After days of speculation that led Montana basketball fans to consider what the future of the program held, Griz head coach Travis DeCuire confirmed that he removed his name from consideration for the head coaching position at Cal.
“I am 100 percent sure I will be back at Montana next season,” DeCuire told Skyline Sports Wednesday from Seattle where he is vacationing before returning to Missoula next week to begin offseason workouts.
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It was reported by Bleacher Reports’ Jordan Schultz on Monday that DeCuire, who finished his third season as head coach of his alma mater, was one of four names to interview for the vacancy. Nevada coach Eric Musselman, UC Irvine’s Russell Turner and UC Davis’ Jim Les were also mentioned.
Musselman was reported to have been offered the job late Tuesday night, by which time DeCuire had already taken his name out of consideration. DeCuire said he sent a group text message to his team Tuesday to inform him that he would be coming back for his fourth year.
It was confirmed by multiple outlets that Musselman turned down the offer. The Reno Journal-Gazette reported Nevada is working on an extension for its head coach.
Under DeCuire’s direction, Montana battled its most difficult schedule in nearly six decades and wrestled with some off-court issues during a 16-16 season that came to end with a loss to Idaho in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky tournament. In his three years as coach, DeCuire has guided the Griz to a 57-41 record, a 2014 Big Sky Conference regular season title and trips to the NIT and CIT.
Following Cuonzo Martin’s decision on March 15 to resign as Cal’s head coach to take over at Missouri, it was immediately speculated that DeCuire would be considered for the position. DeCuire was an assistant to former Cal and Montana head coach Mike Montgomery for six seasons before Montgomery retired in March 2014. DeCuire was highly recommended by Montgomery to take over the program before the school’s administration decided to offer the job to Martin.
DeCuire signed in July a new three-year deal that will keep him under contract at Montana through the 2018-19 season.
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