Staff Directory
Ascher, Steve
Steve Ascher
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 370-9436
The 2024-2025 season is Steve Ascher’s 17th year as head women’s tennis coach at the University of Montana. In 2024 he was named Big Sky Coach of the Year for a third time in his career after leading the Griz to a share of the league's regular season title.
When he came to Montana, Ascher was asked to take a team that had had limited success over the years and build a Big Sky Conference champion. Ascher and the Grizzlies accomplished that goal in 2014 when they won the first regular-season league title in program history.
The championship capped a steady rise up the Big Sky standings, from a tie for fourth in Ascher’s first year to third-place finishes in 2010, ’11 and ’12.
Montana finished second behind Sacramento State in 2013, then ended the Hornets’ 112-match league winning streak in 2014 on its way to a perfect 9-0 conference record. It marked the first time since the Big Sky began a round-robin schedule in 2004 that a team other than Sac State had won the regular-season title.
Between 2010 and 2015, Montana finished third or higher in the regular-season Big Sky standings and three times advanced to the Big Sky tournament championship match.
Ascher was voted by his peers as the Big Sky Coach of the Year in 2012, 2014, and 2024.
Montana earned a No. 10 ranking in the ITA Mountain Region following the 2013 season, and Ascher has coached players to six ITA singles and seven ITA doubles rankings.
A Montana player was awarded the 2014 Big Sky MVP, the first non-Sacramento State player since 2002 to win the award, and one of his players was named MVP again in 2024, along with another earning Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
The Grizzlies have earned the ITA All-Academic team award 13 times under Ascher between 2009-2024 and have had dozens ov ITA Scholar Athletes.
Maddy Murray was named Montana’s Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete in 2014 and was one of 12 national winners of the 2014 ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship and Leadership Award. Sasha Carter received the Big Sky Scholar-Athlete award in 2015.
Prior to taking the job at Montana, Ascher spent two years at Portland State, where he coached both the men’s and women’s teams. Ascher was hired by PSU in the summer of 2006 to rebuild a Viking tennis program that had been eliminated in 2002.
Born and raised in Portland, Ascher played collegiately at the University of Portland, from which he graduated with a degree in psychology in 1996.
After starting his coaching career as an assistant with the Pilots in 1997-98, Ascher moved on to assistant coaching positions at Millersville (Pa.) (1998-2000) and Davidson (N.C.) (2000-01).
The women’s program at Millersville advanced to the round of 16 at both the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Division II national tournaments.
Ascher returned to the Pacific Northwest after one season at Davidson, once again taking an assistant position at Portland.
Ascher, who earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Millersville in 2003, worked as a school psychologist for the Portland Public School District for two years (2004-06) before restarting the Portland State program.
Ascher and his wife, Shelbi, have two daughters, Adalynn and Eliza. Shelbi played collegiate soccer for UC San Diego from 1995 to 1998 and was part of three NCAA Division III national championship teams.
Big Sky Coach of the Year
2012, 2014, 2024
Montana Under Ascher
2008-09 ... 8-13 (4-4 Big Sky, t-4th)
2009-10 ... 10-12 (6-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2010-11 ... 11-12 (6-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2011-12 ... 14-8 (6-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2012-13 ... 15-8 (9-1 Big Sky, 2nd)
2013-14 ... 16-8 (9-0 Big Sky, 1st)
2014-15 ... 12-11 (9-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2015-16 ... 4-17 (3-8 Big Sky, t-9th)
2016-17 ... 3-19 (2-9 Big Sky, 11th)
2017-18 ... 8-15 (4-7 Big Sky, 9th)
