for six years, at $600,000 per year.[16]
His first season was filled with ups and downs, as the team finished 13–18 overall and next to last in the conference. They won their opening round SEC Tournament game over Vanderbilt, before succumbing to former Arkansas coach Gary Blair and his Texas A&M team, 82–52.
In his second season at Arkansas, Neighbors' Razorbacks doubled their SEC wins from the previous year to 6. Neighbors coached his team into the SEC Women's Tournament championship game versus #5 Mississippi State, defeating Georgia, #12 South Carolina, and #15 Texas A&M on consecutive days. But the Razorbacks lost to Mississippi St. Arkansas accepted a bid to the 2019 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), beating Houston and UAB in the first two rounds at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Neighbors team lost at home to TCU, 82–78, in the third round, ending their season.
Neighbors entered his fourth season coming off arguably the best season for the Hogs ever in the Southeastern Conference, as his 2019–20 Hogs became one of just two teams to ever win 10 games in the league, while his most recent squad was one of just three Razorback teams in the SEC era to finish above .500 in the league. With their 10–6 record in 2020, the Hogs finished tied for third place in the conference, the best-ever conference finish for Arkansas women’s basketball. If not for the shortened season, Neighbors would have guided his Hogs back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
Arkansas defeated both Baylor and Connecticut at home in his fourth season, the first time the Razorbacks had knocked off two top five teams in the same year. The Razorbacks would earn a #4 seed in the 2021 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, but they were upset in the opening round to #13 seed Wright State. This marked the first time since 2014 that a 13-seed upset a 4-seed in the first round of the tournament.
Following the 2020–21 season, Neighbors signed an extension with the Razorbacks through the 2027–28 season. He resigned as head coach on March 11, 2025.[17]
WNBA
[edit]On March 26, 2025, Neighbors was announced as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks under head coach Lynne Roberts.[18]
On April 3, 2026, Neighbors was announced as an assistant coach for the Dallas Wings.[19]
Head coaching record
[edit]| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Huskies (Pac-12 Conference) (2013–2017) | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | Washington | 20–14 | 10–8 | 6th | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2014–15 | Washington | 23–10 | 11–7 | 5th | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2015–16 | Washington | 26–11 | 11–7 | 5th | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 2016–17 | Washington | 29–6 | 15–3 | T–2nd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| Washington: | 98–41 (.705) | 47–25 (.653) | |||||||
| Arkansas Razorbacks (Southeastern Conference) (2017–2025) | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | Arkansas | 13–18 | 3–13 | 13th | |||||
| 2018–19 | Arkansas | 22–15 | 6–10 | 10th | WNIT Third Round | ||||
| 2019–20 | Arkansas | 24–8 | 10–6 | T–3rd | Postseason cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||
| 2020–21 | Arkansas | 19–9 | 9–6 | T–5th | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2021–22 | Arkansas | 18–13 | 7–9 | T–8th | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2022–23 | Arkansas | 24–13 | 7–9 | 8th | WNIT Great Eight | ||||
| 2023–24 | Arkansas | 18–15 | 6–10 | T–9th | WBIT First Round | ||||
| 2024–25 | Arkansas | 10–22 | 3–13 | T–13th | |||||
| Arkansas: | 148–113 (.567) | 51–76 (.402) | |||||||
| Total: | 246–154 (.615) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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References
[edit]- ^ "Women's Basketball Coaches Career". NCAA. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ^ Bolin, Eric (June 8, 2013). "From Greenwood To Seattle: Neighbors' Wild Ride". Times Record. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Mike Neighbors". Tula Golden Hurricane. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014.
- ^ Smith, Bill (October 29, 2009). "Neighbors returns to Lady'Back basketball". Arkansas Athletics, University of Arkansas. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ^ a b Bell, Gregg (April 24, 2013). "Unleashed: Neighbors Is Not Your Everyday Hoops Coach". University of Washington Athletics. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014.
