University of Alaska, Fairbanks Women's Basketball

Michael Ricks enters his first season as the head coach of the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball program. He was announced on Tuesday, May 20. He becomes the 14th Nanooks women's basketball head coach.  "We're excited to welcome Michael Ricks as the new Head Coach of Nanooks Women's Basketball," said Dr. Brock Anundson, Alaska Nanooks Director of Athletics. "He brings a strong coaching background, a passion for developing student-athletes on and off the court, and a clear vision for the program's future. His leadership and energy are a great match for our values, and we're confident he'll make a positive impact on both our team and the greater Fairbanks community. We also extend a sincere thanks to the Search Committee and Kurt Patberg of Mammoth Consulting for their valuable support throughout the process." Ricks arrives in Fairbanks after leading successful turnarounds at Goucher College and Birmingham-Southern College. During the 2024–2025 season, Ricks engineered the top turnaround in NCAA Division III at Goucher, producing a 13-win improvement and national statistical leadership in several categories, including scoring offense, bench production, steals, and turnover margin. Previously, at Birmingham-Southern, Ricks guided the Panthers to multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. Notably, he led the biggest turnaround in the nation during the 2015–2016 season, transforming the program into a defensive powerhouse and conference champion. His teams have consistently ranked at the top of national statistical categories and produced numerous all-conference and all-region players. "I'm thrilled to be joining the UAF community and leading the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball program," said Ricks after his hiring. "This is a place with incredible character and opportunity, and my family and I are excited to make Fairbanks our home. I look forward to developing a program that competes with passion and represents the university with pride. I want to sincerely thank the search committee, Chancellor White, Dr. Brock Anundson, and Dr. Amy Cooper for their belief in me and for the opportunity to lead this program." In addition to his on-court accomplishments, Ricks has a long-standing commitment to mentorship, character-building, and academic support. His programs have been recognized for their emphasis on sportsmanship and student-athlete development throughout his career. Ricks holds advanced degrees in Sports Management and Educational Administration and is a published contributor to coaching literature. He is also a long-time member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Ricks Career Head Coaching Record (14 Seasons): 176-199 (.469) Record at Alaska: 0-0 (.000) 2011-12* 8-22 2012-13* 15-16 2013-14* 15-15 2014-15* 16-15 2015-16^ 25-4 2016-17^ 17-11 2017-18^ 11-15 2018-19^ 9-17 2019-20^ 14-12 2020-21^ 5-12 2021-22^ 13-10 2022-23^ 13-13 2023-24# 1-24 2024-25# 14-13 * at St. Thomas Houston ^ at Birmingham-So. (DIII) # at Goucher (DIII)

Haber is in his third season as the Nanooks cross country assistant coach. He officially joined the Nanooks in August 2023. Haber joined the Nanooks coaching staff after spending eight years at the Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, Pa. There he was the head coach of the boys and girls cross country teams as well as the head coach of the track & field team. While there, Haber posted a number of championships and coaching awards. He won six-straight Boys League Championships in cross country (no 2020 season due to COVID) from 2016-22. He also led the girls team to four-straight League Championship runner-ups before picking up the Championship in 2022. Alongside the Boys League Championships, he earned three-straight PAISAA Boys State Championships (2016-18) and three-straight second-place finishes (2019-22). He boasted 71 All-League recipients, 32 PAISAA All-State recipients, three PAISAA Individual State Champions and one NXR-Northeast Regional Girls Individual Champion in 2021.  While coaching indoor track, he coached eight All-Americans, saw 27 school records broken, coached 34 PTFCA State Meet qualifiers, 36 New Balance indoor national qualifiers and had a pair of top-five nationally ranked relays, both coming in 2017. In outdoor track, Haber coached four All-Americans, saw 15 broken school records, 70 All-League recipients, 91 PAISAA State Meet qualifiers, 54 New Balance and Nike National qualifiers and coached one National Champion in 2017. He was named the 2017 PAISAA Boys Coach of the Year and in 2023 Haber earned the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Double-Gold Coach Award.  He also had stops in coaching at the Runningworks Cross Country Camp in Canadensis, Pa. starting in 2018 after spending time with Washington Township High School in Sewell, N.J. There he was the Assistant Boys and Girls XC/Track & Field Coach. He coached eight All-Americans, saw 10 school records broken, coached 15 NJSIAA Track & Field individual and relay State Champions and 28 Indoor/Outdoor National Qualifiers (NSIC, NBON, Nike and Adidas).  Haber earned his B.A. American Studies/Writing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2002, earning cum laude honors. There he was a member of the NCAA Division I Cross Country and Track & Field teams and served as a four-time team captain. He then studied international criminal law, international human rights, terrorism, death penalty and refugee law at Tulane University/University of Amsterdam before graduating from Rutgers University School of Law in 2011.

Katrina DeKrey serves as a volunteer assistant coach for the Alaska Nanooks men’s and women’s cross country programs, bringing over a decade of collegiate coaching experience across multiple NCAA divisions. Before joining the Nanooks, DeKrey built a diverse and accomplished coaching résumé, including roles at Army West Point, Sacred Heart University, Nova Southeastern University, and Florida International University. Over her career, she has worked with sprints, hurdles, jumps, and multi-event athletes, guiding numerous student-athletes to NCAA National Championship appearances, conference titles, and multiple school records. At Sacred Heart, DeKrey’s athletes broke six school records in just two seasons, with one earning a spot at the USATF U20 Championships. At Nova Southeastern, she helped produce the program’s first-ever multi-event NCAA qualifier and coached eight Peach Belt Conference champions. While at FIU, she guided four NCAA national qualifiers and five school record holders. A Gainesville, Florida native, DeKrey competed in the 100m hurdles for the University of Florida, where she was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UF and a master’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from FIU. DeKrey is a USATF Level 2 Certified Coach in both Sprints/Hurdles/Relays and Jumps, and also holds USTFCCCA technical certifications in Sports Science and Strength and Conditioning.

Chad Dyson is in his first season as an assistant coach with the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball program.  Dyson joins the Nanooks coaching staff after spending eight years as the head women's basketball coach at Anchorage Christian Schools from 2015-2023 and coaching at College Prep Training since 2022. "I'm very excited to have Chad joining our staff here at UAF," said Ricks. "He's a high-character individual, an incredibly hard worker and a proven winner. As someone who grew up in Alaska, he brings a deep understanding of our state and what it means to represent it. I'm looking forward to working with him and seeing the impact he'll have on our team." As head coach of Anchorage Christian Schools, Dyson led the women's basketball program to six conference championships and six state championships. Under Dyson, the Lions won both the conference and state championships in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Dyson racked up a 93% winning percentage while in charge of the program, coaching 28 athletes who earned college basketball scholarships. While there, he led and managed all aspects of the women's basketball program, overseeing recruitment, development and retention of student-athletes while planning and organizing practice sessions and game preparations. Since 2022, Dyson has also served as coach and owner of College Prep Training, where he directed programs benefiting Indigenous communities in rural Alaska. At College Prep Training, Dyson provided basketball skills training and health and wellness coaching to students, in addition to hiring and overseeing health specialists and coaches. "I'm incredibly grateful to join the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and I'm thankful that God has blessed me with such an incredible opportunity," said Dyson. "This means so much to me as a lifelong Alaskan. It truly feels like coming home in the best way. Anyone who knows me knows a few things: I love this state, I love the game of basketball and I really love to win. I'm thrilled to be working alongside Coach Ricks to build something special here at UAF." Dyson earned a B.S. in Sports Management from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.