Montana landed on Sean Anderson’s radar last spring well before any other school started lobbying for the massive offensive tackle’s services.
The Buckeye, Arizona native senior received an offer from the Griz in May of 2017. The Verrado High senior committed to UM after making his official visit to watch Montana against Big Sky rival Eastern Washington in September despite UM’s 48-41 loss. When Bob Stitt and a portion of his staff were not retained following Montana missing the FCS Playoffs for the second straight season, the feeding frenzy began.
Within a week of UM’s 31-23 loss to rival Montana State in Bozeman, Big Sky Conference rivals Northern Arizona, Idaho and Portland State all offered scholarships. With the head coaching turnover at Arizona State with Todd Graham’s dismissal and Arizona with Rich Rodriguez’s firing, many wondered if the Pac 12 might come into the picture for the 6-foot-8, 295-pound tackle.
Eventually, new Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards offered a preferred walk-on spot for the Sun Devils, an alluring prospect for a kid who grew up 45 minutes from Tempe and attended ASU games often.
New UM head football coach Bobby Hauck rose to the top of Montana’s coaching staff literally the day Montana athletic director Kent Haslam announced the non-renewal of Stitt’s contract. As soon as Anderson heard Hauck’s name as the front-runner, he went to work researching the former and now current Griz head coach.
“My biggest deal was I was going to waiver if they didn’t hire somebody of good quality,” Anderson said. “When I heard Bobby Hauck was going to be the candidate and the most likely one, the only one I was really hearing of, I was thrilled because he had a good past at Montana. He runs a good offense that I enjoy. As an offensive lineman, I love being able to come downhill and hit people. I was excited to hear someone that ran a physical offense was going to come to the school. And having previous success, you couldn’t ask for anything better.
“It was a big deal to me and a crucial time when other teams started talking to me. I did my own research and when I saw his resume and I found how successful he was, I was on board. I’m excited to be a part of his team.”
After learning about Hauck’s 81-17 record in his previous seven-season tenure at Montana, Anderson was impressed. After learning Hauck led the Griz to seven straight Big Sky Conference titles and three national championship game appearances, Anderson remained sold on becoming a Grizzly.
The towering offensive lineman was among 15 players who signed with the Grizzlies on December 22 during the first early signing period in Division I history. He brings a decorated resume that includes being ranked as the No. 38 player in the state of Arizona as a prep senior. Despite the change in the coaching staff — Anderson will have the same position coach with Chad Germer’s retention — Anderson did not waiver.
“After my initial offer, I started to communicate with the coaches and learn about the program,” Anderson said. “I went on my official visit in September and after that I started falling in love with the program and the culture. I stayed on board through the entire process and to have those other programs offer me scholarships, I’m blessed to have that opportunity of course but I still wanted to be loyal to the program.
“I love the culture there and I love everything about the program. When signing day came, I made the decision to sign the paper and get it done.”
Other Big Sky schools like Southern Utah and Northern Colorado came in late with interest as well. What Anderson saw and experienced in Missoula last September hooked him no matter what other schools had to offer.
The gigantic young man has never loved the desert heat — “When you are this big, 120 degrees doesn’t help anything,” he said with a chuckle — so the prospect of moving to the mountains intrigued him. So did the outdoor activities Montana has to offer.
Former Griz defensive coordinator Jason Semore promised Anderson a welcoming college town and a football venue in Washington-Grizzly Stadium that stacked up with any in the country. He also sold Anderson on Montana’s new Champions Center training facility. Seeing both far exceeded Anderson’s expectations.
“It was amazing, couldn’t ask for anything better,” Anderson said. “Being in Arizona, being close to Tempe, I’ve been to Arizona State games and you can’t really compare it. You go to an ASU game and it’s not loud. People are quiet, people aren’t excited or as thrilled to be there as you see up at Montana. I couldn’t be more surprised with how loud it was and how much energy was going around. All the stuff, I wasn’t expecting as much of but when I saw it, I was amazed.”
“After that, I told all the schools I was committed to Montana and I wouldn’t be accepting visits. I didn’t go on any other visits or waiver after that.”
Anderson’s parents accompanied him on his visit and experienced similar good feelings about the Garden City.
“They love the whole culture, the school, the town and they are really excited to see me go somewhere that I love,” Anderson said. “They know I don’t love it in Arizona climate-wise. I’d love to go somewhere I can go camping and hunting and fishing and all the good stuff. Missoula is somewhere where it’s not a big city and I love the whole feel of it. It’s something I will fall in love with.”
The excelling student is more than a big body. He also thrives in the classroom. Anderson will major in business finance, another key selling point given UM’s highly regarded business school. The academic fit proved yet another reason why Anderson is happy he signed with UM.
“It means the world,” Anderson said on becoming a Griz. “Having it on paper, not worrying about having to lose a scholarship, lose anything — I wouldn’t have any reasons to because academically, I haven’t had any issues — but having someone to pay for your college and have it decided, no matter how successful you are as an athlete. It’s nice to know that it’s on paper and signed. It means everything to me and my family.”
[/restrict]Photos contributed by Anderson family. All Rights Reserved.