- ^ Brewer, Jerry (December 7, 2011). "Washington women's basketball assistant coach Mike Neighbors has a list for everything". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ^ "Neighbors joins Tulsa staff". thecabin.net. June 26, 2001. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ^ Tarver, Vernon (June 26, 2001). "Neighbors joins Tulsa staff". thecabin.net. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ "Tom Collen Resigns as Women's Basketball Coach". Louisville Cardinals. March 23, 2007. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ "Pohlen goes coast-to-coast to beat buzzer, Xavier and send Stanford to San Antonio". ESPN. March 29, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Mike Neighbors Selected as One of the Best Assistant Coaches in the Country". Xavier University. May 4, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ "Ohio State hires Kevin McGuff". ESPN. April 16, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ Allen, Percy (April 26, 2013). "Huskies introduce Mike Neighbors as women's basketball coach". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ^ a b "Mike Neighbors". University of Washington. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ Guzman, Ed (March 28, 2016). "What national media are saying about UW women in Final Four". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- ^ "Neighbors leaves UW to become head coach at Arkansas". HeraldNet.com. April 3, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Coach Mike Neighbors Signed To New Agreement". Arkansas Razorbacks. July 14, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Sparks Bolster Coaching Staff with Mike Neighbors and Sed Everett Additions". sparks.wnba.com. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
- ^ "Wings Announce Coaching Staff". wings.wnba.com. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
Mike Neighbors
View on GrokipediaEarly life and education
Upbringing in Arkansas
Mike Neighbors was born on March 29, 1969, in Greenwood, Arkansas, a small town in Sebastian County that was still recovering from an F4 tornado that had devastated the area the previous year, killing 14 people and destroying much of the community.[6][7] Raised in a close-knit family with deep Arkansas roots, Neighbors grew up surrounded by relatives actively involved in the local education system, including his mother, who served as a secretary at the middle school, and several aunts and uncles who worked as teachers.[8] This family environment emphasized community ties and public service, fostering Neighbors' early sense of enthusiasm and competitiveness in a thriving rural setting.[7] Neighbors attended Greenwood High School, where he graduated in 1987 and first immersed himself in competitive sports as a means of personal development.[9] He participated in multiple athletics, including football, basketball, baseball, and tennis, with particular success in basketball, where he contributed to the team's conference championships.[7] Beyond sports, Neighbors overcame a fear of public speaking through encouragement from his uncle, an assistant principal at the school, who urged him to join a forensics class; this experience led to a state championship in competitive mime, highlighting his emerging leadership qualities.[7] These high school activities, combined with the town's emphasis on teamwork and perseverance, ignited Neighbors' longstanding passion for coaching, which he later described as a dream pursued from childhood.[7] Following his high school graduation, Neighbors briefly attended Westark Community College before transferring to further his education.[7]Academic career
Mike Neighbors pursued his postsecondary education in his home state of Arkansas, beginning at Westark Community College, where he earned an associate degree in 1989.[1] He then transferred to the University of Arkansas, completing a bachelor's degree in 1993.[1] As a native of Greenwood, Arkansas, Neighbors' choice of local institutions reflected his deep ties to the region, facilitating his immersion in the state's academic and athletic communities.[1] During his undergraduate years, Neighbors maintained a strong interest in basketball, which aligned with his academic pursuits and prepared him for professional opportunities in sports.[7]Coaching career
High school head coaching
Mike Neighbors began his head coaching career in 1994 as the girls' basketball coach at Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas, where he inherited a struggling program.[1] His first season resulted in a challenging 1-24 record, highlighting the difficulties of rebuilding a team with limited talent and experience.[1] Despite this setback, Neighbors focused on fundamental player development and team culture, emphasizing effort, attitude, and camaraderie—principles that became hallmarks of his coaching philosophy.[1] Over the next three seasons, he led the Lady Tigers to three consecutive appearances in the Arkansas Class AAAAA state tournament, culminating in a 25-6 record and a state runner-up finish in 1997.[10] This turnaround demonstrated his ability to foster rapid improvement through disciplined training and motivational team-building activities, such as off-site bonding trips to instill resilience.