Montana adds another branch to mighty coaching tree

Erik Brady | USA TODAY Sports

MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana is home to 10 National Forests. The University of Montana has a coaching tree worthy of that. Travis DeCuire is its latest branch.

"We are Montana," say the maroon banners around campus, and DeCuire qualifies doubly — as the school's first-year men's basketball coach and as a UM graduate, Class of 1994.

"It's not often you can start your head coaching career at a place where you wore the uniform," DeCuire tells USA TODAY Sports. "I'm back for more."

That's good news for the 17-11 Grizzlies, who are second (13-4) in the Big Sky Conference, though picked eighth in a preseason poll of coaches. "There weren't high expectations for us," DeCuire says, "but I relish that."

He also relishes the deep roots of that coaching tree. Call it a mighty Ponderosa Pine, in honor of Montana's state tree:

— Jud Heathcote coached the Grizzlies to their first Big Sky title in 1974-75. That team won the school's first NCAA tournament game before falling 67-64 to eventual champ UCLA in a regional semifinal. Heathcote would go on to win an NCAA tournament title of his own with Magic Johnson at Michigan State in 1979.

— Jim Brandenburg, Heathcote's assistant, succeeded him and won 20 games with future pro Micheal Ray Richardson before Brandenburg moved on to Wyoming and San Diego State. Mike Montgomery, Brandenburg's assistant, succeeded him before moving on to Stanford (where his Cardinal played in 1998's Final Four) and California. Stew Morrill, Montgomery's assistant, succeeded him before moving on to Colorado State and Utah State, where Morrill is retiring this season.

— Blaine Taylor, Morrill's assistant, succeeded him — and Taylor coached a talented point guard from Seattle by the name of DeCuire (pronounced dee-cure), who set Montana's still-standing records for assists (199, single season; 435, career). Taylor left Montana to be an assistant to Montgomery at Stanford and then to Old Dominion as head coach.

"It means a lot to be alongside the names of the great coaches ahead of me," DeCuire says. "To be considered from the same tree is pretty big-time."

DeCuire, 44, coached in high school and junior college before joining Taylor as an assistant for five seasons at Old Dominion. Then he assisted Montgomery at Cal for six seasons. Both were apprenticeships in the Montana Way, even if they came in other states.

"I learned a lot," DeCuire says. "I felt prepared for this opportunity."

It opened up because Wayne Tinkle left for Oregon State after coaching Montana to three NCAA tournaments in eight seasons at his alma mater. Tinkle, in turn, had succeeded Larry Krystkowiak, who along with Tinkle played for Montgomery at Montana. Krystkowiak coached the Grizzlies to two NCAA tournaments in two seasons before leaving to coach in the NBA and is now coach of No. 12 Utah — which last week beat Tinkle's Oregon State.

"A lot of coaches, in their first job, they have to build a winning tradition," DeCuire says. "With all the coaches here, and all the success they had, we already have great tradition."

DeCuire is making his own mark on Montana history as its first African American coach in any sport. "The way I look at it, I am a basketball coach, hired to do a job, who happens to be black," he says.

When Montana beat preseason favorite Weber State 74-63 on Saturday, the color analyst for the American Sports Network was Taylor, DeCuire's college coach under whom he'd served as an assistant.

"It was just one of those small-world things," DeCuire says. "We spent some time catching up. My parents were in from Seattle and it was a tremendous flashback for all of us."

Saturday's game was senior night and as DeCuire took his seniors out of the game in the waning moments the fans didn't cheer as loudly as he liked. So he raised his arms upward, like an orchestra conductor, urging a greater ovation, coaching even the crowd.

DeCuire credits his team's success so far to senior guard Jordan Gregory — second on the team in scoring (17.2 points a game) and first in grade point average (3.69) — for buying into his system.

"When there's a coaching change, it's not easy for seniors to play for somebody new," DeCuire says. "He came into my office when I got the job and he promised to do whatever it takes. … The team feeds off his energy."

Junior forward Martin Breunig, who hails from Leverkusen, Germany, leads the team in scoring (16.9 points per game) and is among the top bakers' dozen nationally in shooting percentage (59.7%).

"I think I have some advantages because I know what the life of a Griz athlete is," DeCuire says. "We like instate kids who will represent with a sense of pride and athletes not from here who learn the Montana Way. There is a sense here that a Griz is tough, fierce and willing to fight without giving up."

Someday DeCuire hopes to recruit a fierce point guard good enough to surpass his school records for assists. "If I can do that," he says, "we'll be pretty good."

And, who knows, that sort of team-first player might make a pretty good coach someday, too.

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