Montana State introduces Matt Logie as 24th head men’s basketball coach

BOZEMAN — As Montana State started its hunt for a brand new males’s basketball coach, there have been a number of necessities athletic director Leon Costello was trying to find in a candidate.

Before everything, he needed a coach that had expertise on the division one stage and was a confirmed winner, somebody that might proceed to construct on Montana State’s earlier success, however extra importantly, a coach that wasn’t afraid to take over a championship program.

That search got here to an finish on Monday with the hiring of Montana State’s twenty fourth head coach in program historical past Matt Logie, sparking a brand new period of Bobcat Basketball.

With 12 years of head teaching expertise, Logie involves Montana State with a championship mentality, sporting the most effective lively profitable percentages (.826) for a head coach in faculty basketball with a 276-58 profession mark.

He most lately comes from Level Loma Nazarene the place he went 82-23 over 4 seasons, whereas additionally notching three PacWest convention championships.

“I am an enormous believer that it begins together with your folks, that grows into your tradition, and that lets you put together correctly,” Logie said throughout his introductory press convention. “As soon as the preparation is completed, it is time to execute when the lights come on. That is how profitable will get accomplished.”

Logie shared that quite a lot of his teaching philosophy comes from his late grandfather Ed Pepple, who was a highschool basketball coach for 42 years within the Seattle space at Mercer Island, and was somebody he actually realized the sport of basketball from throughout his time spent as each a ball boy and participant.

“I do know he is wanting down in the present day with an enormous smile on his face, and he is most likely ready to remind me of the significance of offensive rebounding, to which I normally reply, if we make the shot, you do not have to rebound,” Logie smiled. “Grandpa, I like you. I am right here due to you and your basketball household has simply taken on a complete new department on our household tree.”

Throughout his eight-year tenure at Whitworth College, Logie was no stranger to the Huge Sky Convention.

He coached in 4 exhibition video games towards Montana Grizzlies head coach Travis DeCuire, however their relationship stretches again greater than 30 years.

“I had an opportunity to observe play in highschool,” Logie recalled. “After which as I rose up and received older, he got here again and began his teaching journey beneath my grandfather and, you already know, performed up performed a task in my improvement as a participant.”

As a part of the interview course of, the brand new head coach shared that already met with the staff on Sunday.

“As I described to them at the moment, you already know, my viewpoint of that assembly was not that it was a part of the interview course of, but it surely was a part of our first staff assembly,” Logie added. “They know what I am about already.”

With rising concern over the variety of Bobcats getting into the switch portal because the departure of Danny Sprinkle, Logie is hoping to ease the minds of Bobcat followers.

“I do know the latest days have introduced quite a lot of adversity, uncertainty, and alter, however that is usually how alternative is disguised,” Logie said. “Bobcat household, you may have proven what’s succesful right here in Bozeman. Huge Sky Championships victories over the Griz. In addition to NCAA match appearances. That’s the reason we’re right here. There is not any such factor as a four-year plan in in the present day’s faculty basketball surroundings. We got here right here to win and the perfect is but to return. Go, Cats. Go.”

Up to now, six Bobcats have entered their names into the switch portal, however three of these gamers have been current Wednesday for Matt Logie’s introduction together with Robert Ford III, Nice Osobor, and RaeQuan Battle.

Whereas it’s unsure if any of them will stick with Montana State, Logie says he’s already met with practically each participant individually and hopes to get on the court docket as early as Thursday.