[11] In 1998, Neighbors moved to Cabot High School as head coach for the 1998-99 season, aiming to elevate another Arkansas program.[1] There, he guided the Lady Panthers to a 19-9 record, securing second place in the Class AAAAA-East Conference and another berth in the state tournament.[1] His strategies at Cabot continued to prioritize offensive efficiency and defensive fundamentals, building on the progress made at Bentonville to create a competitive squad in a single season.[12] Across his high school tenure from 1994 to 1999, Neighbors compiled an overall record of 87-51, marked by consistent postseason success after initial adversity.[12] The early 1-24 season at Bentonville taught him valuable lessons in perseverance and adaptability, reinforcing the need to invest in long-term player growth over quick fixes and to maintain positivity amid losses.[13] These experiences solidified his approach to coaching, where challenges like roster limitations were met with structured drills and relational leadership, laying the foundation for his future success at higher levels.[7]College assistant roles
Mike Neighbors began his tenure as a college assistant coach at the University of Tulsa from 2002 to 2005, serving under head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller.[14] During this period, he contributed to a 69-52 overall record (.569) for the Golden Hurricane, highlighted by two Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) first-round appearances in 2003–04 and 2004–05.[1][15] In 2005–06, Neighbors joined the University of Colorado as an assistant coach under head coach Neil Lapata.[14] There, he coordinated scouting and scheduling for opponents while assisting with post and perimeter player development, practice planning, and recruiting efforts.[16] The Buffaloes finished with a 9-21 overall record and a 3-13 mark in Big 12 play that season.[1] Neighbors returned to his home state as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas in 2006–07, working under head coach Susie Gardner.[14] The Razorbacks posted an 18-13 overall record and a 3-11 finish in Southeastern Conference play during his lone season there.[1] From 2008 to 2011, Neighbors served as an assistant at Xavier University under head coach Kevin McGuff.[14] He was involved in all aspects of the program, including the evaluation and recruitment of student-athletes, player development for both perimeter and post players, opponent scouting, and academic support.[17] Under this staff, the Musketeers compiled a 108-23 record, securing three Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season titles, three conference tournament championships, and four NCAA Tournament berths.[1] Neighbors concluded his assistant coaching roles at the University of Washington from 2012 to 2013, again under McGuff, who had become head coach there.[14] He handled scheduling and focused on the player development of the team's guards, contributing to a 41-26 overall record that included a WNIT quarterfinal appearance in 2012–13 and a second-round berth the prior year.[18][1] These efforts helped improve the Huskies' performance, setting the stage for subsequent postseason success.[19]Washington head coach
Mike Neighbors was promoted to head coach of the University of Washington women's basketball team on April 21, 2013, after serving as the top assistant under Kevin McGuff for two seasons.[20] This internal promotion marked his first head coaching role at the Division I level, building on his prior contributions to the program's resurgence.[2] During his four-year tenure from 2013 to 2017, Neighbors compiled an overall record of 98–41 (.705), achieving four consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in nearly three decades.[2] The Huskies qualified for postseason play each year, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. Notable seasons included the 2015–16 campaign, when Washington advanced to the program's first-ever Final Four as a No. 7 seed, defeating Penn, Maryland, Stanford, and Louisville before falling to Syracuse. The following year, 2016–17, the team posted a program-record 29 wins and reached the Sweet 16 as the No. 4 seed, finishing second in the Pac-12 with a 15–3 conference record.[2] Earlier, in 2014–15, Washington earned a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round. Neighbors excelled in recruiting and player development, assembling talented classes that elevated the program's national profile. His 2013 recruiting class featured guard Kelsey Plum, whom he mentored into a two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year and the 2017 Naismith College Player of the Year, leading the nation in scoring during her junior season at 25.3 points per game.[2] Under his guidance, the Huskies emphasized offensive efficiency and team cohesion, fostering growth in players like forward Talia Walton, who contributed significantly to the 2016 Final Four run with key performances in the postseason.[21] These efforts transformed Washington into a consistent Pac-12 contender, highlighted by back-to-back seasons of 11 or more conference wins from 2015 to 2017.[22]Arkansas head coach
