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Assistant Coaches

GrizWhiz

Well-known member
http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2014/06/kerry_rupp_gregg_gottlieb_to_j.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Tink's staff is beginning to take shape.
 
Outstanding hire by Wayne in getting Gregg Gottlieb. Was able to read the article and read through of the tweets regarding the hire and one stood out. A tweet from ESPN's Seth Greenberg:

Retweeted by Gregg Gottlieb
Seth Greenberg @SethOnHoops · Jun 3
Happy for @CoachGottlieb he did a terrific job at Cal. An old school grinder. California network and a terrific evaluator Excellent hire.
 
During his press conference on Monday, I thought I heard Coach DeCuire say his staff was set and there would be an announcement later this week. Hopefully, today is the day!
 
Paytonlives said:
TouchdownMontana said:
Ken Bones is on board.

Really... the X-WSU coach is now a UM assistant?


Not so outlandish...guy is getting paid by Wazzu for 2 more years and I am not sure he has many better options available to him right now.
 
http://www.gogriz.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/061914aaa.html

DeCuire announces men's basketball coaching staff
Bone, Cobb and Meztger-Jones to serve as Griz hoops assistant coaches

June 19, 2014

First-year University of Montana men's basketball mentor Travis DeCuire has selected his assistant coaches, he announced today.

DeCuire named former Pac-12 and Big Sky Conference head coach Ken Bone as an Associate Head Coach, while current Griz assistant Jono Metzger-Jones will remain at UM, and Chris Cobb rounds out DeCuire's assistant coaching staff. Marlon Stewart was chosen to serve as the Director of Basketball Operations.

...
 
Congrats to coach DeCuire for assembling an experienced, versatile and accomplished group of coaches. Much has already been written about Bone. I'd just like to add that I respected his ability to make game-time adjustments when he coached the PSU Vikings. Even if he departs after a year on the Griz sideline, he'll add incredible depth of experience for TC to lean on.

Equally impressive to me is Jono Metzger Jones, who was one of my three finalist picks for the UM job (along with DeCuire and Freddie Owens). We may well see a more assertive demeanor from Jono this year... just a guess on my part.

The coach with whom I was least familiar is Cobb. I had hoped for a young, former player coach with the ability to directly communicate with players... and I think Cobb fits the bill. His profile is still posted on the Chico State men's hoops site. http://www.chicowildcats.com/sports/2008/7/3/sidebar_372.aspx?path=mbball" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; So... I copied a sentence from the bio that puts Cobb into prime NCal recruiting territory......

...... "Cobb was a standout player at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, helping lead the Dragons to three straight Hayward Area League titles and a 2004 appearance in the state championship game. Cobb was named first team All-League his junior and senior years"

Stewart, though not technically an assistant, is interesting as well. Though he's a WSU grad who got to know DeCuire at Cal Santa Barbarba, his eastern hoops experience with defending ACC champ Virginia is pretty interesting.

An impressive staff. Can't wait for hoops to resume. Go Griz.
 
Glad to see the staff announced finally. I met Stewart at GRIZ team camp. He is very articulate, well spoken, and personable. He has a solid future. Bone was not on campus. I do like how confident and tough his PSU teams were. I don't know Cobb.

The time Travis did give me at cage camp, with confidence he said "This is a PAC 12 caliber staff!" That was as powerful and unexpected as I could ever hear to sell me on the staff.
 
mtgrizrule said:
The time Travis did give me at cage camp, with confidence he said "This is a PAC 12 caliber staff!" That was as powerful and unexpected as I could ever hear to sell me on the staff.
For the players, some or all of whom may be ambivalent at best at losing Wayne Tinkle, this is a very positive attitude clearly designed to get them fired up. And it should.
 
DoubleNicks said:
http://www.gogriz.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/061914aaa.html

DeCuire announces men's basketball coaching staff
Bone, Cobb and Meztger-Jones to serve as Griz hoops assistant coaches

June 19, 2014

First-year University of Montana men's basketball mentor Travis DeCuire has selected his assistant coaches, he announced today.

DeCuire named former Pac-12 and Big Sky Conference head coach Ken Bone as an Associate Head Coach, while current Griz assistant Jono Metzger-Jones will remain at UM, and Chris Cobb rounds out DeCuire's assistant coaching staff. Marlon Stewart was chosen to serve as the Director of Basketball Operations.

...


:clap:

Great looking staff! A huge coup to get Bone.
 
I think Ken Bone is a great hire. I wasn't sure Montana would get him because of all the money Wazzu owes him, his CPA must have found a way for it to work. At WSU Coach Bone struggled but also his teams had significant injuries that any team couldn't have overcome. He helped Klay Thompson become a lottery pick in the NBA. Well I guess Klay does have one of the sweetest strokes in the NBA so that helped too! Coach Bone will be a great fit for the Griz because of his integrity and knowledge of the game. Go Griz and Go Cougs!
 
