Griz Greats: The Coaching Tree

Ryan Tootell and Colter Nuanez sat down with former Montana Grizzlies Eric Hays and Ben DeMers, who both played under Jud Heathcote and Jim Brandenburg at the University of Montana, to get a player's perspective on what it was like to play for both men.

Show Notes

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Ryan Tootell and Colter Nuanez sat down with former Montana Grizzlies Eric Hays and Ben DeMers, who both played under Jud Heathcote and Jim Brandenburg at the University of Montana, to get a player's perspective on what it was like to play for both men. Eric Hays began his college career at Washington State, where Jud Heathcote was an assistant, and followed him to Missoula. Hays scored 32 points against UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen during his senior season, and he also eventually was a graduate assistant under Heathcote at Michigan State before becoming the boy's basketball head coach at Hellgate High School in Missoula (4:24). Ben DeMers was a standout at Sentinel High School in Missoula before continuing on at the University of Montana and playing under Coach Heathcote and Coach Brandenburg when they were the head coach. DeMers was also on that legendary Sweet Sixteen squad and played with Michael Ray Richardson (35:29).

What is Griz Greats: The Coaching Tree?

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.