Montana State University Billings Athletics

Kevin Woodin will begin his 22nd season as the head women’s basketball coach at Montana State Billings in 2025-26.
 
In his 21 seasons, Woodin has amassed a cumulative record of 369-235 (.611) and is the winningest coach in MSUB history. The 'Jackets have also qualified for the post-season in 15 of the past 19 seasons and holds a 19-19 (.500) postseason record under Woodin’s guidance. Eight players have been named All-American under Woodin's tenure and 55 players have been named all conference, including Michelle Lieber, Alira Carpenter, Bobbi Knudsen, Kayleen Goggins, Alisha Breen, Taryn Shelley, Kola Bad Bear, and Dyauni Boyce. Woodin has coached four conference players of the year (Lieber, Knudsen, Breen, Bad Bear), one west region player of the year (Breen), three conference defensive players of the year (Janiel Olsen, Robyn Milne, Kortney Nelson), three conference newcomers of the year (Sarah McNamee, Chelsea Banis, Cariann Kunkel), and one freshman of the year (Alira Carpenter). Woodin has coached six academic all-Americans and 120 academic all-conference honorees.

In the 2024-25 season, Woodin helped guide the Yellowjackets to their third consecutive trip to the DII National Tournament, leading the team to a 25-8 overall record, and a 14-4 mark in GNAC play. The squad remained in in the top 25 nationally for a majority of the season, peaking at No. 3 in the WBCA Coaches Poll, along with qualifying for the GNAC Championships as the No. 2 Seed. The team continued to rack up awards, with Dyauni Boyce receiving First Team All-GNAC, Second Team All-Region, and WBCA All-America nods. Meanwhile, Kortney Nelson and Aspen Giese each earned All-GNAC Second Team honors, with Giese finishing the season as the DII leader in three-pointers made, and Chloe Williams received an All-GNAC Honorable Mention nod. MSUB had seven players recieve Academic All-GNAC honors, and four Academic All-District honorees.

In the 2023-24 season, Woodin was selected as GNAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after guiding the Yellowjackets to a 28-7 overall record, the most wins in a single season in program history, and a 16-2 mark in GNAC play. Woodin's team spent multiple weeks ranked in the top 10 of the WBCA poll throughout the season, as the Yellowjackets collected a GNAC regular season title. MSUB went on the make it to the GNAC Championship game, before making a run to the Sweet 16 in the DII National Tournament, upsetting No. 1 Seed Azusa Pacific on their home court. The team took home a number of awards, with Kola Bad Bear earning GNAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, along with First Team All-GNAC, All-Region, and WBCA All-America honors. Meanwhile Kortney Nelson was the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, while she and Dyauni Boyce each earned second team all-conference honors. MSUB had eight players earn Academic-All GNAC honors, along with four Academic All-District, and an Academic All-America selection. The team was also the GNAC WBB Academic Champion for the sixth time, most in conference history.

During the 2022-23 season, Woodin collected his 300th career win on Dec. 8, 2022 against Rocky Mountain College. It was a highlight victory in a season of success for the Yellowjackets, who finished 25-8 overall, and 14-4 in conference play. The team made a run to the GNAC Tournament Championship Game, and qualified for the NCAA DII National Tournament, where they made it to the second round. Woodin was voted as the GNAC Coach of the Year for his efforts. Six Yellowjackets earned All-GNAC honors, with two selected to the second team, and four earning honorable mention selections. Woodin's group had ten players earn Academic All-GNAC honors, and the team finished tied for tenth on the WBCA honor roll, earning a 3.74 combined GPA.
 
On Dec. 19, 2021, Woodin surpassed Mike Harkins with the 281st win of his career to become the winningest head coach in the history of Yellowjacket athletics

Montana First: Kevin Woodin earned MSU Billings wins mark - and respect - with in-state treasures (Greg Rachac/406 Sports - Dec. 26, 2021)

It was a milestone win on the way to a 17-12 record during the 2021-22 season, and the Yellowjackets went 10-5 in conference play. MSUB earned a victory in the opening round of the conference tournament. Taryn Shelley was named an honorable mention All-American, and was a first-team all-conference selection.
 
The team’s postseason awards in 2021-22 included GNAC Newcomer of the Year Cariann Kunkel, who was also a second-team all-conference selection, and Kortney Nelson who earned honorable mention all-GNAC. The Yellowjackets finished seventh among all NCAA D2 schools on the WBCA Academic Team Honor Roll List, carrying a 3.77 team GPA thanks to eight academic all-conference selections.
 
Under Woodin's guidance, the Yellowjackets finished sixth in the conference during the 2019-20 regular season and earned a trip to the GNAC Championships in Seattle, Washington, where they fell in the quarterfinals to Western Washington University. Hannah Collins, Taryn Shelley, and Jeanann Lemelin were all named all-conference honorable mention.
 
In 2017-18, Woodin led the Yellowjackets to the best finish in school history, advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight after winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and NCAA D2 West Region tournament titles. The Yellowjackets tied the school record for wins, going 25-12 overall, and finished fourth in the GNAC standings with a league record of 12-8.
 
