Chris Mouat enters his eighth season at MSU-Northern following a 21-9, third place Frontier Conference finish in 2011-2012. Prior to coming to MSU-Northern, he worked in the women’s basketball programs at both Rocky Mountain College and Montana Tech. At Rocky Mountain College, he served as the assistant women’s basketball coach as well as the Sports Information Director/Assistant Athletic Director.

Mouat is a 1989 graduate of Helena High School and a 1993 graduate of the University of Montana. He began his teaching and coaching career in Helena, where he assisted in both the boys and girls basketball programs. He was a part of the staff that helped lead the 1997 Bengal girls to the Class AA state title. In his five seasons as a boys assistant coach, the Bengals made two state AA title game appearances. From 1998-2001, Mouat was the head girls basketball coach at Butte High School, where he sent five players on to play at the college level in four seasons. Mouat was also an assistant coach in the Bulldog boys program for a pair of seasons.

Mouat has coached in the Montana/Wyoming All-Star game twice and he has coached the Montana boys and girls All-Star teams in the Down Under Hoops Classic on the Gold Coast of Australia five different times beginning in 1998. He has been a speaker/clinician at the Montana Coaches Association clinic as well as the Northwest Basketball Camp.

During his time at MSU-Northern, Mouat has had five players earn NAIA All-American honors (Jaci Heny, DeLayne Johnston, Stacie Barker, Samm Schermele, and Laramie Schwenke. Schermele was a two-time selection, joining Dani Davison as the only Skylight to be named an All-American twice. Seven players (Camille Gardner, Jayla McPherson, Chelsie Searle, Kylee Starr, Dana Ball, Kaylee Shaw, and Jennie Lee) have earned Daktronics NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors, and thirteen players have earned All-Frontier honors. Barker was a two-time Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year and the Skylights first-ever Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American. In three of the past six seasons, the Skylights have been honored by the WBCA for their efforts in the classroom as a Top 25 Academic Team. The 2011-2012 team maintained a 3.31 grade point average.

Twice in his seven seasons, the Skylights have led NAIA Division I in free throw percentage (2005-06 and 2010-2011). Stacie Barker currently holds the NAIA all-time record for shot block average in a career. His teams have broken ten school records (including 5 during the 2011-2012 season), and 13 players have set all-time single game, season, or career marks at MSU-Northern.

Mouat coached the Skylight team that advanced to the round of 16 at the NAIA National Tournament in 2006, and two Skylights have earned NAIA National Player of the Week honors (Jaci Heny in 2006 and Stacie Barker in 2009).

Liz Lewis enters her first season as a Skylight assistant after coaching stints at Rocky Mountain College and Central Washington University. She is also the MSU-Northern Sports Information Director. Liz is a 2005 graduate of Churchill County High School in Fallon, Nevada, where she was a four-sport standout. She attended Dixie State College (UT) for two seasons before finishing her career at Rocky Mountain College. At Rocky, Liz was a two-time First Team All-Frontier performer, and was named Rocky’s Female Athlete of the Year as a senior. She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science and is completing her master’s degree work in coaching and athletic administration.

Janie Rayback begins her first season as a Skylight assistant. Rayback is a 2005 graduate of Star Valley High School (WY) where she was a two-time All-State basketball player and a member of the Montana-Wyoming and Wyoming-South Dakota All-Star teams. She began her playing career at Weber State University, where she spent three seasons. She was a team captain and starter during her junior season. As a senior, Rayback transferred to Rocky Mountain College, where she earned First Team All-Frontier honors and was named an NAIA All-American. Upon graduation with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, Janie played professionally in Brazil for one season. She is currently working toward a master’s degree in Sports Psychology.