They married and followed Wayne’s 12-season professional career through Europe, across Sweden, Italy, Greece and Spain. They returned full-time to Missoula in 2001, where Wayne became a Grizzlies’ assistant coach before ascending to the top job in 2006.

He has led his alma mater to four-consecutive 20-victory seasons and three N.C.A.A. tournament bids. This season’s sharpshooting team (47.4 percent field-goal percentage) has a deep bench, with seven players making at least 20 3-pointers. While it lost its leading scorer, Mathias Ward (14.8 points per game), to a season-ending foot injury in February, the junior swingman Kareem Jamar was the Big Sky’s most valuable player, and guard Will Cherry the conference’s defensive player of the year.

Montana had close losses to Colorado State, South Dakota State (two overtimes) and Davidson (overtime) — all N.C.A.A. tournament teams.

Despite past success, the ultimate legacy for Wayne and Lisa Tinkle may be their three children.

“They kind of grew up on the basketball court,” Lisa said. “They knew the borders of the court, and that was their playground. They were never forced to play basketball, but they were surrounded by it.”

Joslyn is considered the best girls’ basketball player in Montana history. She won two state championships, was a four-time all-state selection (and a three-time choice in volleyball), and was named a first-team all-American as a senior. Playing alongside the Stanford all-American Chiney Oswumike, Tinkle is second on the team in scoring and averages 5.7 rebounds per game. She will get her degree this spring (a sociology/communications double major) and hopes to play basketball professionally.