Joe Glenn helped the Griz resurrect their football program in the early 1980s as a member of Larry Donovan’s staff. The 1982 Montana Griz won the school’s first Big Sky Conference championship since 1970 and helped lay the foundation for the fundraising that would help build Washington-Grizzly Stadium. But Donovan and his staff were fired ahead of the 1986 season, the year Wash-Griz opened.
Glenn resurrected his career at Northern Colorado, where he was the head coach from 1989 until 1999, leading the Bears to the Division II national championship in consecutive seasons. In 2000, he became the head coach of the Montana Grizzlies. He went 39-6 in his three seasons in Missoula, leading UM to three straight Big Sky titles, consecutive national championship games and the 2001 Division I-AA national championship. That national title 25 years ago is the last claimed by Montana.
Glenn, 77, now lives in Eagle, Idaho with his wife Michelle. His son Casey is a coach at Bishop Kelley High in Boise. Glenn is suffering from Alzheimers & dementia but his stories are still rich. Joe, Michelle and Casey joined the Cussin’ & Discussin’ podcast to share memories from the last 50 years.
