Coach Gage Aker begins his first season as a member of Coach Shaw's Western Oregon University Men's Basketball staff. Prior to WOU, he spent two years as the Men's Basketball Assistant Coach at Montana State University - Northern (MSUN) under Coach Shawn Huse. Coach Aker's main responsibilities included scouting, recruiting, player development, and all the operational aspects of running the program. During his tenure at MSUN, Aker was instrumental in preparing back-to-back Frontier Conference Scoring Defense titles for the Northern Lights.
Prior to MSUN, he spent two seasons as an Assistant Coach at his alma mater, Concordia University-Portland, under Coach Brad Barbarick. In 2014, Concordia advanced to the NAIA Division II National Tournament for the first time in ten seasons.
During his playing days, Aker was an All-Cascade Collegiate Conference point guard for the Concordia Cavaliers, where he still ranks in the top ten in numerous statistical categories. He also played baseball for Concordia for two seasons, where as a relief pitcher he helped the 2013 team win the NAIA West Championship and advance to the NAIA National Tournament. Coach Aker received the prestigious NAIA Champions of Character award as a member of the 2013 Concordia University Baseball team.
Coach Aker graduated from Wilson High School (Portland, Oregon) in 2008 where he earned First Team All-Portland Interscholastic League honors while playing for his father, Scott Aker. Aker earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Mathematics from Concordia University in 2013 and a Master’s Degree in Education: Instruction and Learning at MSUN in 2016.
Coach Aker married Sarah Letourneau, a Concordia University women’s basketball alum in May, 2016. His mother, Karen, played basketball and volleyball at Portland State University and has had a long career with Portland Parks & Recreation. His older brother, Cody, is a science teacher and the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Gladstone High School in Gladstone, Oregon.
