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Well-known member
Big Sky a collection of new coaches
By BOB MESEROLL Missoulian sports editor
On the Web To listen to Wednesday’s conference call with Big Sky men’s basketball coaches, go to http://www.missoulian.com/123/36.php
The coaching carousel nearly spun off its axis in the Big Sky Conference men's basketball ranks last spring.
When the merry-go-round finally stopped last June, five of the nine schools that make up the league had new head coaches.
Gone are Mick Durham from Montana State, Doug Oliver from Idaho State, Joe Cravens from Weber State and Larry Krystkowiak from Montana. Combined, the quartet served 33 years at those schools and won 547 games overall as head coaches in the Big Sky. League newcomer Northern Colorado also lost its coach, Craig Rasmuson, at the end of last season.
Stepping into the vacancies were Wayne Tinkle at Montana, Brad Huse at Montana State, Joe O'Brien at Idaho State, Randy Rahe at Weber State and Tad Boyle at Northern Colorado.
You can chuck those scouting reports of the last few years out the window.
“That will present a challenge once we get to league play,” said NAU coach Mike Adras, now the dean of Big Sky coaches in his eighth season as the head man. “It's certainly going to be a twist this season for my assistants. Rob Bishop has done the Idaho State scouting for the last few years and he could get that done in five minutes because of his familiarity with those players and the coaches. Now, I could give that job to someone else because it doesn't matter, I don't know what to expect from them. There's going to be challenges for everybody.”
ISU's O'Brien brings with him 313 wins at the junior college level.
“I hope our team will be very, very solid in halfcourt defense,” O'Brien said during a conference call on Wednesday. “That's what we hung our hat on at the junior college level.
“We'll have a four-guard starting rotation with one big kid. I've never played that way before, but due to the team I inherited, that's necessitated.”
Huse, the former Griz assistant and Jamestown College head coach, said he's not sure what to expect from his Bobcats.
“I'm looking forward to finding that out myself,” Huse said. “Our teams, hopefully, will be real solid on both ends and a team that doesn't make too many mistakes.”
UNC's Boyle played at Kansas under Larry Brown and came to Greeley from Wichita State, where he was an assistant to highly respected coach Mark Turgeon.
“We're going to defend and we're going to rebound,” said Boyle, who inherits a team that went 5-24 last season. “If we do those two things night in and night out, we'll give ourselves a chance to win.”
Rahe's style might be the most familiar to Griz fans of all the new coaches. Rahe was an assistant to former Eastern Washington coach Ray Giacoletti for the past two seasons at Utah. Before that, he spent 13 seasons as an assistant to former Griz coach Stew Morrill at both Colorado State and Utah State.
“We'll run a lot of sets, put a premium on screening and execution,” Rahe said. “If we can execute half as well as Stew's team, we'll be OK.”
Eastern Washington coach Mike Burns said he knows all five of the new coaches and he knows they have one thing in common.
“They are damn good at their jobs,” Burns said.
Washington jumps ship
Anthony Washington, a 6-foot-9 junior, has left the Portland State program.
Washington, who has a three-day-old baby, averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Vikings last season. He teamed with 6-11 junior Scott Morrison to give the Vikings a twin towers look late last season.
After Morrison, the Vikings' tallest starter will be 6-4fi Juma Kamara.
“We don't have any choice but to try to play faster, which is alright with me because I like to go faster,” PSU coach Ken Bone said. “On the one hand, we're forced to play small and on the other, I don't mind playing small, but I didn't think we'd be this small.”
Coach's son
Huse inherits what could have been an awkward situation at Montana State, with former coach Durham's son Casey playing for the Bobcats.
“We had a conversation right after I took the job to see if he's comfortable with me being here,” said Huse, who has known Casey since Huse was a Bobcat assistant coach from 1994-96. “He's a young man who's been a Bobcat since the day he was born. I think this has been a nice pressure release for him.”
Fast breaks
Kelly Golob, who finished his career as NAU's all-time leading scorer last season, is playing pro ball in Germany, Adras said. ... Of the 13 players on Weber State's roster, 10 are new to the program this season. ... NAU opens the season with road games at Kansas, Arizona State and Arizona. Kansas and Arizona are expected to be top 10 teams when the first AP poll is released on Monday.
