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1st Stitt articles after OFFICIAL hire...

signedbewildered

Well-known member
DONOR
Some interesting insight, I posted the 2nd article in another thread but I think it just got lost in there.

Montana makes it official: Bob Stitt to coach Grizzlies

Scott ManschTribune Sports Editor
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/sports/2014/12/16/montana-makes-official-bob-stitt-coach-grizzlies/20512225/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was the worst-kept secret of the week.

But at the end of the day, Montana athletic director Kent Haslam said there is no intrigue in his mind concerning what Bob Stitt brings to Grizzly Nation.

"We're excited to have him here and excited to get him going," Haslam said, declining to speak more specifically until Friday morning's scheduled press conference.

"I'm excited for what he brings and I'm excited for the type of person he is," Haslam said.

Stitt will be formerly introduced as Montana's new head football coach Friday morning at a press conference in Missoula. The news broke Friday, originally reported by Fox Sports, that Stitt, a successful head coach at NCAA Division II Colorado School of Mines the last 15 years, would replace the retired Mick Delaney as UM mentor.

But Haslam on Friday night denied an offer had been made.

"It was the full truth, 100 percent true," Haslam said. "He was offered the job late Saturday night. At the time on Friday when I talked there were still things I was processing. Whenever you do a search like this, and I know that everybody wants to know and have the inside scoop, but it's not respectful of the folks in the mix for me to come out and announce something until it's signed and done.

"Things can go a lot of different directions when you get into those final days of negotiations and you have agents involved and decisions being made. On Friday, that wasn't a half-truth. It was 100 percent truth."

Stitt responded to a text message Tuesday night, but did not address specific questions.

"It's been pretty crazy around here the last few days and I'm trying hard to get back to everyone," Stitt texted. "I'm very excited to get out there and get started. We will try to get to everyone's questions on Friday at the press conference."

Stitt, 50, is a former running back at NAIA Doane (Neb.) College. He was 108-62 at Colorado Mines and led the Orediggers this fall to a 10-2 record and a berth in the NCAA II national playoffs.

Stitt, a native of Tecumseh, Neb., who also lettered in baseball and track at Doane, was the offensive coordinator at Harvard before taking over at Colorado Mines, located in Arvada, Colo. He served previously as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Doane, and assistant head coach at NCAA Division III Austin (Texas) College.

Stitt is considered an offensive-minded coach. His team this fall averaged 39 points and 523 yards of offense per game. The Orediggers had a high-powered passing attack that produced 4,539 yards and 38 touchdowns, with just 11 interceptions.

The Grizzly job officially became vacant Dec. 6, when Delaney's club lost at Eastern Washington in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

Haslam said a stealthy search was necessary. On Monday, amid more reports of Stitt's imminent hiring, Haslam couldn't be reached for comment.

The news became official at midday Tuesday with a UM press release.

"I get it," Haslam said of the high interest level. "I wasn't trying to be ... coy or evasive. I believe in calling people back. But I'm not in a position to start talking about things until it's officially done. I just don't think that's a prudent way to conduct a search."

It's believed and has been reported that Bobby Hauck, the former highly successful Grizzly head coach who just stepped down at UNLV, and Brent Pease, the former UM quarterback and longtime assistant coach at the major-college level, were among the finalists for the job.

But Haslam wouldn't confirm it.

"I'm not going to comment about other candidates," Haslam said. "Bob Stitt was the guy we hired. I visited on the phone or face-to-face with at least 10 people. This was a truly a search that involved a lot of candidates and it was wide-open on many perspectives. These happen slow. Things change dramatically from day-to-day on who's interested and who wants to pursue it further. If their needs are going to be public and all over the place, then they're backing out, because they're navigating other things. They're just done in such a different way than a normal search."

Haslam's search was conducted much differently than nearly 10 years ago in Bozeman when Montana State Athletic Director Peter Fields looked for a new head football coach. Fields announced four finalists, brought them to campus for interviews and public forums, and eventually announced that Rob Ash had been hired.

Kevin McRae, Deputy Commissioner for Communications and Human Resources for the Montana Board of Regents, which oversees both UM and MSU, said there is nothing wrong with either method.

"The short answer is that the Board of Regents is supportive of both of the approaches," McRae said. "It's hard to do a parallel-test analysis of the two approaches. I will say that increasingly, in higher education, we are being advised by national associations and so forth, and not just for athletic positions but for a lot of recruitments, that the traditional process and the pagaentry of bringing multiple finalists to a campus for interviews can actually have an inhibitive effect on qualified applicants wishing to be considered. Because there are a lot of candidates who will say 'I have no interest in doing that.'

