grizzlyjournal said:
For the record on this thread. Coach DeCuire has three regular season Big Sky Championship teams. In total: one regular-season Big Sky championship team that then appeared in post-season NIT first-round play (2015), one CIT first-round qualifying team (2016), and two Big Sky Championship winning and NCAA-qualifying teams (2018-19).
The records speak clearly. In my view, coach DeCuire has already easily qualified as an esteemed member of the Montana Grizzly coaching fraternity that includes Jud Heathcote, Stu Morrill, Blaine Taylor, Larry Krystkowiak and Wayne Tinkle. What he does not have is a team that has won a first-round NCAA tourney game, as Heathcote and Krystkowiak have. I did not include Mike Montgomery in this list because none of his teams advanced to the NCAA tourney, though one (I believe) advanced to the NIT.
I haven't been called on this by any other eGrizzer, but I nonetheless apologize for my oversights. I'm missing some post-seson appearances by Montana teams in my post above. I'll be more specific:
1. -- In 1974-75 Jud Heathcote's Griz played 3 games, beating Utah State 69-63 before losing to UCLA 64-67 and UNLV 67-75
2. -- In 1984-85 and 1985-86 Mike Montgomery's Griz teams made NIT appearances... a 47-78 loss to UCLA in 85 and a 69-76 loss to Texas Christian (here in Missoula) in 86.
3. -- In 1991 Stu Morrill's Griz lost in the NCAA first round to UNLV 65-99.
4. -- Blaine Taylor's Griz made 3 post-seson appearances, in 1992 losing to Florida State 68-78 in the NCAA first-round, in 1995 losing to UTEP in the NIT, and in 1997 losing to Kentucky 54-92 in the NCAA first round.
5. -- Don Holst's Griz in 2002 lost to Oregon 62-81 in the first round of the NCAA.
6. in 2005 Larry Krystkowiak's Griz lost to Washington 77-88 in the first round of the NCAA. Then in 2006 Krystkowiak's Griz returned to the NCAA tourney and beat Nevada 87-79 before losing to Boston College 56-69.
7. In 2010 Wayne Tinkle's Griz lost a first round NCAA tourney game to New Mexico, 57-62. In 2016 Tinkle's Griz lost a first round CBI tourney game (here in Missoula) 75-79 to Duquesne. In 2012 Tinkle's Griz lost a first round NCAA game to Wisconsin 49-73. In 2013 Tinkle's Griz lost to Syracuse 34-81.
8 -- In 2015 Travis DeCuire's Griz lost in to Texas A&M 64-81 in the first round of the NIT. iN 2016, DeCuire's Griz lost to Nevada 75-79 in the first round of the CBI. In 2018 and 2019 DeCuire's Griz lost to Michigan 47-61 and 55-74.