Mike Neighbors was hired as the head coach of the University of Arkansas women's basketball team on April 3, 2017, succeeding Jimmy Dykes after serving as head coach at Washington for four seasons.[23] An Arkansas native and alumnus, Neighbors returned to his home state with a reputation for building competitive programs, having led the Huskies to a Final Four appearance in 2016. During his eight seasons at Arkansas from 2017 to 2025, Neighbors compiled an overall record of 148–114 (.565), marking the most wins in program history over an eight-year span.[6] His teams achieved six winning seasons and made six postseason appearances, including two NCAA Tournament berths in 2021 (as a No. 4 seed) and 2022—the program's first since 2015—though they went 0–2 in tournament play with first-round losses to Brigham Young and Indiana, respectively.[3] In SEC play, Neighbors' Razorbacks posted a 52–129 (.287) record, with a 40.2% winning percentage that ranked second among Arkansas coaches behind only Nolan Richardson's tenure in the men's program; notable improvement came in the 2019–20 season, when the team won 12 SEC games including the conference tournament, a program first.[24] Key highlights included signature upsets against top-ranked opponents, such as an 83–78 victory over No. 4 Baylor on December 6, 2020, powered by 23 points from Amber Ramirez and 22 from Chelsea Dungee, and a 90–87 thriller against No. 3 UConn on January 28, 2021, which snapped the Huskies' 11-game win streak and showcased Arkansas' high-octane offense.[25][26] These wins highlighted Neighbors' emphasis on fast-paced, player-driven basketball, which produced standout performers like Dungee, a two-time All-SEC selection, and elevated the program's national profile.[1] Neighbors resigned on March 11, 2025, following an 10–22 season that included a 3–13 SEC mark, citing the need for a new direction to sustain the program's progress.[3] In his statement, he reflected on the eight-year run as fulfilling a lifelong dream but acknowledged the challenges of consistent SEC contention amid roster turnover and recruiting demands.[4]WNBA assistant coach
After resigning from Arkansas, Neighbors joined the Los Angeles Sparks as an assistant coach on March 26, 2025. He later transitioned to the Dallas Wings as an assistant coach for the 2026 season under head coach Jose Fernandez, as part of the staff finalized on March 27, 2026.Head coaching record
Washington Huskies
Mike Neighbors served as head coach of the Washington Huskies women's basketball team from the 2013–14 through the 2016–17 seasons, compiling an overall record of 98–41 (.705).[27] His teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament in three of four seasons, with the highlight being a run to the Final Four in 2016.[6] The following table summarizes the year-by-year results, including overall and Pac-12 conference records, as well as postseason outcomes:| Season | Overall Record | Pac-12 Record (Finish) | Postseason Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 20–14 (.588) | 10–8 (6th) | WNIT Quarterfinals (def. Hawaii 67–50, def. Oregon 93–85, def. San Diego 62–55; lost to UTEP 63–70)[27] |
| 2014–15 | 23–10 (.697) | 11–7 (5th) | NCAA Tournament, No. 7 seed; First Round loss to No. 10 Miami (FL) 75–72[28] |
| 2015–16 | 26–11 (.703) | 11–7 (5th) | NCAA Tournament, No. 7 seed, Lexington Regional; First Round win vs. Pennsylvania 65–53; Second Round win vs. Maryland 74–65; Regional Semifinal win vs. Kentucky 85–72; Regional Final win vs. Stanford 85–76; Final Four loss to Syracuse 59–80[27][29] |
| 2016–17 | 29–6 (.829) | 15–3 (T–2nd) | NCAA Tournament, No. 3 seed, Oklahoma City Regional; First Round win vs. Montana State 91–63; Second Round win vs. Oklahoma 108–82; Regional Semifinal loss to Mississippi State 64–75[30][31] |
Arkansas Razorbacks
Mike Neighbors was hired as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team in April 2017, returning to his alma mater after four successful seasons at Washington.[1] Over his eight seasons leading the Razorbacks from 2017–18 through 2024–25, Neighbors compiled an overall record of 148–114 (.565), with a 51–76 (.402) mark in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play.[6] The program achieved six consecutive postseason appearances from 2018–19 to 2023–24, including two NCAA Tournament berths in 2021 and 2022.[1] Notable wins against ranked opponents under Neighbors included upsets over No. 4 Baylor in 2020, No. 5 South Carolina on March 2, 2021, and No. 15 Texas A&M in 2019, highlighting the team's competitiveness in a challenging SEC.[32][33][1] The following table summarizes the Razorbacks' performance in each season under Neighbors:| Season | Overall Record | SEC Record | SEC Standing | Postseason Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | 13–18 | 3–13 | 11th | None |
| 2018–19 | 22–15 | 6–10 | 10th | WNIT Second Round |
| 2019–20 | 24–8 | 10–6 | 3rd | None (qualified for NCAA Tournament, season canceled due to COVID-19) |
| 2020–21 | 19–9 | 9–6 | 5th | NCAA Tournament, First Round loss to Maryland (No. 4 seed) |
| 2021–22 | 18–14 | 7–9 | 8th | NCAA Tournament, First Round loss to Florida State (No. 10 seed) |
| 2022–23 | 24–13 | 7–9 | 8th | WNIT Quarterfinals |
| 2023–24 | 18–15 | 6–10 | 9th | WBIT First Round |
| 2024–25 | 10–22 | 3–13 | T–12th | None |