Leif Karlberg enters his fifth season as a member of the Lewis-Clark State Men’s Basketball coaching staff in 2020-21, having served as the Associate Head Coach since 2018.
Karlberg’s duties on staff include player development, recruiting, game and practice preparation, fundraising and academic oversight. He also oversees the Warriors’ strength and conditioning program. Throughout his tenure in Lewiston, the Warriors have developed 13 all-conference players, eight NAIA DI All-Americans, the 2018 Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year, the 2020 Frontier Conference Co-Defender of the Year and the 2020 Frontier Conference Sixth-Man of the Year.
Since his promotion to the role of Associate Head Coach prior to the 2018-19 season, Karlberg has played an essential role in two of the best seasons in program history. The 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons cumulated in back-to-back Frontier Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships, and included two consecutive exhibition wins against NCAA DI opponent the University of Idaho. In his four seasons on staff, the Warriors have accumulated a 105-31 record (.772 win pct.) and have qualified for the NAIA DI Men’s Basketball National Tournament each year.
In 2019-20, the Warriors’ 29-3 record went down as the best winning percentage in program history (.906). On February 19, 2020, the Warriors’ tied their highest-ever ranking in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll at No. 3, while receiving the program’s first-ever first-place vote. The Warriors captured the outright Frontier Conference Regular Season Championship on February 27 with an 85-81 road victory at Rocky Mountain, finishing with a 15-3 conference record. LC went on to capture its second straight Frontier Conference Tournament Championship with a 75-54 win over Carroll College on March 9. The Warriors finished the season with a No. 6 national ranking and qualified for the NAIA DI National Tournament as a No. 2 seed. Unfortunately, the Warriors’ postseason run was cut short on March 12, 2020, when the NAIA National Office announced the cancellation of the NAIA DI Men’s Basketball National Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2019-20 Warriors finished the season ranked top five nationally in 11 statistical categories, including second in 3-point field goals made (364), 3point field goals made per game (11.375), 3-point field goal percentage (.428), and assist/turnover ratio (1.536).
The 2018-19 Warriors also put together one of the most impressive seasons in program history, finishing with a 30-7 record. On top of accumulating the second most wins in a season ever by a Warrior squad, LC rode a 14-game winning streak to finish as the Frontier Conference Regular Season Co-Champions and the Frontier Conference Tournament Champions. The Warriors captured the Frontier Conference Tournament Championship with a 76-60 win at Carroll College on March 5. LC carried this momentum into the NAIA DI National Tournament, recording wins over Campbellsville (Ky.), William Penn (Iowa) and LSU Alexandria (La.), en route to the program’s first-ever NAIA Fab Four Appearance. The 2018-19 Warriors finished the season ranked first in the nation in scoring margin (20.806) and turnover margin (5.194), while ranking second in assist/turnover ratio (1.690) and third in total assists (654).
In 2016-17 and 2017-18, the Warriors completed back-to-back 23-win seasons. The 2017-18 team finished 23-10 after advancing to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. In 2016-17, the Warriors finished 23-11 and were the Frontier Conference Tournament runners-up as well as a national tournament qualifier.
Karlberg came to LCSC from The Master’s University where he was the Head Assistant Coach for two seasons. While at TMU, Karlberg worked as the head recruiter for the Mustangs, helping lay the foundation of young talent during a rebuilding process. Other responsibilities included skill development, strength and conditioning, film breakdown, strategic planning and scouting reports.
He also has coaching experience as the assistant coach at Grace Christian School in Anchorage, Alaska, where he helped lead the Grizzlies to an Alaska 3A State Championship Runner-Up finish in 2014.
A four-year starter and three-year captain with the Mustangs, Karlberg graduated as the second-best 3-point shooter in program history with 322 career three-point field goals. He finished in the top-four of the Golden State Athletic Conference in three-point field goals made each year including a conference-best 77 as a sophomore.
Karlberg started 105 of 124 career games, averaging 30.6 minutes per game. He finished his career with 1,358 total points and 173 steals, sixth-most on TMU’s all-time list. He also holds three of the top-10 single-season 3-point field goals made marks with 95 in 2011-12 (fourth), 81 in 2012-13 (eight) and 77 in 2010-11 (10th).
After graduating, Karlberg displayed his talent in the Gold Coast’s Intensity Super League, one of the top summer leagues in Australia. He finished second in the ISL in scoring (26.3 ppg) and set the single-game scoring record with 57 points on Nov. 3, 2013.
Prior to his time at The Master’s University, Karlberg was a four-year letter winner at Grace Christian School. He was a four-time Southcentral Conference First Team selection, two-time all-state first team, 2009 Southcentral Conference and Alaska 3A State Player of the Year.
Karlberg earned his Bachelor’s in Communications from The Master’s University in 2013 and earned his Master’s degree in Organizational Management with an emphasis in Sport Management from Wayne State College in 2018.
He and his wife, Olivia, reside in Lewiston with their daughter Sage and son Nash.
