PORTLAND, Ore. — Lewis & Clark College Director of Physical Education and Athletics Mark Pietrok has announced the hiring of Cory Coombe as the ninth head men's basketball coach in program history. Coombe, a 2017 graduate of Lewis & Clark, returns to Palatine Hill after building an impressive coaching resume that included stops at Northwest Conference rival Whitman College, NCAA Division III the University of Redlands and NCAA Division II Cal State San Marcos.
"We are thrilled to welcome Cory back to Palatine Hill," said Pietrok. "His journey since graduating from Lewis & Clark has been remarkable. At every stop, he has helped build winning cultures, developed student-athletes on-and-off the court at high academic institutions, and demonstrated the kind of leadership we were looking for in our next head coach. Cory truly does understand Lewis & Clark values, and we are confident he is the right person to lead our men's basketball program into its next chapter."
Coombe most recently served as the associate head men's basketball coach at Cal State San Marcos during the 2025-26 season. He helped lead the program to its first California Collegiate Athletic Association playoff appearance in three years and doubled the team's previous season win total. He oversaw all recruiting efforts and helped the Cougars achieve a 3.28 team GPA, the program's best since 2018.
"I would like to thank Mark Pietrok and President Holmes-Sullivan for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to lead the men's basketball program," Coombe said.
"I am excited to be leading this program because of my history here, and I truly believe it can reach new heights. Lewis & Clark offers a beautiful campus, strong academic excellence and a proud history of success. I look forward to showcasing these strengths and building on that success moving forward."
Prior to Cal State San Marcos, Coombe served as the associate head coach at the University of Redlands from 2020 to 2025. During his five seasons with the Bulldogs, Coombe helped guide the program to the first NCAA Elite Eight appearance in school history, second in conference history and the highest four-year win total (71) in program history. He recruited 11 All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference players and three All-Region selections, developed five professional players and helped maintain a 100 percent graduation rate and 100 percent job placement rate among student-athletes.
Coombe began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant men's basketball coach at Whitman College from 2018 to 2020, where the Blues made two NCAA tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16. During his time at Whitman, he recruited seven All-NWC players and three All-Region selections, developed six professional players and helped maintain a 100 percent graduation rate and 100 percent job placement rate.
A Lake Oswego native, Coombe played at Lewis & Clark from 2013 to 2017 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Media Studies. He appeared in 86 games and made 22 starts during his time on Palatine Hill. Coombe racked up 415 career points and 186 rebounds and was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court as a senior. Lewis & Clark reached the NWC Tournament twice during his career and made the NWC Championship Game in 2015.
He went on to earn a Master of Science in Sport Management from the University of Florida in 2021.
