GOVANDALS.COM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Head Coach
Akbar enters his third season as the Vandals head coach.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Leader of Their Men
Alex Pribble was named the 31st head men's basketball coach in University of Idaho program history on March 20, 2023. Pribble enters his second season at the helm as head coach of the Idaho Vandals in 2024-25.
Job Titles:
- Intern Athletic Trainer ( Football, Women 's Tennis )
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- Intern Athletic Trainer ( Track & Field )
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- Assistant Director of Football Recruiting
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- Director of Athletic Communications ( FB, WBB, WTEN )
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- Director of Broadcast Production
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- Strength and Conditioning Graduate Assistant ( XC, T & F, WSO, VB, FB )
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Jumps / Multis
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- Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Head Strength and Conditioning Coach ( Olympic Sports )
Mikulecky started at Idaho in August of 2022. He serves as the associate strength and conditioning coach for men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's golf.
Prior to Idaho, Mikulecky served as an assistsant strength and conditioning coach at Colorado State University from 2018-2022. At CSU, he worked with basketball, tennis and golf.
Before spending time at CSU, Mikulecky had his first assistant position at California State University Bakersfield from 2015-18 where he worked mainly with basketball as well as the other sports.
Outside of work, Mikulecky has been competing in powelifting in the USAPL since 2005. He hails from Racine, Wisconsin.
Job Titles:
- Faculty Athletic Representative
Job Titles:
- Associate Director for Development, Southern Idaho
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Administration and Wellness
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Trainer ( Head Football, Men 's Golf )
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Athletic Communications ( MBB, VB, MTEN, S & D, T & F / XC )
Job Titles:
- Director of Athletic Communications
- Director of Athletic Communications ( MBB, VB, WSOC, MTEN, WTEN, S & D, TF, XC )
Colton McCrea enters his fourth season with University of Idaho, serving as the primary communications contact for men's basketball, volleyball, men's and women's tennis, and swim and dive. He also assists in the department's digital media efforts.
Prior to joining the staff at the University of Idaho, McCrea served as a student assistant in the media relations department for Arizona State University Athletics from 2017 to 2020.
During his final year in Tempe, he worked as a graduate assistant, where he was the primary contact for the wrestling program. He managed digital and multimedia content projects for Sun Devil wrestling while placing the program's social media accounts in the top-5 in terms of interactions among NCAA D1 Wrestling for the 2019-20 season. He also handled communications and social media duties for the baseball, soccer, and water polo programs.
"The work Colton did at Arizona State was impressive," Idaho Assistant AD for Brand Engagement and Digital Strategy Jerek Wolcott said. "He has proven that he can move the needle on social media, but more importantly, he brings energy and passion for the job. He is excited to be a Vandal and we are thrilled to have him on our team."
A Northwest native, McCrea graduated from Arizona State University in 2021 with a master's degree in Management. McCrea also earned a bachelor's degree in Sports Business in 2019.
McCrea currently resides in Moscow. He enjoys hitting the golf course with friends and family, and exploring the great outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Director / Student - Athlete Support Services ( FB, S & D )
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Head Coach
Daniel Hangstefer was named the fifth head coach in Idaho men's tennis program history in October 2018.
In five seasons at the helm of the Idaho program, Hangstefer has led the Vandals to back-to-back conference championships, two regular season crowns and two team berths into the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships. He has compiled an overall record of 46-45, including a 15-9 mark in 2023. Hangstefer also helped produce eight all-conference singles selections and five All-Big Sky doubles teams, as well as two-time Big Sky Most Valuable Player Francisco Bascon and 2022 Big Sky Freshman of the Year Francisco Gay.
After being tabbed Big Sky preseason No. 1 entering the 2023 season, the Vandals went on a repeat run to win 15 matches to help secure their 16th conference title and fifth Big Sky championship in the last eight seasons. Hangstefer guided the Vandals to three wins over Montana, Sacramento State and Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Tournament to help clinch a spot in the NCAA First Round against USC. He was named 2023 Big Sky Coach of the Year following the season.
In 2022, Hangstefer brought Idaho back to the top of the Big Sky ranks in 2021-22, achieving the program's 15th Big Sky Conference Championship and first conference title since 2017-18. Idaho reeled off nine-straight match wins and a 4-3 victory over Montana State in the title match to be crowned both the regular-season and tournament champions. The win clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the Vandals, where UI faced No. 12 Texas in the first round. Five Vandals earned Big Sky honors, with Francisco Bascon and Francisco Gay headlining the conference accolades. Bascon was named First Team All-Big Sky in singles for the second year in a row while Gay earned Freshman of the Year. Matteo Masala received his first league recognition after being named second-team all-conference in singles. A pair of honorable mention awards in doubles followed with duos Bruno Casino/Bascon and Mario Duron/Gay being recognized.
