Pepperdine University Women's Basketball

Head coach Katie Faulkner enters her third year at the helm of the Pepperdine Women's basketball team heading into the 2026-27 season. With an overall record...

Assistant Coach Brian Porth enters his third year in Malibu going into the 2026-27 season, hired on as a part of head coach Katie Faulkner's initial staff. As one of two programs in the country without a single returning player for the 2025-26 season, Porth was part of a staff that took four freshman and eight transfers to Pepperdine's first postseason appearance in seven years. Last season, the coaching staff turned an eight-win program into a 21 win program for the fifth-best win turnaround among division one teams last season as well as the school's first 20+ win season since 2018-19. In the NET rankings, the Waves saw the fourth best turnaround in the country, ending the 2025-26 season at 132, compared to 285 at the end of the 2024-25 season. The program also saw the best start in 45 years, ending non-conference 9-3. Tying the program's record for the longest postseason run, the Waves made it to the Super 16 of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). For the first time ever, Pepperdine hosted two postseason games, ending the short-lived postseason run in Firestone Fieldhouse a perfect 2-0. Pepperdine finished 6th in the West Coast Conference, the team's highest finish in seven years. Brian Porth was hired in May 2024 after finishing his second stint at his alma mater, Southern Methodist University. Porth has experience at every level of the sport, ranging from the professional ranks, to the NCAA and NAIA, to the high school and AAU levels. In 2023, Porth serv

Courtney Rydholm joined Pepperdine in January 2023 as an assistant athletic trainer and was promoted to Associate Director of Sports Medicine in June 2025. She acts as the Excess Insurance Coordinator for the department, as well as a supervisor for the Student Athletic Medicine Intern (SAMI) program. Prior to Pepperdine, Rydholm was an athletic trainer at The Master's University in Santa Clarita, Calif. where she worked with women's volleyball, women's basketball and beach volleyball. She also worked as an athletic trainer for industrial athletes as well as stunt performers and performing artists at a local theme park. A proud Pepperdine alumna, Rydholm earned a bachelor's degree in sports medicine at Pepperdine in 2018, followed by her Masters of Science in Athletic Training from Azusa Pacific University in 2020.

Assistant Coach Erika Bean enters her third year in Malibu going into the 2026-27 season, hired on as a part of head coach Katie Faulkner's initial staff. As one of two programs in the country without a single returning player for the 2025-26 season, Bean was part of a staff that took four freshman and eight transfers to Pepperdine's first postseason appearance in seven years. Last season, the coaching staff turned an eight-win program into a 21 win program for the fifth-best win turnaround among division one teams last season as well as the school's first 20+ win season since 2018-19. In the NET rankings, the Waves saw the fourth best turnaround in the country, ending the 2025-26 season at 132, compared to 285 at the end of the 2024-25 season. The program also saw the best start in 45 years, ending non-conference 9-3. Tying the program's record for the longest postseason run, the Waves made it to the Super 16 of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). For the first time ever, Pepperdine hosted two postseason games, ending the short-lived postseason run in Firestone Fieldhouse a perfect 2-0. Pepperdine finished 6th in the West Coast Conference, the team's highest finish in seven years. Erika Bean was hired on Pepperdine's staff in May 2024 after serving as Gonzaga's Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development. In the 2023-24 season, Bean was part of a Zags team that finished with a 32-4 record, went undefeated in WCC regular-season play, hosted the first two r

Most recently an assistant coach at Santa Margarita High School, Sufi brings seven years of coaching at the NBA level in addition to three years of scouting to Malibu. Developing players such as Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal and Dwight Howard, Sufi has valuable experience at the highest level of the game. Sufi is also no stranger to the West Coast Conference, as he was a member of the Saint Mary's Gaels hoop squad from 1993-1997. Winning the WCC title in 1997, Sufi also set the all-time assist and steals record for the program. As the first player to ever do so in both categories, the former Gael sits at third in both categories in present day. "I'm incredibly honored and excited to join the Pepperdine University women's basketball program," Sufi said. "This is a special opportunity to be part of a tradition-rich institution that values excellence both on and off the court. I can't wait to get to work and contribute to the growth and success of our student-athletes. Go Waves!"

Pepperdine class of 2021 graduate Olivia Reins returned to Malibu in May 2024 after spending a year as the University of Nevada's Assistant Recruiting Coordi...