Rachi Wortham Joins Men’s Basketball Staff
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Rachi Wortham, who coached at Eastern Washington University for four seasons and advanced to the NCAA Tournament during his playing years with the Eagles, will join the Oregon State men’s basketball program as the director of player personnel, Wayne Tinkle announced Thursday.
“Rachi is a guy who I’ve known for probably the last seven or eight years,” Tinkle said. “He really has an impeccable relationship in the northwest, especially in the Seattle-Tacoma area. He’s a humble man with a very strong family structure. We are just thrilled to be adding another guy with high character, great integrity and good connections, as well as a good basketball mind.”
Wortham, 32, was an assistant coach at EWU from 2007-11 under head coach Kirk Earlywine after playing for the Eagles from 2003-05 when the team made its only trip to the NCAA Tournament in school history.
“It has been my dream to be in the Pac-12; I am super excited to be at Oregon State,” Wortham said. “Everyone has been great to me. I’m excited to work with Coach Tinkle and his staff who will teach me a lot and are open to new ideas as we build this program moving forward.”
A native of Tacoma, Wash., Wortham has worked with several basketball-focused outreach programs and businesses since 2011, including TEAM ACCESS, YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties, the Boys & Girls Club, the Isaiah Thomas Basketball Camp, and Lids Team Sports-Nike Team.
Wortham played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons at EWU, including his junior season when the Eagles won the Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
After his collegiate playing career was over, Wortham volunteered at Eastern Washington with video and other administrative duties. In the summers he worked with Northwest Basketball Camps and was the featured guest speaker at the Eastern Academic Awards Luncheon in spring 2007.
Wortham, a 2000 graduate of Foss High School in Tacoma, Wash., played basketball with eventual Eastern Washington teammates Khary Nicholas and Marc Axton, who all led Foss to the 2000 State 4A Championship as the team finished with a 25-4 record. After high school, Wortham attended the University of Alabama for one year before playing basketball at Tacoma Community College for two seasons where he helped lead TCC to a 58-8 record and finishes of first and fifth at the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Tournament.
He earned an associate of arts degree in general studies from Tacoma Community College in 2003, a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies from Eastern Washington in 2006 and a master’s degree in science sports administration from Eastern Washington in 2008. He was inducted into the Northwest Athletic Association Community College (NWAACC) Hall of Fame in 2013.
Wortham was born on Feb. 28, 1982 in Tacoma, Wash. He and his wife, Lisa, have a son, Joaquin (2).
THE RACHI WORTHAM FILE
PERSONAL
Born: Feb. 28, 1982 (Tacoma, Wash.)
EDUCATION
Associate of Arts, General Studies, Tacoma Community College, 2003
B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies, Eastern Washington University, 2006
M.A., Science Sports Administration, 2008
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2007-11 -- Eastern Washington University, Assistant Coach
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
2003-05 -- Eastern Washington University
2001-03 -- Tacoma Community College