Arthur Moreira has been named the University of Idaho’s 11th women’s basketball coach in Idaho history. He is also the first-ever Brazilian head coach in NCAA DI history. He earned the title after serving the 2023-24 season as associate head coach under former head coach, Carrie Eighmey.
Coach Moreira hit the ground running, working behind the scenes as one of the top recruiters in the nation and bringing top-tier talent to Moscow. Since taking over the program, he has changed the recruiting trajectory of Idaho Women's Basketball to bring in student-athletes to the Palouse including Kelbie Washington from Oklahoma. Washington made waves at Oklahoma as the starting point guard and was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. She is among the highest-ranked recruits to come through Idaho, having an overall ranking of No. 66 and No. 10 guard in the 2021 high school class per ESPN. He also spearheaded the signing of First Team All-WCC performer Debora dos Santos who was rated a five-star student-athlete out of the transfer portal.
In 2024-25, his first season at the helm of Vandals Women's Basketball, Moreira was named the first Brazilian Head Coach in Division I history. The record setting didn't stop there for Moreira, one of the youngest head coaches in the nation. With 18 wins, Moreira set a new Idaho record for most wins by a first-year Vandals coach in the Big Sky Conference, surpassing the 17 wins recorded by legendary head coach and Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer in 1978-79.
The Vandals were nationally elite in several different categories in Moreira's first year overseeing the program. The Vandals ranked fifth in the nation with 30.2 defensive rebounds per game, and 11th in the country in total rebounds with 42.5 total rebounds per contest - leading the Big Sky in both categories. Moreira's squad also quickly established itself as one of the best defensive teams in the land, limiting opponents to just 36% shooting from the floor - the lowest percentage in the Big Sky Conference and the 10th lowest in the country.
One of the key players from the record-setting 2024-25 team was Olivia Nelson who signed with Moreira and the Vandals out of the transfer portal. Nelson went on to be one of the biggest scoring threats in the conference, tallying 16.4 points per outing in Big Sky play and ultimately being unanimously selected as the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year and to the First Team All-Big Sky. Guard Hope Hassmann was Nelson's backcourt partner, ranking in the top ten in the conference in scoring (12.3 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg), and being tabbed as an All-Big Sky Honorable Mention.
In his first season with the Vandals as the associate head coach, Moreira helped lead Idaho to a 15-16 overall finish. As the head recruiter, Moreira brought in Kennedy Johnson, the Vandals' leading scorer and All-Big Sky First Team selection. He was responsible for the recruitment of Hope Butera, the team leader in blocks and rebounds before her season-ending injury. With his move to Idaho, Moreira also brought Amalie Langer with him. Langer went on to be named to the inaugural Big Sky All-Defensive Team and started all but one game for Idaho.
In the 2023-24 season, the Vandals landed top 30 in the nation in three different statistical categories including fouls per game (14th), free throw percentage (21st), and scoring defense (29th). Idaho set a new program record allowing an average of 57.2 points per game, dethroning the previous record set in the 1979-80 season. The Vandals also posted their highest NET ranking in program history at 125 in January ‘24 after a 7-1 record on the road.
Moreira brings a great depth of international connections and knowledge, serving as an assistant coach for the Brazilian Basketball Federation. He was part of the coaching staff that led the U19 National Team in the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup last summer. He served as the defensive coordinator and was responsible for scouting and game preparation ahead of every contest. He is also involved in youth development ranging from U16 to U19.
Prior to Idaho, Moreira spent seven seasons at the University of San Francisco as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2016-23. At USF, Moreira led the Dons’ international recruiting efforts, increasing the number of international student-athletes by 550%. He increased the diversity of the team, bringing in student-athletes who represented nine foreign countries on the 2019-20 roster.
In his recruiting role, he brought in one WCC Newcomer of the Year, five All-Conference selections, and one Sixth Woman of the Year. He welcomed student-athletes from 17 different countries and has established recruiting relationships in more than 26 countries.
Moreira kicked off his coaching career as a student assistant for the men’s basketball program at Sonoma State University for five years. He received a degree in business marketing from Sonoma State in 2016. He is a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and attended high school at Colegio Marista Dom Silverio.