By BOB MESEROLL Missoulian sports editor
On the Web To listen to Wednesday’s conference call with Big Sky men’s basketball coaches, go to http://www.missoulian.com/123/36.php
The coaching carousel nearly spun off its axis in the Big Sky Conference men's basketball ranks last spring.
When the merry-go-round finally stopped last June, five of the nine schools that make up the league had new head coaches.
Gone are Mick Durham from Montana State, Doug Oliver from Idaho State, Joe Cravens from Weber State and Larry Krystkowiak from Montana. Combined, the quartet served 33 years at those schools and won 547 games overall as head coaches in the Big Sky. League newcomer Northern Colorado also lost its coach, Craig Rasmuson, at the end of last season.
Stepping into the vacancies were Wayne Tinkle at Montana, Brad Huse at Montana State, Joe O'Brien at Idaho State, Randy Rahe at Weber State and Tad Boyle at Northern Colorado.
You can chuck those scouting reports of the last few years out the window.
“That will present a challenge once we get to league play,” said NAU coach Mike Adras, now the dean of Big Sky coaches in his eighth season as the head man. “It's certainly going to be a twist this season for my assistants. Rob Bishop has done the Idaho State scouting for the last few years and he could get that done in five minutes because of his familiarity with those players and the coaches. Now, I could give that job to someone else because it doesn't matter, I don't know what to expect from them. There's going to be challenges for everybody.”
ISU's O'Brien brings with him 313 wins at the junior college level.
“I hope our team will be very, very solid in halfcourt defense,” O'Brien said during a conference call on Wednesday. “That's what we hung our hat on at the junior college level.
“We'll have a four-guard starting rotation with one big kid. I've never played that way before, but due to the team I inherited, that's necessitated.”
Huse, the former Griz assistant and Jamestown College head coach, said he's not sure what to expect from his Bobcats.
“I'm looking forward to finding that out myself,” Huse said. “Our teams, hopefully, will be real solid on both ends and a team that doesn't make too many mistakes.”
UNC's Boyle played at Kansas under Larry Brown and came to Greeley from Wichita State, where he was an assistant to highly respected coach Mark Turgeon.
“We're going to defend and we're going to rebound,” said Boyle, who inherits a team that went 5-24 last season. “If we do those two things night in and night out, we'll give ourselves a chance to win.”
Rahe's style might be the most familiar to Griz fans of all the new coaches. Rahe was an assistant to former Eastern Washington coach Ray Giacoletti for the past two seasons at Utah. Before that, he spent 13 seasons as an assistant to former Griz coach Stew Morrill at both Colorado State and Utah State.
“We'll run a lot of sets, put a premium on screening and execution,” Rahe said. “If we can execute half as well as Stew's team, we'll be OK.”
Eastern Washington coach Mike Burns said he knows all five of the new coaches and he knows they have one thing in common.
“They are damn good at their jobs,” Burns said.
Washington jumps ship
Anthony Washington, a 6-foot-9 junior, has left the Portland State program.
Washington, who has a three-day-old baby, averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Vikings last season. He teamed with 6-11 junior Scott Morrison to give the Vikings a twin towers look late last season.
After Morrison, the Vikings' tallest starter will be 6-4fi Juma Kamara.
“We don't have any choice but to try to play faster, which is alright with me because I like to go faster,” PSU coach Ken Bone said. “On the one hand, we're forced to play small and on the other, I don't mind playing small, but I didn't think we'd be this small.”
Coach's son
Huse inherits what could have been an awkward situation at Montana State, with former coach Durham's son Casey playing for the Bobcats.
“We had a conversation right after I took the job to see if he's comfortable with me being here,” said Huse, who has known Casey since Huse was a Bobcat assistant coach from 1994-96. “He's a young man who's been a Bobcat since the day he was born. I think this has been a nice pressure release for him.”
Fast breaks
Kelly Golob, who finished his career as NAU's all-time leading scorer last season, is playing pro ball in Germany, Adras said. ... Of the 13 players on Weber State's roster, 10 are new to the program this season. ... NAU opens the season with road games at Kansas, Arizona State and Arizona. Kansas and Arizona are expected to be top 10 teams when the first AP poll is released on Monday.