Neighbors Named to WBCA Board of Directors

FAYETTEVILLE – An active member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Arkansas women’s basketball head coach Mike Neighbors has been named to the organization’s Board of Directors. Neighbors is now one of five NCAA Division I Coach Directors across the country and becomes the first Arkansas head coach to serve on the board.

The seventh-year head coach of the Hogs was one of seven new voting directors welcomed to the board during the board’s annual in-person summer meeting, which was held on July 20 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Hotel. The WBCA Board is composed of directors representing programs in NCAA Division I, II and II, as well as high school.

“I’m very honored to be entrusted to serve the WBCA during these ever-changing times that we are facing in women’s basketball,” said Neighbors. “We have more eyes on our game than any other time in history. It’s vital that we take ourselves seriously and put the very best product we can on the floor, while helping these student-athletes navigate the challenges of NIL and the transfer portal.”

Neighbors is also the Chairman of the Wade Trophy Committee and the WBCA All-America Committee.

The seven new voting directors on the WBCA board include:

• NCAA Division I Coach Directors — Mike Neighbors, head coach, University of Arkansas, and Danielle O’Banion, head coach, Loyola University (Maryland).
• NCAA Division II Coach Director — Mike Brandt, head coach, Minot State University.
• NCAA Division III Coach Director — Carissa Sain, head coach, Illinois Institute of Technology.
• Scholastic Coach Director — Kathy Maguire-Stoudt, head coach, Rising Sun High School (Maryland).
• Assistant Coach Director — Steve Yang, assistant coach, California Baptist University.
• NCAA Division I Commissioner Director — Julie Roe Lach, commissioner, Horizon League.

“The WBCA has been the caretaker of our sport since 1981, and I will fill whatever role the leadership assigns to the very best of my ability,” added Neighbors.

Arkansas is coming off a 24-13 season, which finished with Arkansas’ fifth postseason berth in the Neighbor’s era. Arkansas made it to the Great 8 of the Postseason WNIT before falling to eventually 2023 Postseason WNIT Champion Kansas, 78-64. Samara Spencer is the leading returning scorer, who is coming off averaging 14.4 points per game and a team-leading 154 assists. Saylor Poffenbarger paced the team on the boards with 6.9 per game and four-year starter Makayla Daniels is back for her fifth year after having averaged 13.2 points per game last season. The Hogs also bring in the No. 17 ranked recruiting class and return eight total from last year’s squad.

About the WBCA

Founded in 1981, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.

Season Tickets

Season tickets are available for purchase. Contact the Arkansas Razorback Ticket Center by email raztk@uark.edu or by calling 1-800-982-4647 (HOGS) or 479-575-5151.

More Information

For more information about Arkansas Women’s Basketball, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @RazorbackWBB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/RazorbackWBB. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, “Kickin’ It In The Neighborhood” for an inside look at the Razorback women’s basketball program and check out The Neighborhood podcasts at CoachNeighbors.com.