2018-19 ... 4-17 (4-6 Big Sky, 8th)
2019-20 ... 1-12 (0-2 Big Sky, N/A)
2020-21 ... 6-6 (1-3 Big Sky, 4th North)
2021-22 ... 7-13 (2-6 Big Sky, 9th)
2022-23 ... 6-13 (3-5 Big Sky, 6th)
2023-24 ... 8-12 (6-2 Big Sky, t-1st)
Total ... 133-196 (74-61 Big Sky)
ITA Mountain Region Rankings Under Ascher
January 2011: Amanda Bran (No. 19 singles); Rebecca Bran/Whitney Paluch (No. 10 doubles)
June 2011: Rebecca Bran/Whitney Paluch (No. 9 doubles)
January 2012: Heather Davidson/Laurence Pelchat (No. 3 doubles)
January 2013: Haley Driver (No. 18 singles); Heather Davidson/Laurence Pelchat (No. 10 doubles)
June 2013: Montana (No. 10 team); Heather Davidson/Laurence Pelchat (No. 10 doubles)
January 2014: Precious Gbadamosi (No. 13 singles)
June 2014: Haley Driver (No. 15 singles); Driver/Precious Gbadamosi (No. 10 doubles)
January 2015: Sasha Carter (No. 5 singles); Precious Gbadamosi/Laurence Pelchat (No. 7 doubles)
June 2015: Sasha Carter (No. 19 singles)
June 2021: Julia Ronney (No. 16 singles
June 2022: Grace Haugen (T-20 singles)
All-Big Sky Conference Selections Under Ascher
2009: Liz Walker (first team)
2010: Constance Alexander, Heather Davidson (first team)
2011: Rebecca Bran (first team), Whitney Paluch (second team)
2012: Heather Davidson, Laurence Pelchat (first team), Precious Gbadamosi (second team)
2013: Heather Davidson, Precious Gbadamosi (first team), Sasha Carter (second team)
2014: Sasha Carter, Haley Driver, Ashley Mackey (first team), Laurence Pelchat (second team)
2015: Sasha Carter, Precious Gbadamosi (first team)
2018: (doubles) Cam Kincaid & Bianca Bostrom (second team)
2019: Julia Ronney (first team)
2021: Julia Ronney (first team), Maria Goheen (second team), (doubles) Julia Ronney & Olivia Oosterbaan (second team)
2022: Grace Haugen (first team), (doubles) Grace Haugen & Lauren Dunlap (second team)
2023: (doubles) Lauren Dunlap & Rosie Sterk (first team), (doubles) Hailey Murphy & Olivia Oosterbaan (hon. mention)
2024: Hailey Murphy (first team*), Kelsey Phillips (second team**), (doubles) Hailey Murphy & Kelsey Phillips (second team), (doubles) Rosie Sterk & Grace Haugen (hon. mention)
*= Big Sky MVP
**= Big Sky Freshman of the Year
ITA Scholar-Athlete Award Winners Under Ascher
2008-09: Lauren Gibson, Cara Lehman, Martyna Nowak, Liz Walker
2009-10: Heather Davidson, Cara Lehman
2010-11: Lauren Gibson, Whitney Paluch
2011-12: Lauren Gibson, Heather Davidson, Maddy Murray, Laurence Pelchat
2012-13: Heather Davidson, Maddy Murray, Mackenzie Rozell
2013-14: Sasha Carter, Haley Driver, Maddy Murray
2014-15: Sasha Carter, Catherine Orfanos, Laurence Pelchat, Hannah Sulz
2015-16: Haley Driver, Lidia Dukic, Catherine Orfanos, Hannah Sulz
2016-17: Catherine Orfanos, Stanzi Stuijt, Hannah Sulz
2017-18: Bianca Bostrom, Nathalie Joanlanne, Cam Kincaid, Catherine Orfanos, Julia Ronney
2018-19: Bianca Bostrom, Nathalie Joanlanne, Claudia Reguant, Alex Walker
2019-20: Bianca Bostrom, Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Olivia Oosterbaan, Claudia Reguant, Julia Ronney, Alex Walker
2020-21: Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Claudia Reguant, Julia Ronney, Alex Walker
2021-22: Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Grace Haugen, Aili Hietala, Olivia Oosterbaan, Claudia Reguant, Rosie Sterk, Alex Walker
2022-23: Shivika Agrawal, Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Grace Haugen, Olivia Oosterbaan, Rosie Sterk
2023-24: Shivika Agrawal, Maria Goheen, Ivayla Mitkova, Kelsey Phillips
Ascher’s Coaching Resume
1997-98 ... Assistant, University of Portland
1998-2000 ... Assistant, Millersville University
2000-01 ... Assistant, Davidson College
2001-04 ... Assistant, University of Portland
2006-08 ... Head coach, Portland State University
2008-present ... Head coach, University of Montana
When he came to Montana, Ascher was asked to take a team that had had limited success over the years and build a Big Sky Conference champion. Ascher and the Grizzlies accomplished that goal in 2014 when they won the first regular-season league title in program history.