"Ultimately the goal is to get a good coach. Sometimes a great candidate who isn't looking for a new job is unlikely to stick his or her neck out, if approached, and apply for a job that entails being part of a parade of candidates on campus. Especially when they are happy where they are, they don't want to lose support where they are, for a roll of the dice in the campus parade."

The Board of Regents must approve Stitt's hiring before it becomes official.
 
Stitt colleague: New Griz coach is extraordinarily driven

http://billingsgazette.com/sports/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/football/stitt-colleague-new-griz-coach-is-extraordinarily-driven/article_36e87032-3000-5955-b346-54a375ac7369.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In Bob Stitt, Montana is getting a football coach with a reputation as a confident offensive trendsetter.

Colorado School of Mines men’s basketball coach Pryor Orser witnessed first hand for 14 years what made Stitt, 50, one of the top coaches in Division II — and a pioneer whose ideas have been adopted at the highest level of college football and in the NFL.

“Stitty is an amazingly hard worker, he’s really competitive, he’s an innovator, he’s a motivator, he’s focused, he’s extraordinarily driven … there’s nothing he thinks he can’t accomplish,” Orser said. “That’s just how he thinks. That mentality will rub off on the players and coaches around him.”

Orser has deep Montana roots. He was a standout high school athlete in Gardiner in the mid-1980s before playing basketball collegiately and later coaching at Montana State Billings.

Orser was an assistant coach with the Grizzlies under Don Holst for one season before taking over as head coach at Colorado Mines in 2001. Orser has made the Orediggers a consistent winner, and has them ranked No. 17 in the latest NCAA Division II men’s basketball poll.

Orser spoke candidly about Stitt and what he believes the Grizzlies have with their new coach. And it goes beyond Stitt's 108-62 record in the past 15 seasons at Mines.

“The way he runs his program, everybody’s got to be accountable, both academically and athletically,” Orser said. “Guys are going to have to toe the line and go to class. That’s what he’s used to here at Mines, that’s what he was used to when he was the offensive coordinator at Harvard; guys are going to have to graduate.

“With his assistant coaches, he’s empowering. He gives a lot of responsibility to his assistants, particularly to the defense. He doesn’t mess with his defensive (coaches). He communicates well with his players, doesn’t put up with any BS. Everyone is accountable in his program.”

With respect to Stitt’s recruiting ability, Orser talked about how limited scholarship funds at Division II did not stop Stitt from finding the right athletes for his system. Players agreed to pay high tuition costs to play for Stitt.

“All those really good receivers that are playing for Eastern Washington, those are the kind of guys that will be playing for him,” Orser said. “They’re going to run across recruits that are that talented and that fast. He is a very, very good recruiter. He’s going to paint a picture of how he uses everybody and what they’re going to do, what they can achieve, what they can accomplish.

“The entertainment factor is going to go way up.”

Stitt, who was a running backs at Doane College in Nebraska, was a graduate assistant in 1989 at Northern Colorado under Joe Glenn. Glenn, of course, later coached Montana to its second national title in 2001.

Orser said Stitt’s son Joe -- he has two boys with his wife, Joan -- is named after Glenn.

As for Stitt’s offense, it’s impressive. And many of his ideas have been utilized throughout the collegiate and professional ranks. Famously, Stitt lent some schemes to the coaching staff at West Virginia before the 2012 Orange Bowl against Clemson.

The Mountaineers scored 70 points in a rout.

“He tries things, and then all the big boys come and steal it from him,” Orser joked. “I’ve watched so many pro teams and big schools walk through our doors. Everyone knows about the West Virginia game, but there are a lot of other examples nobody knows about.”

Stitt won’t be formally introduced as the Grizzlies’ coach until Friday morning. But Orser said Stitt is currently hard at work. Montana’s first game under Stitt is a tough one, Aug. 29 at home against FCS power North Dakota State.

“He’s already working on NDSU tonight,” Orser said.
 
signedbewildered said:
Stitt colleague: New Griz coach is extraordinarily driven

http://billingsgazette.com/sports/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/football/stitt-colleague-new-griz-coach-is-extraordinarily-driven/article_36e87032-3000-5955-b346-54a375ac7369.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In Bob Stitt, Montana is getting a football coach with a reputation as a confident offensive trendsetter.

Colorado School of Mines men’s basketball coach Pryor Orser witnessed first hand for 14 years what made Stitt, 50, one of the top coaches in Division II — and a pioneer whose ideas have been adopted at the highest level of college football and in the NFL.

