Ken Bone, a former head coach who saw success at Portland State and Washington State, is in his sixth season as Pepperdine’s associate head coach in 2023-24.
In his first season with the Waves, Bone helped Pepperdine achieve one of the nation’s top turnarounds, a 10-win improvement (from six to 16) in 2018-19. The Waves won the postseason College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2021.
Before joining Pepperdine, Bone served as a special assistant to Mark Few at Gonzaga during the 2016-17 season. In 23 seasons as a college head coach, Bone posted a record of 414-253 (.621). He was previously an assistant coach under Lorenzo Romar at Washington for three seasons.
“Having worked for Lorenzo in the past, I know I’m joining someone that I trust and respect immensely,” said Bone at his hiring in March 2018. “He’s a terrific basketball coach and has always had a huge impact on the student-athletes that he’s worked with, on and off the court. I appreciate and look forward to the opportunity of working with the young men at Pepperdine and helping them reach their goals.”
Romar said: “I’ve known Ken for a long time, ever since I was in college. When I was an assistant at UCLA I talked to Jim Harrick about bringing him on because I thought he would do a good job, though it didn’t work out. But when I was hired at Washington the first guy I wanted to bring on was Ken Bone, and so he joined me on that staff. He went on to be a successful head coach. He’s a great basketball mind who really understands the game. I think he will be a fantastic addition at Pepperdine.”
Before Gonzaga, Bone was the associate head coach at Montana for two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16). The Grizzlies won at least 20 games both seasons, went 41-25 and played in the 2015 NIT and 2016 CBI.
He spent five years as the head coach at Washington State (2009-10 through 2013-14), leading the Cougars to 80 victories and the NIT semifinals in 2011 and a runner-up finish in the CBI in 2012. He posted winning seasons in each of his first three years and won 22 games in the 2010-11 season.
Bone coached future NBA All-Star Klay Thompson, the highest NBA Draft pick in Washington State history (and brother of former Pepperdine men’s basketball standout Mychel Thompson).
Bone took Portland State to its first two NCAA Tournaments during his four-year stint as head coach (2005-06 through 2008-09). The Vikings went 23-10 and won the Big Sky Conference Tournament title in both 2008 and 2009, the best two seasons in program history. He earned Big Sky Coach of the Year honors in 2008 after also winning the league’s regular-season title.
Bone got his start in Division I at Washington, where he was an assistant coach for three seasons (2002-03 through 2004-05) during Romar’s first three years as head coach there. That period included two NCAA Tournament berths. The 2004-05 team tied a school record with 29 victories and earned its first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
He enjoyed great success as the head coach at Seattle Pacific, an NCAA Division II school, for 12 seasons (1990-91 through 2001-02). He went 253-97 (.723) in that span, won at least 20 games eight times, captured a share of six conference regular-season titles and advanced to NCAA Division II Championships eight times, including a spot in the Elite Eight in 2000. In 2000, he was recognized as both the NABC District 8 Coach of the Year and the PacWest Conference co-Coach of the Year. Before being elevated to head coach, he was an assistant coach for four seasons (1986-87 through 1989-90) with the Falcons.
Bone was also the head coach at Olympic Community College for one season (1985-86), the head coach at Cal State Stanislaus for one season (1984-85) and an assistant coach at Cal State Stanislaus for one season (1983-84).
A Seattle native, Bone graduated from Seattle Pacific in 1983 and later received his master’s degree in athletic administration in 1993. He played two seasons for the Falcons after a pair of one-year stints at Shoreline and Edmonds Community Colleges.
He and his wife Connie have three daughters, Kendra, Jenae and Chelsea.
