Whitworth settles on Logie as new basketball coach

Whitworth University has scheduled a press conference for 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday to introduce Matt Logie as its new head men’s basketball coach. Logie, who recently finished his second season as the associate head coach under Dr. Brett Reed at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., will replace Jim Hayford, who resigned last earlier this year to become the head coach at Eastern Washington University. Logie, who played for his grandfather and legendary prep coach Ed Pepple at Mercer Island High School before becoming the first player to accept a scholarship at Lehigh, finished his college career as the Mountain Hawks’ eighth all-time leading scorer with 1,524 career points. Logie, who played on Mercer Island’s last State 4A championship team in 1999, first joined the Lehigh staff prior to the start of the 2003-04 season as the Director of Basketball Operations, but left for similar position at Kent State University in 2006. He spent a year at KSU before returning to Lehigh, where he helped his alma mater capture Patriot League regular-season and tournament titles in 2009-10. As Whitworth’s head coach, Logie will inherit a wildly successful program that posted a 217-57 record and made six NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in its 10 seasons under Hayford. Last year, the Pirates finished 28-2, setting records for the most wins in a single season and single-season winning percentage (.933). In addition, they attained their first-ever No. 1-ranking in the D3hoops.com poll and advanced to the Elite Eight of the D-III national tournament before losing on the road to the College of Wooster, 76-66. According to sources, Logie was one of four finalists Whitworth’s search committee – which was headed by Pirates athletic director Warren Friedrichs – brought on campus to be interviewed.