Eric Reveno was named head coach of the men’s basketball program on April 10, 2006, becoming the 20th coach in Pilot history. He previously served nine successful seasons as an assistant at Stanford. Reveno has spearheaded Portland’s rebuilding effort and has already seen some striking benefits including its first WCC Tournament victory in 10 years at the 2007 conference tournament.
Reveno preaches a disciplined style of play, has a track record of player development, and respects the role of the student-athlete. A passionate recruiter, Reveno now has a talented young roster with a bright future. The eighth youngest team in the nation last season, Portland will once again be among the most youthful teams this year as no seniors and eight underclassmen are on the 13-player roster.
Reveno has built the foundation for future success through quality recruiting and an emphasis on development, both on the court and in the weight room. Several returning players worked hard throughout the offseason to mold their bodies and the changes are noticeable physically. Sophomore center Kramer Knutson added 25 pounds to his 6-9 frame and sophomore center Jasonn Hannibal dropped 25 pounds and now weighs in at 270 pounds. All other returners also put on muscle and appear to be in the best shape since arriving on campus.
Voted one of the Top 25 Recruiters in the nation by rivals.com in 2006, Reveno has brought his eye for talent to Portland with good results. His first recruiting class included an WCC All-Freshman Team selection (Taishi Ito), the team’s second leading scorer and rebounder last season (Robin Smeulders), while Ethan Niedermeyer had a breakout sophomore campaign. His five-member 2007 class saw Jared Stohl and Luke Sikma put up some of the best freshman numbers in school history, while JC transfer Nik Raivio led the team in scoring. A talented four-member recruiting class should also make an immediate impact this season as Junior college All-American point guard T.J. Campbell brings a mature basketball pedigree to the roster, while prep schooler’s Eric Waterford and John Hegarty have played with some of the top talent in the country. Freshman Nemanja Mitrovic has trained throughout his youth career with the Canadian Junior National Team and is considered one of the best shooters in Canada.
Reveno, long recognized as a leader in the use of sports performance analysis technology, spoke in Sydney, Australia during the Fall of 2008 at a worldwide summit hosted by SportsTec, one of the foremost providers of video & technology solutions to the international sports community. The cutting edge approach to technology has become a staple of the Pilot program in teaching, player development and recruiting. As a result, Reveno was the lone representative from the United States asked to speak to an audience of performance professionals from some of the top sports leagues and organizations in the world. Dave Telep, National Recruiting Director for www.scouthoops.com, said that, “Reveno is unofficially the most technologically advanced man we’ve met in college basketball. His new I-Phone is wired up to the point where he’s got his recruiting database, clips of his offense, directions to gyms in Vegas AND his favorite Johnny Cash songs all in one.”
An imposing 6-foot, 8-inch figure, Reveno commands respect not with his mere presence, but with his passion for, and teaching of, a disciplined style of play reminiscent of his formative coaching years as an assistant under legendary coach Mike Montgomery at Stanford. He also points to the coaching philosophies of Tom Davis, the man who recruited and coached him at Stanford his first two years, and legendary coach Pete Newell as major influences on his coaching style. Reveno served as an assistant coach under Montgomery for seven years before being promoted to associate head coach during the 2004-05 season alongsideTrent Johnson.
A post player for the Cardinal in the late ‘80s under both Davis and Montgomery, Reveno helped coach his alma mater to seven 20-win seasons, three 30-win seasons, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, an NCAA Final Four in 1998, three years with a No. 1 national ranking, four Pacific-10 Conference Championships and a .768 overall winning percentage.
He has developed a reputation as one of the top post player coaches in the country. Reveno recruited and coached numerous outstanding frontline players for the Cardinal including Mark Madsen, Jarron Collins, Jason Collins, Curtis Borchardt, Tim Young, Rob Little, Justin Davis and Matt Haryasz. He was also a prominent staff member at the nationally renowned Pete Newell Big Man Camp for six seasons. Seven players under Reveno’s tutelage at Stanford went on to play in the NBA.
A Pac-10 Conference All-Academic Team selection himself in 1989 as a senior, Reveno helped coach 14 players to 25 all-conference academic honors as an assistant, the most of any school in the Pac-10 during his nine-year tenure. He has already had three players earn WCC All-Academic honors at Portland.
Described as a “fierce competitor” on the court, Reveno played in 116 games during his four-year career at Stanford (1985-87, 89), including 30 games as a starter during his senior season in 1988-89. He was a two-time team captain and most inspirational player and averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a senior, helping the Cardinal to a 26-7 record, a 15-3 mark in the Pac-10, and a No. 12 national ranking. The Cardinal advanced to the NCAA Tournament, Stanford’s first appearance in the tourney since the 1942 season.
After graduating from Stanford in 1989 with a degree in economics, he spent four years playing professional basketball in Japan. He returned to Stanford and obtained his masters degree in business administration in 1995. Prior to joining the Stanford coaching staff in 1997, he served as president for two years of Riekes Center in Menlo Park, a non-profit mentoring organization that works with athletes of all ages.
Reveno was born in Stanford, Calif. on March 12, 1966 and attended The Menlo School during his high school years. He and his wife, Amanda, have two children: Katie (6) and Andrew (3).