WBB: Mike Moser’s promotion shows the upward direction of the program

From one shade of green to another.

Oregon Women’s basketball assistant coach Mike Moser, who starred for Oregon in the 2013-2014 season, will be joining the Boston Celtic’s coaching staff.

Moser averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds during his lone season at Oregon, when the Ducks went on one of their signature late-season runs and got to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

This will actually be the second time Moser has been involved with the Celtics organization, as he played for their summer league team in 2014. After not making the Celtic’s roster, Moser played professionally overseas until 2019, when he took on a player development role with the Dallas Mavericks, a position he held until last season when he joined Kelly Graves’ staff.

As it turns out, the Boston Celtics are riddled with ties to the state of Oregon.

Former UO great Peyton Pritchard is a productive backup point guard for the Celtics, assistant coach Damon Stoudemire spent majority of his career in Portland as a starter for the Trail Blazers, and Celtics head coach Ime Udoka hails from Portland.

The move itself displays the growth of Oregon Women’s basketball under the direction of Graves. It wasn’t long ago when the program was generally overlooked at UO, and did not serve as a platform for the next level for its coaching staff.

But with frequent NCAA Tournament runs, conference titles, and blue-chip recruits, Oregon Women’s Basketball has become much more of a staple for the University’s athletic programs.

When your coaching staff has success, others will take notice, and offers will be made.

While it’s sad to see Moser go after only one season with Graves, the promotion is indeed another step in the right direction.