“This seemed like a perfect fit for me to ask Joddie and Skip to join my coaching staff,” said Barcomb. “They have a very good understanding of who I am as a head coach and we have a natural rapport with one another. They understand the amount of work it takes to build a program into a championship level and they are genuinely thrilled about joining the athletics department at Seattle University.”
Joddie Gleason was most recently the head women’s basketball coach at Humboldt State University, where she led the team to a 201-137 record in 12 seasons, the best in program history. Under her leadership, the team qualified four times for the NCAA DII West Regionals and broke the HSU single season winning percentage in 2015.
“I am both honored and thrilled to join Coach Suzy Barcomb as part of her staff at Seattle University,” said Gleason. “We have had some great battles against each other over the past six years and it will be exciting to join forces at this time. I have the utmost respect for her and for the program that she runs on and off the court. I want to thank Coach Barcomb, Athletic Director Bill Hogan, and President Sundborg for giving us this terrific opportunity to grow both personally and professionally at SU.”
At Humboldt, Gleason coached three All-Americans, 14 First Team All-Conference selections, and 34 First Team Academic award winners. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (1992), a teaching credential (1994), as well as a Master of Arts in Kinesiology (2000) all from California State University, Chico.
“Joddie’s a proven winner, dedicated to academic and athletic excellence over her coaching career. I have a great deal of respect for what she’s accomplished but particularly at Humboldt State. The Lumberjacks are always well-prepared, compete at a high level, and play with passion. We’ve had some great games over the last six years and now I am looking forward to working with her as part of our staff.”
Skip Gleason previously served as the assistant women’s basketball coach at Humboldt State since 2007 where he was responsible primarily for video, technology, and recruiting, bringing to HSU back-to-back CCAA Newcomers of the Year. Gleason was also responsible for academic supervision of student-athletes as well as marketing and communications of basketball camps and clinics.
“I am very excited to join Coach Barcomb’s staff at Seattle U,” said Gleason. “We have always been impressed with her teams’ competitive spirit and her ability to put together a game plan when competing against her. Being able to represent the city of Seattle and a university with such tradition and academic excellence like Seattle U is a real honor. I look forward to meeting and getting to work with the women’s basketball student-athletes as quickly as possible.”
On top of his role as an assistant coach, he also served as Director of Development at HSU since August 2014, before which he was the head men’s basketball coach at College of the Redwoods (2005-07) and assistant men’s basketball coach at Humboldt (2004-05). He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from CSU Chico (1995) and a teaching credential from Chapman University (1999).
“Skip is a diligent recruiter with outstanding contacts throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. Skip has a great eye for assessing talent – his knowledge of the game and his ability to analyze strengths and weaknesses of our opponents will be a valuable asset. Skip’s wide range of coaching duties and expertise will prove essential in the growth and development of our team.”
Toni Thomas joins Barcomb’s staff at Seattle U after previously serving as her second assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal State East Bay. At CSUEB, she was also an academic mentor, conducting weekly academic meetings with student-athletes, as well as serving in an operations capacity, preparing plans for travel, meals, and lodging.
“Words cannot describe how excited I am to join the athletics staff at Seattle University,” said Thomas. “Sometimes change can be frightening. However, I had absolutely no reservations when making the decision to become a Redhawk. I am both honored and grateful that Suzy has asked me to come along with her to SU. I am looking forward to this new experience and we fully intend to leave our mark on this program.”
Prior to Cal State East Bay, Thomas previously coached at the West Coast Premier Basketball Academy in Walnut, Calif. (Mar. 2013-Sept. 2015) as well as at the Marlborough School and Monroe H.S. in Los Angeles (Dec. 2013-Apr. 2014).
Before moving into the coaching realm, she also served as Director of Basketball Operations at CSU Fullerton in 2013, her alma mater where she received a Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development with a concentration on health and coaching in 2009. Thomas also played professionally in Portugal, Germany, Thailand, and Angola.
“Toni worked with me during our historical season at Cal State East Bay. Her primary responsibilities were post player development, academic mentoring, and student-athlete welfare. Her successful college and overseas playing career coupled with her recruiting ties on the west coast and international connections are remarkable. Toni is trustworthy, reliable, and has a gift for connecting with student-athletes.”
Barcomb excitedly concludes, “Everyone is eager to join Seattle University’s campus community and begin the process of building a championship program.”