WAYNE TINKLE RECEIVING A MAJOR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE 4 DAYS BEFORE THE MONTANA GRIZZLIES MENS BASKETBALL TEAM OPENS THE SEASON. .
THE GRIZ AGREEING ON A 3 YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH THE THIRD YEAR HEAD COACH - WHICH WOULD KEEP HIM IN CHARGE THROUGH THE 2011-2012 SEASON.
THE DEAL EXPECTED TO BE APPPROVED BY THE MONTANA BOARD OF REGENTS WHEN THEY MEET IN MISSOULA ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20.
(http://mus.edu/board/meetings/2008/Nov08/StaffComp/ITEM141-1000-R1108.pdf)
TINKLE IS IN THE FINAL SEASON OF HIS ORIGINAL 3 YEAR CONTRACT - WHICH PAYS HIM $122,596 PER YEAR. HE'S 31-31 IN TWO SEASONS WITH THE GRIZ.
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MY THOUGHTS:
Pending the approval of this deal (which should happen, as it is being recommended by President George Dennison and AD Jim O'Day) this makes all the sense in the world for the Griz.
I don't know if the whole "lame-duck coach in the final year of his contract" phenomenon exists as much in college as it does in the pros.
A pro athlete is far more likely to quit on his coach if he's in the final year of a contract than a college kid is. I do know that while Tinkle would have absolutely given it his all this year regardless of what happened, this agreement has to ease his mind. He can feel comfortable knowing the administration has the same positive feelings about the direction of the program and the players he's been able to recruit that he does.
This is the first season in Tinkle's time at Montana where he's had a team full of HIS guys. I asked him if he felt that way a couple weeks ago. He was very careful not to speak ill of any of the guys who have been here in the past, but pointed out that everyone on this year's team other than Kyle Sharp and Jordan Hasquet was recruited by him and his staff. As an assistant under Larry Krystkowiak, he was instrumental in recruiting Hasquet and Sharp, so they might as well be his guys.
This team clearly has some very exciting potential. The nucleus of Jack McGillis, Michael Taylor, Brian Qvale, Ryan Staudacher, and Derek Selvig is going to be here for a couple years. Add a bunch of the other new faces who will be around for a couple more seasons and the talent pool looks pretty deep. It's good for these guys to know they are going to have the continuity of Tinkle and his system for the next few years.
There was a lot of behind the scenes stuff that went on last season that Tinkle is taking the high road about. He keeps the specifics in-house, but has mentioned several times over the last few weeks how good a group of guys it is this year and how good the chemistry on this team is. In basketball more than any other sport, having that good chemistry goes a long way. He's also talked about how he's grown as a coach over the last couple years. With this decision, the Griz are saying they're confident that growth will continue.
~Varun
varun@maxmontana.com