Woodin’s Yellowjackets won six straight postseason games, including three in-a-row over nationally-ranked teams, en route to the second regional title in school history and first since the 1998-99 season. The ‘Jackets fell to No. 1 Ashland University 91-73 in the opening round of the Elite Eight.
 
Under Woodin’s guidance, senior Alisha Breen was a first-team All-American after breaking the MSUB and GNAC career records for scoring as she finished with 2,001 points. Breen broke the GNAC record for points in a season with 791, and her average of 21.4 points per game was No. 11 in the NCAA. Fellow senior Rylee Kane also completed a decorated career, starting all 125 games in her four seasons as point guard and finishing No. 2 in MSUB history and No. 4 in GNAC history with 563 assists. All 10 of MSUB’s eligible players in 2017-18 earned academic all-GNAC accolades, and Breen was a CoSIDA academic all-district and academic All-American as well.
 
In his coaching career, Woodin's teams have captured one NCAA Division II regional championship, two Heartland Conference regular season titles, two Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season titles, two conference tournament championships, and seven NCAA DII Tournament appearances.
 
Under Woodin’s guidance in 2016-17, Tiana Hanson earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, after being picked as a second-team all-conference forward. MSUB was also the academic team champion within the GNAC with a team GPA of 3.53.
 
Woodin earned his second Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honor in 2015-16, and became the winningest coach in MSUB women's basketball history by leading the Yellowjackets back to the NCAA Division II West Region Championships with an overall record of 21-11 and a mark of 15-5 in league play.
 
During the 2004-05 season, Woodin was named the NCAA Division II Independent Coach of the Year. He was also the 2006-07 Heartland Coach of the Year. 

Woodin’s teams have consistantly excelled academically during his tenure. The WBCA honored MSUB’s 2013-14 squad as an academic top-25 team in the nation as they earned a 3.656 cumulative team GPA, finishing sixth in the nation. That marked the seventh consecutive year MSUB has been ranked in the academic top-25 by the WBCA. With the 3.656, the team was ranked No. 6 in the nation for NCAA Div. II institutions. The Yellowjackets have finished top ten in the nation in cumulative team GPA the past three seasons.
 
In 2013-14, the MSU Billings women’s basketball team finished 25-8 overall, 15-3 in the GNAC, and had a perfect 15-0 defense of their home court, resulting in his first GNAC Coach of the Year award. With the help of senior All-American guard Bobbi Knudsen, MSUB won the regular season GNAC title, advancing to the West Region tournament ranked No. 2 overall. At the West Region tourney hosted by No. 1 seed Cal Poly Pomona, the Yellowjackets won their first two games, defeating Academy of Art and Simon Fraser University. With their two wins, Woodin’s team advanced on to the Sweet Sixteen round, where they played against host school Cal Poly Pomona in the West Region title game.

Woodin became the Yellowjacket women’s 11th head basketball coach when he took over on July 23, 2004.
 

Woodin was the head girls’ basketball coach at Billings West High School from 1994-2004. In that time, he led the Lady Bears to a 138-81 record (.630), including back-to-back Class AA state titles in 2003 and 2004. Woodin’s Bears were a perfect 23-0 in 2004’s title run and won the final 36 games Woodin coached at the school. He earned Montana AA Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and 2004.

Along with leading the Lady Bears to State AA tournament hardware in four of his last six seasons, Woodin was also an assistant coach on the Montana All-Star Team and an Executive Committee member and coach for the Treasure State Classic. At West High, Woodin coached 19 players who went on to play collegiate basketball.

A native of Libby, Mont., Woodin graduated with a degree in mathematics from Carroll College in 1987. While teaching and coaching at O’Dea High School in Seattle, he earned his master’s degree in athletic administration from Seattle Pacific University in 1992. Woodin taught mathematics at O’Dea High School from 1987-1994 while also coaching boys’ basketball, golf, and tennis. He was named O’Dea’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1990-91 and the Metro League golf Coach of the Year three times. Woodin had two stints as MSUB women's golf coach and one stint as head coach of MSUB men's golf. He has also taught numerous HHP courses at MSUB during his tenure.

Woodin has three children: Kayleen (31), Toria (28) and Garrett (26).  Kayleen currently works as a senior marketing strategy and operations manager for Motorola in Chicago.  She resides in Riverside, IL with her fiancé Ben Nichols.  Toria is an ICU nurse at Billings Clinic and Garrett is a PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Hilands Golf Club in Billings.  Garrett is the only men’s golfer in MSUB history to qualify for the NCAA DII national golf tournament and was a four-year letter winner at MSUB and holds many all-time MSUB golf records.  Woodin’s mother, Loretta Erickson, formerly of Libby, MT resides in Shoreline, Washington and is one of the Jacket’s biggest fans.  Woodin is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Montana Coaches Association, and Midland Roundtable.  He has been the GNAC conference coaches captain, and he has served on the WBCA top 25 and NCAA Division II west region selection committees.  Woodin was a speaker at the 2019 NCAA Women’s Division I final four in Tampa, Florida and has spoken multiple times at the Montana Coaches Clinic.