Griz Greats: The Coaching Tree

Ryan Tootell and Colter Nuanez talk about what makes this podcast series special and give a few hints about what is to come from the Griz Greats: Coaching Tree Podcast brought to you by Blackfoot Communications. The first full episode will be released on Wednesday, January 15th with Jim Brandenburg, who coached the Grizzlies men's basketball team from 1976 to 1978 and was on legendary college men's basketball coach Jud Heathcote's staff prior to his departure for the University of Wyoming.

*The stat that Colter Nuanez referenced about Stew Morrill's home court dominance at Utah State University isn't quite 97%, but he did compile a 237-27 (.898) record at home in Logan.

Griz Greats: The Coaching Tree is an interview series hosted by Ryan Tootell and Colter Nuanez from ESPN Missoula. University of Montana basketball has an illustrious reputation for producing some of the best college basketball coaches that the game has ever seen, and it can be traced back to legendary Michigan State head men's basketball coach Jud Heathcote, who got his first college head coaching job at the University of Montana. The coaches that have followed him have gone on to make their own significant marks on college basketball at schools like Stanford, Utah, and Old Dominion to name a few. Two have even been head coaches in the NBA. Ryan and Colter sat down with every Montana head men's basketball coach who followed Jud Heathcote to talk about what makes Montana basketball and Missoula so special. Bonus episodes include interviews with former Montana players and other significant influences on the program. Enjoy this preview of Griz Greats: The Coaching Tree!

The first episode will be released Wednesday, January 15th with Jim Brandenburg, who coached the University of Montana from 1976-1978 and left Missoula to become the head men's basketball coach at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. After that, new episodes will be released every Tuesday evening with bonus episodes dropping on Fridays.