Bye bye, Bone

The phone rang at the Bone residence at 1 a.m. Monday morning. Typically, only bad news comes pouring in at such an hour, but for a fast-asleep Ken Bone the voice of the party on the other line was a welcoming sound.

It was Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk. A man Bone knew from his coaching days at Seattle Pacific, and a man that had a particular offer for the head coach fresh off guiding Portland State to two straight NCAA Tournaments.

“Would you like to coach the Cougars?”

Within less than 12 hours Bone had already shared his answer with his Portland State coaching staff, and within a couple more revolutions of the clock he laid out his future to his players.

By nearly 5 p.m., Bone strolled off the South Park Blocks with a suit carrier and a small travel bag slung over his left shoulder. He had a flight to catch: North to Pullman, Wash., where he will be announced as the Cougars head coach today.

“Yeah, I was surprised. I’m an old guy. I go to bed at 10:30 or 11,” Bone said. “It’s been a great time.”

As he makes his exit, Bone’s tenure at Portland State will likely be remembered as the most successful ever for a men’s basketball coach.

Aside from the back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths, Bone led the Vikings to a 77-49 record and two of the program’s finest seasons ever to close out his stint at Portland State.

“We’re sad that Ken is going. With the accomplishments that the program has had it is easy to see why he would be a good fit for their program,” said athletic director Torre Chisholm of Washington State. “We will miss him and his family.”

Bone will head to Pullman with his wife, Connie, and three daughters to become the face of a Cougars program that has enjoyed recent success but has yet to cultivate a rich basketball tradition.

However, Bone spoke passionately about the opportunity to coach a Pacific-10 team, no matter the school’s history.

During his final moments at Portland State’s campus, Bone seemed less than worried about the transition to Pullman, as he laughed and joked about the move.

“They have never been to Pullman,” Bone said of his family. “I told them it was right next to Disneyland. They’ll find out when we get there.”

While Bone’s arrival in Pullman is a cause for celebration, his departure from Portland State is enough to illicit slight feelings of anguish, as his players remark about what he has meant to the Vikings and level with his decision.

Moments before Bone addressed his team, junior forward Kyle Coston said that he understood why Bone would choose to relocate to Washington State as he soaked in some sun in front of the Stott Center.

“Any coach is driven to coach at the highest level,” Coston said. “I can’t be mad. You want to be going against the toughest competition at the highest level.”

Coston feels confidently that Bone will succeed at Washington State, despite the challenge of coaching in the Pac-10. And Coston is willing to cite history to back up his claims.

“He knows how to win,” Coston said. “He knows how to get the most out of his players.”

While there has been no confirmation of whom will take over the program or whether an interim coach will be named, Coston said he has heard some rumors of associate head coach Tyler Geving “standing in” following Bone’s departure.

As Bone leaves Portland State and says goodbye to the South Park Blocks, Stott Center and his bevy of talented players, he maintains that he has one lasting memory of his four years as a Viking: Winning the Big Sky Championship at the Rose Garden to cap off a sensational 2007–08 season.

Bone’s memory of Portland State will be the same memory Portland State has of him.