Over the weekend, word began to circulate in the women's basketball coaching community that Kelly Graves was interviewing at Oregon. Upon learning of the chatter, a writer for Sports Illustrated declared the possible hiring of Graves "a huge coup" for the Ducks.

On Monday, that potential "huge coup" became reality. Graves, who took Gonzaga to the last six NCAA Tournaments and reached the Sweet Sixteen three straight years from 2010-12, has agreed to a six-year contract to become the seventh head coach in UO women's basketball history.

The hiring figures to energize a program and fan base itching to contend for conference championships and tournament berths of their own. Graves was one of the hottest commodities on the coaching market in recent years, but also enjoyed the security of a 10-year contract with Gonzaga after spurning an overture by another Pac-12 school in 2011.

"When we started this process and began talking to people about who the right coach was, everyone would say, 'Kelly Graves' — and then they'd say, 'But you're never going to get him,'" said Lisa Peterson, a UO senior associate athletic director and the department's senior women's administrator, who chaired the search committee charged with replacing departed head coach Paul Westhead.

"He was the first person on the committee's radar, just because of all the success he's had."

Graves, 51, went 317-176 in 14 years at Gonzaga, making seven NCAA Tournaments overall and winning eight games in those appearances. The Bulldogs advanced to the Elite Eight in 2011, and they were a No. 6 seed this past season, the highest in school history.

- by Rob Moseley, from a longer story on GoDucks.com