Women's Basketball
Brian Porth
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- brian.porth@pepperdine.edu
Assistant Coach Brian Porth enters his third year in Malibu going into the 2026-27 season, hired on as a part of head coach Katie Faulkner's initial staff. As one of two programs in the country without a single returning player for the 2025-26 season, Porth was part of a staff that took four freshman and eight transfers to Pepperdine's first postseason appearance in seven years. Last season, the coaching staff turned an eight-win program into a 21 win program for the fifth-best win turnaround among division one teams last season as well as the school's first 20+ win season since 2018-19. In the NET rankings, the Waves saw the fourth best turnaround in the country, ending the 2025-26 season at 132, compared to 285 at the end of the 2024-25 season. The program also saw the best start in 45 years, ending non-conference 9-3.
Tying the program's record for the longest postseason run, the Waves made it to the Super 16 of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). For the first time ever, Pepperdine hosted two postseason games, ending the short-lived postseason run in Firestone Fieldhouse a perfect 2-0. Pepperdine finished 6th in the West Coast Conference, the team's highest finish in seven years.
Brian Porth was hired in May 2024 after finishing his second stint at his alma mater, Southern Methodist University. Porth has experience at every level of the sport, ranging from the professional ranks, to the NCAA and NAIA, to the high school and AAU levels.
In 2023, Porth served as the Director of Scouting and Video Analytics/Assistant Coach for his alma mater. He started his career at SMU as the Video Coordinator and Assistant Camp Director from 2007-10 after graduating with a history degree in 2007.
Prior to his second stint at SMU, Porth was the head coach of the Arizona Elite AAU Basketball Club for eight years. He led the team by managing budgets, overseeing player development, running social media and helping increase the club from 18 athletes to more than 100 while expanding the club from two to 10 full teams. Also while in Arizona, Porth was the head coach of Chaparral High School, located in Scottsdale, Ariz. A two-time region coach of the year, Porth led the Firebirds to a 5A state title in 2018.
Porth's five years of professional basketball experience include a two-year stint as an advanced scout for the Utah Jazz, plus three years as the New York Liberty's head scout from 2019-22. During that time with the Liberty, he helped the team make back-to-back postseason appearances in 2021-22. Overseas, he also was the head coach for Coventry University in Coventry, England from 2010-11 and the University of Oxford from 2008-09.
Tying the program's record for the longest postseason run, the Waves made it to the Super 16 of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). For the first time ever, Pepperdine hosted two postseason games, ending the short-lived postseason run in Firestone Fieldhouse a perfect 2-0. Pepperdine finished 6th in the West Coast Conference, the team's highest finish in seven years.
Brian Porth was hired in May 2024 after finishing his second stint at his alma mater, Southern Methodist University. Porth has experience at every level of the sport, ranging from the professional ranks, to the NCAA and NAIA, to the high school and AAU levels.
In 2023, Porth served as the Director of Scouting and Video Analytics/Assistant Coach for his alma mater. He started his career at SMU as the Video Coordinator and Assistant Camp Director from 2007-10 after graduating with a history degree in 2007.
Prior to his second stint at SMU, Porth was the head coach of the Arizona Elite AAU Basketball Club for eight years. He led the team by managing budgets, overseeing player development, running social media and helping increase the club from 18 athletes to more than 100 while expanding the club from two to 10 full teams. Also while in Arizona, Porth was the head coach of Chaparral High School, located in Scottsdale, Ariz. A two-time region coach of the year, Porth led the Firebirds to a 5A state title in 2018.
Porth's five years of professional basketball experience include a two-year stint as an advanced scout for the Utah Jazz, plus three years as the New York Liberty's head scout from 2019-22. During that time with the Liberty, he helped the team make back-to-back postseason appearances in 2021-22. Overseas, he also was the head coach for Coventry University in Coventry, England from 2010-11 and the University of Oxford from 2008-09.