The championship capped a steady rise up the Big Sky standings, from a tie for fourth in Ascher’s first year to third-place finishes in 2010, ’11 and ’12.
Montana finished second behind Sacramento State in 2013, then ended the Hornets’ 112-match league winning streak in 2014 on its way to a perfect 9-0 conference record. It marked the first time since the Big Sky began a round-robin schedule in 2004 that a team other than Sac State had won the regular-season title.
Between 2010 and 2015, Montana finished third or higher in the regular-season Big Sky standings and three times advanced to the Big Sky tournament championship match.
Ascher was voted by his peers as the Big Sky Coach of the Year in 2012, 2014, and 2024.
Montana earned a No. 10 ranking in the ITA Mountain Region following the 2013 season, and Ascher has coached players to six ITA singles and seven ITA doubles rankings.
A Montana player was awarded the 2014 Big Sky MVP, the first non-Sacramento State player since 2002 to win the award, and one of his players was named MVP again in 2024, along with another earning Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
The Grizzlies have earned the ITA All-Academic team award 13 times under Ascher between 2009-2024 and have had dozens ov ITA Scholar Athletes.
Maddy Murray was named Montana’s Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete in 2014 and was one of 12 national winners of the 2014 ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship and Leadership Award. Sasha Carter received the Big Sky Scholar-Athlete award in 2015.
Prior to taking the job at Montana, Ascher spent two years at Portland State, where he coached both the men’s and women’s teams. Ascher was hired by PSU in the summer of 2006 to rebuild a Viking tennis program that had been eliminated in 2002.
Born and raised in Portland, Ascher played collegiately at the University of Portland, from which he graduated with a degree in psychology in 1996.
After starting his coaching career as an assistant with the Pilots in 1997-98, Ascher moved on to assistant coaching positions at Millersville (Pa.) (1998-2000) and Davidson (N.C.) (2000-01).
The women’s program at Millersville advanced to the round of 16 at both the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Division II national tournaments.
Ascher returned to the Pacific Northwest after one season at Davidson, once again taking an assistant position at Portland.
Ascher, who earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Millersville in 2003, worked as a school psychologist for the Portland Public School District for two years (2004-06) before restarting the Portland State program.
Ascher and his wife, Shelbi, have two daughters, Adalynn and Eliza. Shelbi played collegiate soccer for UC San Diego from 1995 to 1998 and was part of three NCAA Division III national championship teams.
Big Sky Coach of the Year
2012, 2014, 2024
Montana Under Ascher
2008-09 ... 8-13 (4-4 Big Sky, t-4th)
2009-10 ... 10-12 (6-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2010-11 ... 11-12 (6-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2011-12 ... 14-8 (6-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2012-13 ... 15-8 (9-1 Big Sky, 2nd)
2013-14 ... 16-8 (9-0 Big Sky, 1st)
2014-15 ... 12-11 (9-2 Big Sky, 3rd)
2015-16 ... 4-17 (3-8 Big Sky, t-9th)
2016-17 ... 3-19 (2-9 Big Sky, 11th)
2017-18 ... 8-15 (4-7 Big Sky, 9th)
2018-19 ... 4-17 (4-6 Big Sky, 8th)
2019-20 ... 1-12 (0-2 Big Sky, N/A)
2020-21 ... 6-6 (1-3 Big Sky, 4th North)
2021-22 ... 7-13 (2-6 Big Sky, 9th)
2022-23 ... 6-13 (3-5 Big Sky, 6th)
2023-24 ... 8-12 (6-2 Big Sky, t-1st)
Total ... 133-196 (74-61 Big Sky)
ITA Mountain Region Rankings Under Ascher
