Pilot coach plans return

Jim Sollars says 65th birthday is no reason to leave team, retire

By Jason Vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Feb 29, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

SOLLARS

Jim Sollars, the University of Portland women’s basketball coach, says he wants to honor the last year of his contract and return to the Pilots.

“Now isn’t the time to do it,” Sollars says of retirement. He turned 65 on Jan. 5.

There has been some speculation that Athletic Director Larry Williams might go in another direction with the position, but “he hasn’t told me anything otherwise,” Sollars says, of returning as coach.

“I’m a Jim fan,” Williams says. “He’s earned my deference at this point. They’ve shown some progress. We’ll take a look at it after the season.” He adds that every program is scrutinized differently at UP.

Sollars’ team has rebounded after eight consecutive losing seasons, including the past three of 6-22 (2004-05), 4-24 (2005-06) and 10-20 (2006-07). Those three years combined, the Pilots went 4-38 in West Coast Conference play.

The Pilots, with good young players including leading scorer Laiken Dollente, were 15-12 (5-7 WCC) heading into their final two regular-season games this weekend.

Sollars’ last win was his 300th at UP, against 320 losses in 22 years on the Bluff.

Sollars’ heyday at the university came in five seasons, 1993-1998, when the Pilots went to four NCAA tournaments and had a combined record of 109-38. The next year, 1998-99, the Pilots went 16-13 and made the WNIT, but they have not had a winning record since then.

Gonzaga beat Portland by 20 points last weekend to win its fourth consecutive WCC title. But Sollars sees the Pilots as comparable to everybody else in the league.

Dollente has played point guard by default because, as Sollars says, “we’ve known all along that we’re playing point guard by committee, and that’s always tough. We need somebody to take charge and be a leader for us.”

Sollars has signed ReZina TecleMariam from Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Wash., to play point guard.

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