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facebooktwitterWhen hired at Clark College in 2012, Alex Kirk brought to Penguin Nation a process driven approach with an emphasis on the simple yet complex task of getting better each day. “For us it’s about the daily process of getting better rather than the end results,” Kirk said at the time of his appointment. “If our body of work is good enough, the results will take care of themselves.”
Three years later, the program’s overall body of work would indicate the process is working. Under Kirk’s tutelage, the Penguins have gone 66-19, and have amassed a 77.6% winning percentage during that time. Even more impressive, during Kirk’s three years at the helm, the Penguins have gone 8-1 in post-season tournament play, winning 88.9% of those contests. Over the last two seasons, the Penguins have won 2 consecutive league titles while recording a cumulative league record of 29-3 and capped the 14-15 season by winning the first NWAC Basketball Championship for Clark College in over twenty years.
The 2014-15 Penguins went 25-6 overall and won the NWAC title in decisive fashion, setting tournament records for largest margin of victory (44 points), fewest points allowed (30), and fewest field goals allowed in a single game (8). They also set a tournament record for largest margin of victory in a NWAC championship game with their 78-59 win over Edmonds. On the year, Clark held teams to a conference-best 64.5 points per game while averaging 79.5 points per game, an average point differential of +15ppg. Additionally, the Penguins placed multiple players on the all-conference, all-defensive, and NWAC all-tournament teams, including the NWAC tournament MVP, Evan Garrison. For engineering that success, Kirk was named both the Western Region and NWAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
That same emphasis on getting better each day has translated to success in the classroom as well. The 14-15 Penguins finished the fall term with a cumulative team GPA of 3.3. For their efforts in the classroom, four Penguin players received NWAC All-Academic Team honors, while the next highest NWAC program had 2. “I’m really proud of the way our student athletes have represented both themselves and our program in the classroom,” coach Kirk said while looking back on the team’s academic achievements. “The work and accomplishments in the classroom will stay with them long after their athletic careers are over and the ball stops bouncing.”
While the 14-15 season ended with a championship, the 2013-14 Penguins were pretty special in their own right. The team went 27-2 on the year and were only the 2nd team in NWAC history to compile a perfect 16-0 record in West Region play. Additionally the team had a 21-game winning streak from November to March and placed at the NWAC tournament for the first time since 1995. On the year, the Penguins led the NWAC in scoring defense, three point field goal percentage and overall scoring margin. The program had three players named to the all-conference team, including the league’s MVP, Collin Spickerman. Two other Penguins were named to the NWAC all-defensive team and two more earned all-academic distinctions. For all the team success, Kirk was named NWAC West Coach of the Year.
Kirk’s journey at Clark College started on May 3, 2012 when he was named the program’s head coach. In four short months Kirk recruited eleven new players, including a top 150 recruit, and three new assistant coaches. Before arriving at Clark College, Alex Kirk spent the previous six years entrenched in the Portland/Vancouver basketball communities. Kirk served as the head coach for the King’s Way Christian Knights for the 2011-12 season. That year the team won its first league title in school history, finishing conference play 11-1, before advancing to the state semifinals and eventually securing a fifth place trophy.
Kirk also served as an assistant coach at Mountain View High School, while doubling as a lead trainer and coach for the Dan Dickau Basketball Academy. While with the Dickau Academy, Kirk had the opportunity to coach the top high school players in the program while also leading skill development workouts with some of the best college and professional players from around the Pacific Northwest.
In the summer of 2009, Kirk joined Coach Eric Reveno and the men’s basketball staff at the University of Portland as the program’s director of basketball operations. In that capacity, Kirk continued many of the primary responsibilities he had during the two previous seasons as the team’s head manager. In that role, Kirk was responsible for the oversight of the day-to-day core operations of the men’s basketball office. Additionally Kirk acted as the program’s video operations manager and self-scout coordinator; a role that had him working directly with Coach Reveno in implementing the team’s video performance analysis program.
Prior to arriving at Portland, Kirk played at Washington State University for legendary coaches Dick and Tony Bennett, now the head coach at the University of Virginia, as part of their first recruiting class with the Cougars. His collegiate career was curtailed after only one season due to a series of knee injuries. A basketball standout at Prosser (Wash.) High School, Kirk was named All-Mid Valley League and team MVP for three straight years. He spent a post-graduate year at The Hill School in Pottstown, PA, where he earned All-Mid-Atlantic-Prep League status alongside other recent recipients and current NBA players Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva and Joakim Noah.
Education:AA, General Studies, Columbia Basin College
BS, Organizational Communications, University of Portland (Magna Cum Laude)
MA, Athletic Administration & Coaching, Concordia- Irvine
Personal: Alex and his wife Emmy, a Special Education Facilitator in the Beaverton School District, reside in Vancouver.
What others are saying about him:Dan Dickau – Former NBA Player & All-American at Gonzaga University“Alex will be a great hire for Clark College. He will leave no stone unturned in making Clark a factor each year. His passion, work ethic, and vision for what it takes to run a program will help make it a smooth transition for him. After getting to know Alex over the last few years he has impressed me with his passion, knowledge and vision for how he would run his own program if ever gotten the chance. Now that his opportunity is here, I'm excited for Alex and Clark College! I think they hired a great young coach.”
Tony Bennett – University of Virginia Head Basketball Coach "Alex Kirk exemplified what it meant to be a student-athlete during his time at Washington State University. I believe Alex is a great addition to Clark College because of his love for the game and his passion to have a positive impact on young men's lives. Alex is a tireless worker and a student of the game, something that his players will recognize and appreciate. Clark College has hired a coach of the highest character and I believe Alex will be a major asset for the community at large."
Eric Reveno – University of Portland Head Men’s Basketball Coach"Having known and worked with Alex Kirk over the last five years, I am very excited to hear about his appointment as head coach of the Clark College men's basketball team. In addition to being a tireless worker, Coach Kirk is a passionate teacher of the game and skilled basketball tactician. He is at his best in his basketball ‘classroom’ but always has rock solid priorities helping student-athletes grow both on and off the court. I am excited to watch the program grow under Coach Kirk's guidance."