January 2011: Amanda Bran (No. 19 singles); Rebecca Bran/Whitney Paluch (No. 10 doubles)
June 2011: Rebecca Bran/Whitney Paluch (No. 9 doubles)
January 2012: Heather Davidson/Laurence Pelchat (No. 3 doubles)
January 2013: Haley Driver (No. 18 singles); Heather Davidson/Laurence Pelchat (No. 10 doubles)
June 2013: Montana (No. 10 team); Heather Davidson/Laurence Pelchat (No. 10 doubles)
January 2014: Precious Gbadamosi (No. 13 singles)
June 2014: Haley Driver (No. 15 singles); Driver/Precious Gbadamosi (No. 10 doubles)
January 2015: Sasha Carter (No. 5 singles); Precious Gbadamosi/Laurence Pelchat (No. 7 doubles)
June 2015: Sasha Carter (No. 19 singles)
June 2021: Julia Ronney (No. 16 singles
June 2022: Grace Haugen (T-20 singles)
All-Big Sky Conference Selections Under Ascher
2009: Liz Walker (first team)
2010: Constance Alexander, Heather Davidson (first team)
2011: Rebecca Bran (first team), Whitney Paluch (second team)
2012: Heather Davidson, Laurence Pelchat (first team), Precious Gbadamosi (second team)
2013: Heather Davidson, Precious Gbadamosi (first team), Sasha Carter (second team)
2014: Sasha Carter, Haley Driver, Ashley Mackey (first team), Laurence Pelchat (second team)
2015: Sasha Carter, Precious Gbadamosi (first team)
2018: (doubles) Cam Kincaid & Bianca Bostrom (second team)
2019: Julia Ronney (first team)
2021: Julia Ronney (first team), Maria Goheen (second team), (doubles) Julia Ronney & Olivia Oosterbaan (second team)
2022: Grace Haugen (first team), (doubles) Grace Haugen & Lauren Dunlap (second team)
2023: (doubles) Lauren Dunlap & Rosie Sterk (first team), (doubles) Hailey Murphy & Olivia Oosterbaan (hon. mention)
2024: Hailey Murphy (first team*), Kelsey Phillips (second team**), (doubles) Hailey Murphy & Kelsey Phillips (second team), (doubles) Rosie Sterk & Grace Haugen (hon. mention)
*= Big Sky MVP
**= Big Sky Freshman of the Year
ITA Scholar-Athlete Award Winners Under Ascher
2008-09: Lauren Gibson, Cara Lehman, Martyna Nowak, Liz Walker
2009-10: Heather Davidson, Cara Lehman
2010-11: Lauren Gibson, Whitney Paluch
2011-12: Lauren Gibson, Heather Davidson, Maddy Murray, Laurence Pelchat
2012-13: Heather Davidson, Maddy Murray, Mackenzie Rozell
2013-14: Sasha Carter, Haley Driver, Maddy Murray
2014-15: Sasha Carter, Catherine Orfanos, Laurence Pelchat, Hannah Sulz
2015-16: Haley Driver, Lidia Dukic, Catherine Orfanos, Hannah Sulz
2016-17: Catherine Orfanos, Stanzi Stuijt, Hannah Sulz
2017-18: Bianca Bostrom, Nathalie Joanlanne, Cam Kincaid, Catherine Orfanos, Julia Ronney
2018-19: Bianca Bostrom, Nathalie Joanlanne, Claudia Reguant, Alex Walker
2019-20: Bianca Bostrom, Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Olivia Oosterbaan, Claudia Reguant, Julia Ronney, Alex Walker
2020-21: Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Claudia Reguant, Julia Ronney, Alex Walker
2021-22: Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Grace Haugen, Aili Hietala, Olivia Oosterbaan, Claudia Reguant, Rosie Sterk, Alex Walker
2022-23: Shivika Agrawal, Lauren Dunlap, Maria Goheen, Grace Haugen, Olivia Oosterbaan, Rosie Sterk
2023-24: Shivika Agrawal, Maria Goheen, Ivayla Mitkova, Kelsey Phillips
Ascher’s Coaching Resume
1997-98 ... Assistant, University of Portland
1998-2000 ... Assistant, Millersville University
2000-01 ... Assistant, Davidson College
2001-04 ... Assistant, University of Portland
2006-08 ... Head coach, Portland State University
2008-present ... Head coach, University of Montana
Week One Montana Grizzly Football Press Conference with Bobby Hauck
Monday, September 01
Week 1 Football Press Conference
Monday, September 01
Griz Volleyball Press Conference - 9/1/25
Monday, September 01
Griz Football 2025 Season Trailer
Sunday, August 31
