Oregon women’s basketball assistant coaches Allison and Mike McNeill announced their resignations on Friday, effective April 11.
The married coaching tandem will return to the Vancouver, B.C., area to be closer to family and to continue their work with the Canadian Women’s National Team.
“It has been a great four years and we are really going to miss the kids, community and the University of Oregon,” Allison McNeill said. “We will always look back on our years very fondly. We would like to thank Bev (Smith) for giving us this tremendous opportunity.”
The McNeills began coaching at Oregon together in 2001, current head coach Bev Smith’s first year. The McNeills helped Oregon to a 21-10 record in 2004-05, which included a tie for second in the Pacific-10 Conference and an at-large bid into the women’s NCAA Tournament — the first in Smith’s tenure — where the Ducks upset No. 7-seed Texas Christian in the first round and lost to Final Four-qualifier Baylor in the second round. In addition, the McNeills helped Oregon to a Women’s National Invitation Tournament championship in 2001-02.
Associate head coach Allison McNeill, former Oregon player and a teammate of Smith’s, started her coaching career as an assistant at Oregon in the 1981-82 season. As a player at Oregon, she led the team in assists and ranked second in steals during her senior season in 1980-81. As the team captain her senior year, McNeill led the Ducks to a No. 11 national ranking and was recognized as the school’s top female athlete with Jackson Award in 1981.
In October 2001, Allison McNeill was given the head coaching position of the Canadian National Team, which she guided to a bronze-medal finish at the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualification Tournament and a fourth-place finish at the Pan American Games in 2003.
Mike McNeill, who focused on the offense and player development for the Ducks, began coaching in 1974 at Vancouver Community College, heading up the women’s basketball program for one season before playing at Simon Fraser from 1975 to 1977. He served as an assistant for one season following his final year, before being elevated to head coach of the men’s basketball program at Simon Fraser in 1979.
Following his departure in 1984, McNeill coached a number of high school and national teams, including the two-time Canadian champion Provincial Junior Men’s team.
From 1996-2001, he served as the assistant women’s coach at Simon Fraser and for the Canadian National Team under his wife.
“As the head coach of a Division I program, I could not have had two greater teachers and people help me establish an incredible foundation for our Oregon basketball program,” Smith said. “Even in their absence, Oregon will continue to reap the benefits of Mike and Allison’s contributions. We wish them the very best as they return home to family and the national team in Canada.”

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