Wayne Tinkle played for Mike Montgomery and Stew Morrill before embarking on a professional basketball career that spanned the globe, and he was an assistant coach under Don Holst, Pat Kennedy, and Larry Krystkowiak. In 2006, his patience was rewarded by being named the head coach of the University of Montana men's basketball team. ESPN Missoula's Ryan Tootell and Colter Nuanez spoke with Coach Tinkle about his playing days in Missoula, what it was like to travel the globe playing basketball, and what he learned before becoming the head coach of the Grizzlies.
Griz Greats: The Coaching Tree brought to you by Blackfoot Communications, Berkshire Hathaway, and Stockman's Bar 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 in college basketball at places like Stanford, Old Dominion, and Utah to name a few. 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 special. Bonus episodes include interviews with some former Montana basketball players and other significant influences on the program.