The 2021 season featured Hangstefer guiding the Vandals back to the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the first time since 2018, winning the North Division title and earning the No. 1 seed. Two Vandals earned conference honors following the season, with Bascon taking home the 2021 Big Sky MVP while also earning a spot on the singles All-Conference First Team. Bruno Casino was featured on the singles All-Conference Second team and the duo earned recognition on the doubles All-Conference First Team.
The Vandals were not only atop the conference on the court but also excelled off the court as his team earned ITA All-Academic Team honors in each of the last four seasons. A total of 25 student-athletes received ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition and 22 earned a spot on the Big Sky All-Academic Team.
Before coming to Idaho, Hangstefer spent a season as the men's and women's tennis head coach with Ferris State University, a Division II university in Big Rapids, Mich. There, the Bulldogs saw success under the helm of Hangstefer as he coached and guided a nationally ranked men's program. He led the men's team to a 21-3 overall record and went undefeated during conference play. The men's squad captured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular-season and tournament championship in the 2017-2018 season.
Both of Hangstefer's programs were named Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic as he mentored four ITA All-Academic men student-athletes and six women student-athletes.
Before Ferris State, Hangstefer spent four seasons as the head coach of Division II, Metropolitan State University of Denver (Colo.), where he was recognized as the 2017 ITA South Central Regional Coach of the Year and earned Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Women's Co-Coach of the Year recognition twice. Hangstefer led twice a nationally-ranked men's squad and mentored 15 ITA All-Academic players along with two ITA All-Academic Teams.
Under Hangstefer's watch, both squads captured RMAC regular-season and tournament championships as well as earned top-five regional rankings. Between both teams, the Roadrunners captured four major RMAC awards as well as having a total of 12 student-athletes named to the all-conference teams.
Prior to his time at Metro State, Hangstefer spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he was named the ITA South Central Region men's assistant coach of the year in 2013 and helped both nationally ranked programs advance to the NCAA national tournament.
During his time in Wichita Falls, he also served as a prep tennis coach at Christ Academy and was an assistant teaching pro at the Hamilton Park Tennis Center.
Hangstefer holds a bachelor's degree in oral communications with a Bible minor from Lipscomb University where he was an accomplished student-athlete. Formerly ranked #1 in the world in mixed doubles deaf tennis, Hangstefer competed in both the World Deaf Championships and the Deaflympics, winning both gold and silver medals.
Job Titles:
- Strength and Conditioning Graduate Assistant ( VB, S & D, FB )
Job Titles:
- Operations & Recruiting Assistant
Job Titles:
- Interim Director of Marketing & Associate Director of External Operations
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director for Business
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Director - Performance Nutrition / Senior Woman Administrator
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Athletic Director / Business
Job Titles:
- Graduate Assistant - Defense
Job Titles:
- Intern Athletic Trainer ( Swim & Dive )
Job Titles:
- Assistant AD for Football Operations / General Manager
Job Titles:
- Intern Athletic Trainer ( Football, Men 's Tennis )
Job Titles:
- Operations & Recruiting Assistant
Job Titles:
- Head Strength and Conditioning Coach ( Football )
Job Titles:
- Director of Equipment Operations
- Equipment Services
Jeff Beaman joined the University of Idaho tennis program as head coach of both the men's and women's teams in August of 2006, and since 2008 has served as the Director of Tennis and the head men's tennis coach. Beaman coached both the men and women's teams from 2007-08 and 2014.
Beaman is a six-time Coach of the Year, earning the recognition from the Big Sky for the men in 2015, Western Athletic Conference in 2013 for the men, and 2014 for both the men and women, along with ITA Mountain Region Coach of the Year honors for the men in 2011 and the women in 2014.
Beaman took both Vandal programs to the 2014 NCAA tournament by winning WAC tournament championships on both sides. It was the first conference championship in the history of the women's program and the first for the men since winning the Big Sky in 1978.
The Idaho women achieved a program-best No. 51 national ranking during its 11-match win streak under Beaman in 2014, and went 19-6 on the season.
Beaman increased Idaho's win total in each of his first four seasons coaching the Vandal men, peaking with 22 wins in 2010 after taking over a program that won just two matches in 2006, going 2-22. Beaman led the Idaho men to their first top-50 national ranking when the Vandals were ranked as high as No. 46 in 2011.
