Three to Interview for Bobcat Basketball Post
3/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Three coaches with broad ranges of college coaching experience interview in Bozeman beginning Sunday to become Montana State University’s 21st men’s basketball coach, MSU Athletic Director Peter Fields announced Friday.
A five-member search committee chose Northeastern State (Okla.) University head coach Larry Gipson, former Bobcat assistant coach Brad Huse, presently a University of Montana assistant, and University of San Francisco assistant Bill Johnson to interview for the post vacated by long-time Bobcat coach Mick Durham earlier in March. Each of the three will meet the public during open forum sessions.
“We had a tremendous amount of interest in this position from a wide cross-section of coaches,” MSU Athletic Director Peter Fields said. “I am impressed with the quality of coaches this search attracted. These three candidates each coached or played in the NCAA Tournament, and possess good credentials and solid backgrounds. Our search process is thorough, and the committee members worked diligently to get us to this point.”
Northeastern State’s head coach since 1997, Gipson has led schools to national championships at the junior college and NCAA Division II levels. The Division II Redmen stand 176-86 in his nine years, and the 2002-03 squad rolled up a 32-3 record in winning the school’s first-ever national championship. Gipson earned national NABC Division II Coach of the Year honors that season. He led Northeastern State to Lone Star Conference North Division crowns from 1999-2003, winning league championship honors in 2002. Gipson coached high school basketball in Ohio from 1974-81, then became an assistant at Tulsa in 1981-82. The next year he took over the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M program, leading the two-year school to a 217-87 record over 10 years and capturing the 1989 National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship. In 1991, Gipson became the head coach at Toledo. He recorded a 67-73 mark with the Rockets, and joined the school’s athletic administration in 1996 on the heels of three straight winning seasons. After a one-year stint, he accepted the coaching position at Northeastern State. He graduated from Heidelberg (Ohio) College in 1974, and holds an MA degree from Tulsa.
Huse, one of the Big Sky’s most respected assistant coaches, has played a key role in Montana’s recent basketball renaissance. He joined Larry Krystkowiak’s staff in Missoula prior to the 2004-05 season, and has helped lead the Grizzlies to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths and a 42-20 record. Prior to that, Huse posted a tremendously successful eight-year run at Jamestown (N.D.) College, registering a 184-60 and leading the NAIA Jimmies to the national tournament four times. His 2003-04 squad spent the regular season ranked first in the nation, and he took one team to the Elite Eight. The three-time DAC-10 Coach of the Year also served as the school’s Athletic Director from 2000-04. Huse’s coaching career began at his alma mater, Montana Tech, in 1991. After three seasons on the Butte campus, Huse joined Mick Durham’s staff at MSU in 1994 and enjoyed the school’s only back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1949-52. The ‘Cats won Big Sky regular season and tournament titles in 1996, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. A Missoula native, Huse graduated from Tech in 1989, and earned All-Frontier honors three times and All-America kudos as a senior. During his 17-year career as an assistant or head coach, Huse’s squad has won conference titles 10 times. Huse holds a master’s degree in education from MSU.
Bill Johnson has served as an assistant at San Francisco for the past two seasons, helping lead the Dons to a 17-14 mark and NIT berth in 2005. A former University of Nebraska player, Johnson graduated from that school in 1988. He served as a graduate assistant there from 1993-95, joining the staff full-time from 1995-97. He coached at Columbia from 1997-2003, helping mold the Lion defense that led the nation in opponent scoring average in 2001-02. Four of the six Columbia squads which he helped coach finished among the nation’s top 15 in scoring defense. Johnson became head coach at Casper (Wyo.) College in 2003-04, leading his team to a top 10 national junior college finish in team defense and a conference championship. He moved to San Francisco after the ‘04 campaign. He earned his master’s from Nebraska in 1994.
Johnson travels to Bozeman on Sunday, and will be available in the Stadium Club at Bobcat Stadium at 3 pm. Huse interviews Monday and Tuesday, and his open forum is 3 pm Tuesday in the Stadium Club. Gipson interviews Wednesday and Thursday, with his open forum set for Wednesday at 3 pm in the Stadium Club. Community and media members are invited to participate in each session.