ColfaxCoug said:
I think Ken Bone is a great hire. I wasn't sure Montana would get him because of all the money Wazzu owes him, his CPA must have found a way for it to work. At WSU Coach Bone struggled but also his teams had significant injuries that any team couldn't have overcome. He helped Klay Thompson become a lottery pick in the NBA. Well I guess Klay does have one of the sweetest strokes in the NBA so that helped too! Coach Bone will be a great fit for the Griz because of his integrity and knowledge of the game. Go Griz and Go Cougs!

amen to that. travis decuire was always my first choice, but ken bone was my second. now we have both. how great is that.

and kudos to decuire for making this happen. shows the confidence he has in himself for adding a guy who has more experience than he does, when lesser individuals might have seen bone as a threat. i know from experience, a great staff can take you on a magic carpet ride, and that's what i feel is about to happen for the basketball program at montana.
 
citay said:
ColfaxCoug said:
I think Ken Bone is a great hire. I wasn't sure Montana would get him because of all the money Wazzu owes him, his CPA must have found a way for it to work. At WSU Coach Bone struggled but also his teams had significant injuries that any team couldn't have overcome. He helped Klay Thompson become a lottery pick in the NBA. Well I guess Klay does have one of the sweetest strokes in the NBA so that helped too! Coach Bone will be a great fit for the Griz because of his integrity and knowledge of the game. Go Griz and Go Cougs!

amen to that. travis decuire was always my first choice, but ken bone was my second. now we have both. how great is that.

and kudos to decuire for making this happen. shows the confidence he has in himself for adding a guy who has more experience than he does, when lesser individuals might have seen bone as a threat. i know from experience, a great staff can take you on a magic carpet ride, and that's what i feel is about to happen for the basketball program at montana.

Well put Citay. I challenge anyone to ask Travis about his staff. He is as confident and proud of his staff as any coach at any level. I commented to him. Sounds like you have a great staff, without trying to sound over confident. With a huge smile, his response, something like, "Thank you. We have a PAC 12 caliber staff. This staff will make an impact." Once again, not his exact words, but damn close.

He is one confident young coach. Granted this is his 1st head coaching position. I honestly doubt he will have many growing pains. I expect the transition from Tinkle to Travis to be a very smooth one. His biggest challenge is how quickly this staff can get to know who can do what? 2nd Challenge will be how quickly can the staff get the players to execute whatever strategy they decide implement. I know they will be committed to a much better inside game. I spoke with Andy Martin and Breunig at the team camp. They are very much on board with Travis. Pretty much sacrificing all summer to work on their games in Missoula to reduce the distractions of home. I also saw Kemp at the camp, but did not get a chance to speak with him. That is impressive when your projected top 3 bigs all commit a summer to staying in town for school and improving their games.

The staff also spoke very confidently of Jordan Gregory and Mario Dunn. It will be a dog fight for playing time for the 3rd and 4th guard spots. In Gregory and Dunn, they are 2 tough, smart, confident, good scorers, and shut down defenders. Those 2 will be the primary leaders of the team. The question is, Who will be the 3rd leader to step forward?

I hope more GRIZ fans get a chance to speak to the coaches and players before the season starts. I have a feeling they will impress anyone who takes the time to get to know them. :thumb:
 
I think this gives Bone a nice inside slot to becoming the next griz head coach when Travis leaves. Obviously assuming he does not get an offer while an assistant.
 
bobaloo said:
I think this gives Bone a nice inside slot to becoming the next griz head coach when Travis leaves. Obviously assuming he does not get an offer while an assistant.

Hopefully not....my guess if DeCuire leaves in the next year or two (and why not if he has a good year next year - he's already on Pac 12 radar) then yes it's Bone, but if it's 3-4 years minimum, I'd rather it be so youth is served and it be Metzger-Jones.

Personally I'm am one of the few that is not enthused about this hire (DeCuire)......and not because he's not going to be successful, because I fully believe he will be BUT because he will move on very quickly once he is.
 
Not being enthused about DeCuire because he (& the Griz) may have quick success is like a pet lover choosing to never get a pet because it won't live forever...doesn't make sense to me. Yes it could be a tough transition to get another coach a few years from now...but if that happens it will only be because the Griz excelled. We should always get enthused about that possibility and/or actual result.
 
ordigger said:
bobaloo said:
I think this gives Bone a nice inside slot to becoming the next griz head coach when Travis leaves. Obviously assuming he does not get an offer while an assistant.

Hopefully not....my guess if DeCuire leaves in the next year or two (and why not if he has a good year next year - he's already on Pac 12 radar) then yes it's Bone, but if it's 3-4 years minimum, I'd rather it be so youth is served and it be Metzger-Jones.

Personally I'm am one of the few that is not enthused about this hire (DeCuire)......and not because he's not going to be successful, because I fully believe he will be BUT because he will move on very quickly once he is.

So your philosophy is "he's too good for us, don't hire him".
 
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