Analysis

Candidates emerge for Montana’s head coaching opening

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On Monday, Montana athletic director Kent Haslam made a move not seen at UM in more than 30 years when the Grizzlies elected to not renew the contract of head football coach Bob Stitt.

Robin Pflugrad was fired under a cloud of controversy in the spring of 2012. But Stitt marks the first Montana football coach to not be retained directly after the season since Harley Lewis did not renew the contract of Larry Donovan following the 1985 season.

“There’s a constant evaluation of the program,” Haslam said. “Certainly, (Sunday) was my opportunity to process things through. (I’m) disappointed with the way the season ended last year.

“And then disappointed not at all in the performance of our student-athletes in the final game this year and play so well. But it had been an evaluation that had taken place over the last 12 months. It really in my mind came to a conclusion as I thought more and more yesterday, process things, had a chance to separate a little bit from the final game of the year.”


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Kyle Sample and Brooks Nuanez contributed to the reporting of this story. Photos attributed. All Rights Reserved. 

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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