A five-member search committee chose Northeastern State (Okla.) University head coach Larry Gipson, former Bobcat assistant coach Brad Huse, presently a University of Montana assistant, and University of San Francisco assistant Bill Johnson to interview for the post vacated by long-time Bobcat coach Mick Durham earlier in March. Each of the three will meet the public during open forum sessions.
“We had a tremendous amount of interest in this position from a wide cross-section of coaches,” MSU Athletic Director Peter Fields said. “I am impressed with the quality of coaches this search attracted. These three candidates each coached or played in the NCAA Tournament, and possess good credentials and solid backgrounds. Our search process is thorough, and the committee members worked diligently to get us to this point.”
Northeastern State’s head coach since 1997, Gipson has led schools to national championships at the junior college and NCAA Division II levels. The Division II Redmen stand 176-86 in his nine years, and the 2002-03 squad rolled up a 32-3 record in winning the school’s first-ever national championship. Gipson earned national NABC Division II Coach of the Year honors that season. He led Northeastern State to Lone Star Conference North Division crowns from 1999-2003, winning league championship honors in 2002. Gipson coached high school basketball in Ohio from 1974-81, then became an assistant at Tulsa in 1981-82. The next year he took over the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M program, leading the two-year school to a 217-87 record over 10 years and capturing the 1989 National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship. In 1991, Gipson became the head coach at Toledo. He recorded a 67-73 mark with the Rockets, and joined the school’s athletic administration in 1996 on the heels of three straight winning seasons. After a one-year stint, he accepted the coaching position at Northeastern State. He graduated from Heidelberg (Ohio) College in 1974, and holds an MA degree from Tulsa.
Huse, one of the Big Sky’s most respected assistant coaches, has played a key role in Montana’s recent basketball renaissance. He joined Larry Krystkowiak’s staff in Missoula prior to the 2004-05 season, and has helped lead the Grizzlies to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths and a 42-20 record. Prior to that, Huse posted a tremendously successful eight-year run at Jamestown (N.D.) College, registering a 184-60 and leading the NAIA Jimmies to the national tournament four times. His 2003-04 squad spent the regular season ranked first in the nation, and he took one team to the Elite Eight. The three-time DAC-10 Coach of the Year also served as the school’s Athletic Director from 2000-04. Huse’s coaching career began at his alma mater, Montana Tech, in 1991. After three seasons on the Butte campus, Huse joined Mick Durham’s staff at MSU in 1994 and enjoyed the school’s only back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1949-52. The ‘Cats won Big Sky regular season and tournament titles in 1996, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. A Missoula native, Huse graduated from Tech in 1989, and earned All-Frontier honors three times and All-America kudos as a senior. During his 17-year career as an assistant or head coach, Huse’s squad has won conference titles 10 times. Huse holds a master’s degree in education from MSU.
Bill Johnson has served as an assistant at San Francisco for the past two seasons, helping lead the Dons to a 17-14 mark and NIT berth in 2005. A former University of Nebraska player, Johnson graduated from that school in 1988. He served as a graduate assistant there from 1993-95, joining the staff full-time from 1995-97. He coached at Columbia from 1997-2003, helping mold the Lion defense that led the nation in opponent scoring average in 2001-02. Four of the six Columbia squads which he helped coach finished among the nation’s top 15 in scoring defense. Johnson became head coach at Casper (Wyo.) College in 2003-04, leading his team to a top 10 national junior college finish in team defense and a conference championship. He moved to San Francisco after the ‘04 campaign. He earned his master’s from Nebraska in 1994.
Johnson travels to Bozeman on Sunday, and will be available in the Stadium Club at Bobcat Stadium at 3 pm. Huse interviews Monday and Tuesday, and his open forum is 3 pm Tuesday in the Stadium Club. Gipson interviews Wednesday and Thursday, with his open forum set for Wednesday at 3 pm in the Stadium Club. Community and media members are invited to participate in each session.
Thursday, August 27
Monday, August 24
Monday, August 24
Wednesday, June 10