Beaman has taken the Vandals to three straight WAC championship matches, falling to Fresno State in 2012 and Denver in 2013 before winning the program's first WAC Championship over New Mexico State in 2014.
Beaman came to Idaho after serving as an assistant men's coach at Texas Christian University for one season. In his time at TCU, he helped the Horned Frogs earn a 2006 Mountain West Conference crown, a trip into the second round of the NCAA Tournament and a No. 31 national ranking. Two of the players from that team also earned All-America honors.
Beaman's first stop as a full-time head coach came at Barton County (Kan.) Community College, where was the head men's and women's tennis coach from 2000-03. From 2001-03, he guided the men's program to three straight top-five finishes in the final NJCAA rankings. The team was second overall in both 2001 and 2002 and fourth in 2003. His women's team finished the 2003 season ranked third in NJCAA. Overall, he coached six ITA All-Americans and 10 NJCAA All-Americans at Barton County. In 2003, he was also nominated for the Barton County Community College Difference Award.
After Barton County, Beaman moved on to the College of Santa Fe, where he started as an assistant in 2004 and eventually was named head coach in 2005. In the inaugural year of the program in 2004, he helped lead the Spin to a No. 5 national ranking and a quarterfinal appearance at the NAIA national tournament. The team also featured three All-Americans and the NAIA Player of the Year, Ivan Angulo. In 2005, he led the team to a No. 1 final ranking in NAIA and helped five of his players achieve All-America status. Following the season, he was named Coach of the Year for Region 6.
From 2000-03, Beaman was the Head Tennis Pro at the Town & Country Racquet Club in Santa Fe, N.M. He is a certified Level I and II Tennis Coach by Tennis Canada.
Beaman graduated summa cum laude from Alabama A&M in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in Physical Education. As a player for the Bulldog tennis team, Beaman was named Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice, in 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Beaman is a native of Ottawa, Canada. His wife's name is Lori.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Sprints, Hurdles, Relays
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director for Brand Engagement & Digital Strategy ( Golf, SOC )
- Integrated Strategic Communications
Job Titles:
- Athletic Trainer
- Resident
- Title / Resident Athletic Trainer
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Trainer ( Volleyball )
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- Intern Athletic Trainer ( Women 's Soccer )
Job Titles:
- Asst. Dir., Multi - Use Facility Operations
Job Titles:
- Intern Athletic Trainer ( Football )
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Ticket Sales & Marketing
Job Titles:
- Run Game Coordinator / Offensive Line
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Equipment Operations
Job Titles:
- Director of Ticket & Revenue Generation
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Athletic Director / Development & VSF Exec. Director
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- Graduate Assistant Manager
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach / Player Development
Job Titles:
- Associate Athletic Director / Complianc
- Compliance
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
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- Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
Job Titles:
- Academic / Tutor Coordinator
- Senior Academic Coordinator / Student - Athlete Support Services ( M / WGOLF, M / WTEN, VB, SOC )
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
- Assistant Athletic Trainer ( Women's Basketball, Women 's Golf )
- Vandals in 2019 As a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer
Kuribayashi joined the Vandals in 2019 as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. Today, she serves as an assistant athletic trainer.
In 2019, Kuribayashi started as a GA at Idaho working with swim and dive. From 2021 to present, she works with women's basketball, swim and dive, and supervises for volleyball. In the summer of 2021, she interned at Washington State University.
Kuribayashi graduated from the University of Idaho in 2021 with a Master's in Movement Science. In 2019, she earned her Bachelor's in Athletic Training from WSU.
The Nagoya, Aichi, Japan native attended the Trident College of Sports, Medical Care and Nursing, Vocational Acupuncture located in Nagoya in 2013. Before attending Trident, Kuribayashi was active, playing basketball as she grew up.
Kuribayashi and her dog reside in Moscow.
Job Titles:
- Director of Video Production
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletic Director / Complianc
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to the Athletic Director
Job Titles:
- Strength and Conditioning Graduate Assistant ( WSO, FB )
Job Titles:
- Recruiting Coordinator / Tight Ends
Job Titles:
- Associate Director for Development, North Idaho
Job Titles:
- Special Teams Quality Control Assistant
Job Titles:
- Insurance Coordinator / Affirmative Action Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Football Video Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Deputy Athletic Director / Internal Operations
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Business Development
Job Titles:
- Director of Track and Field / XC