Year-By-Year Record | Overall Record
Wes Pifer enters his sixth year (and fifth season) as the men's basketball head coach at Western Oregon.
The Wolves battled numerous season-ending and in-sesaon injuries in 2023-24 - including to key starters - and finished the year missing the GNAC Championships after making the tournament three years in a row - including in 2022-23 as the Wolves went 9-9 in GNAC play to qualify.
In 2021-22 in a season where every team made the GNAC Championships, WOU as the No. 9 seed made a run to the GNAC semifinals with wins over No. 8 Western Washington and GNAC regular-season champion Saint Martin's before falling to No. 5 Central Washington by a point.
During Pifer’s first season with the Wolves, WOU came out of the gates on fire winning nine of their first 11 games which vaulted them to the No. 24 national ranking in the NABC Poll. Included in that stretch was an impressive win over then No. 6 and now Division-I program Dixie State in which WOU won by 16. The Wolves closed the regular season strong winning six of seven to advance to the GNAC Tournament tying for second in the GNAC regular season standings.
The team was tough to beat at home as WOU went 10-2 inside NPE Building Gym and finished the season with an overall record of 19-8. Dalven Brushier took home unanimous All-GNAC first team honors, while Darius Lubom and Cameron Cranston were also honored by the GNAC. Brushier went on to earn D2CCA All-West Region accolades.
WOU was among the national and conference leaders in multiple categories in 2019-20 as the Wolves led the nation in free throw percentage (82.6), while ranking in the top-25 nationally in field goal percentage, 21st nationally (49.3), scoring offense per game, 19th nationally (86.6), three point field goals per game, 15th nationally (11.3), three point field goal percentage, 12th nationally (40.8) and in turnover margin, 21st nationally (3.5). WOU led the GNAC in fewest turnovers (330), free throw percentage, scoring margin, scoring offense, steals per game, turnover margin and turnovers forced.
Individually, Brushier led the GNAC in free throw percentage (84.9), minutes per game (34:14). Lubom led the GNAC in assists per game (4.2) and Emanuel Gant led the GNAC in total steals (50).
Pifer arrived in Monmouth from Northern Arizona University, a Division-I program playing in the Big Sky Conference. He most recently served as the associate head coach for the Lumberjacks and was on the NAU staff from 2013-19. While with Northern Arizona, Pifer helped lead the team to a school-record 23 Division-I wins in 2014-15. His student-athletes held a 97 percent graduation rate during his six-year tenure.
Previous to his time at NAU, Pifer was an assistant at Division-I North Carolina Central University in Durham. He helped the Eagles to back-to-back record seasons, winning a school-record 17 games in 2011-12 before breaking that mark with 22 wins the following year.
While at NCCU, Pifer oversaw the development of three All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) first team selections.
Prior to joining the staff at North Carolina Central, Pifer was an assistant coach for two years at St. Andrews University, a Division II school in Laurinburg, N.C. He was the recruiting coordinator and head coach of the junior varsity team while assuming total team responsibilities, including coaching and developing all players, creating scouting reports, compiling monthly call logs and communicating with boosters and alumni.
Pifer’s first coaching job came at Miami Dade College during the 2008-09 season. The team was ranked No. 7 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings and recorded a school-record 30 wins. As the perimeter coach at Miami Dade, Pifer helped numerous student-athletes sign with Division-I schools, including Trevor Mbakwe (Minnesota), James Beatty (Rutgers), Will Coleman (Memphis), Darnell Dodson (Kentucky), and Dwan McMillan (Hofstra).
Pifer played collegiatly at Methodist University (2000-02) and Penn State-Altoona (2002-04). He also played professionally overseas for BBG Herford in the Germany 2 Regionalliga.
He played at Penn State-Altoona under the tutelage of former NBA player Armon Gilliam. During his time at PSU-Altoona, Pifer averaged 9.1 points, 5.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds a game for the Division III institution.
Pifer returned to PSU-Altoona to complete his bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies in 2007.
Pifer and and his wife Darcy were married in July 2014. The two have a son, Jayden Paul and a daughter, Hayley.
