MHCC promotes assistant to lead women’s basketball

The MHCC administration has named Tyler Rose as the new head coach for the Saints women’s basketball team.

This past season, Rose served his first year as assistant coach for the Saints women’s team under head coach Jocelyn McIntire. McIntire stepped down after this year’s disappointing 2-25 finish, in her second year at MHCC.

“I am excited for the opportunity,” Rose said about his promotion. “I feel like I am capable to adapting to whatever the challenges are ahead and the athletes in the program have responded positively to the change.”

Rose, who also will teach a basketball course at MHCC, said he expects to add an assistant coach before long.

He believes his transition to the Saints’ top job “will go very smoothly,” he said. “The players who are returning already know and understand what the expectations are going forward, and the players coming in will be able to adapt to a new style, new teammates and new atmosphere.”

Rose has coached basketball for 10 seasons. He began with junior varsity boys at Rex Putman High School in Milwaukie. Three years later, he became assistant coach of Rex Putman’s varsity team.

He later took on the head coaching role at Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, Nev., and led what had been a struggling basketball team to the postseason in both of his years.

He eventually moved to the collegiate level, serving as assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Shoreline Community College in Seattle.

In his first year at Shoreline, the team was beaten in the opening game of the NWAACC Tournament by the Mt. Hood men’s squad led by coach Geoff Gibor, “so it is kind of funny that I ended up coaching at MHCC,” he said.

Rose juggled multiple coaching positions last year. While backing up McIntire for the Saints, he also was the assistant for the Rex Putnam boys’ varsity team and he traveled up and down the West Coast to serve at some of the top basketball camps and clinics.

He’s ready to incorporate some changes for the Mt. Hood women, both in practice and playing styles, he said.

“It is my hope that practices will function smoothly, but the athletes will be learning and adapting to a different style (and) a different philosophy,” he said.

“Just like anything new, it may take a little while to get used to, but because of the positive support, I feel that the change will be for the better.”

Rose said among the changes he plans as new head coach are the practice times: “It (would) help that the practice times will no longer be at 6 a.m.,” he said.

Advocate Staff