“Stitty is an amazingly hard worker, he’s really competitive, he’s an innovator, he’s a motivator, he’s focused, he’s extraordinarily driven … there’s nothing he thinks he can’t accomplish,” Orser said. “That’s just how he thinks. That mentality will rub off on the players and coaches around him.”

Orser has deep Montana roots. He was a standout high school athlete in Gardiner in the mid-1980s before playing basketball collegiately and later coaching at Montana State Billings.

Orser was an assistant coach with the Grizzlies under Don Holst for one season before taking over as head coach at Colorado Mines in 2001. Orser has made the Orediggers a consistent winner, and has them ranked No. 17 in the latest NCAA Division II men’s basketball poll.

Orser spoke candidly about Stitt and what he believes the Grizzlies have with their new coach. And it goes beyond Stitt's 108-62 record in the past 15 seasons at Mines.

“The way he runs his program, everybody’s got to be accountable, both academically and athletically,” Orser said. “Guys are going to have to toe the line and go to class. That’s what he’s used to here at Mines, that’s what he was used to when he was the offensive coordinator at Harvard; guys are going to have to graduate.

“With his assistant coaches, he’s empowering. He gives a lot of responsibility to his assistants, particularly to the defense. He doesn’t mess with his defensive (coaches). He communicates well with his players, doesn’t put up with any BS. Everyone is accountable in his program.”

With respect to Stitt’s recruiting ability, Orser talked about how limited scholarship funds at Division II did not stop Stitt from finding the right athletes for his system. Players agreed to pay high tuition costs to play for Stitt.

“All those really good receivers that are playing for Eastern Washington, those are the kind of guys that will be playing for him,” Orser said. “They’re going to run across recruits that are that talented and that fast. He is a very, very good recruiter. He’s going to paint a picture of how he uses everybody and what they’re going to do, what they can achieve, what they can accomplish.

“The entertainment factor is going to go way up.”

Stitt, who was a running backs at Doane College in Nebraska, was a graduate assistant in 1989 at Northern Colorado under Joe Glenn. Glenn, of course, later coached Montana to its second national title in 2001.

Orser said Stitt’s son Joe -- he has two boys with his wife, Joan -- is named after Glenn.

As for Stitt’s offense, it’s impressive. And many of his ideas have been utilized throughout the collegiate and professional ranks. Famously, Stitt lent some schemes to the coaching staff at West Virginia before the 2012 Orange Bowl against Clemson.

The Mountaineers scored 70 points in a rout.

“He tries things, and then all the big boys come and steal it from him,” Orser joked. “I’ve watched so many pro teams and big schools walk through our doors. Everyone knows about the West Virginia game, but there are a lot of other examples nobody knows about.”

Stitt won’t be formally introduced as the Grizzlies’ coach until Friday morning. But Orser said Stitt is currently hard at work. Montana’s first game under Stitt is a tough one, Aug. 29 at home against FCS power North Dakota State.

“He’s already working on NDSU tonight,” Orser said.

All well and good but he'd better start working on the cats. :D
 
MsMaroon said:
signedbewildered said:
Stitt colleague: New Griz coach is extraordinarily driven

http://billingsgazette.com/sports/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/football/stitt-colleague-new-griz-coach-is-extraordinarily-driven/article_36e87032-3000-5955-b346-54a375ac7369.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In Bob Stitt, Montana is getting a football coach with a reputation as a confident offensive trendsetter.

Colorado School of Mines men’s basketball coach Pryor Orser witnessed first hand for 14 years what made Stitt, 50, one of the top coaches in Division II — and a pioneer whose ideas have been adopted at the highest level of college football and in the NFL.

“Stitty is an amazingly hard worker, he’s really competitive, he’s an innovator, he’s a motivator, he’s focused, he’s extraordinarily driven … there’s nothing he thinks he can’t accomplish,” Orser said. “That’s just how he thinks. That mentality will rub off on the players and coaches around him.”

Orser has deep Montana roots. He was a standout high school athlete in Gardiner in the mid-1980s before playing basketball collegiately and later coaching at Montana State Billings.

Orser was an assistant coach with the Grizzlies under Don Holst for one season before taking over as head coach at Colorado Mines in 2001. Orser has made the Orediggers a consistent winner, and has them ranked No. 17 in the latest NCAA Division II men’s basketball poll.

Orser spoke candidly about Stitt and what he believes the Grizzlies have with their new coach. And it goes beyond Stitt's 108-62 record in the past 15 seasons at Mines.

“The way he runs his program, everybody’s got to be accountable, both academically and athletically,” Orser said. “Guys are going to have to toe the line and go to class. That’s what he’s used to here at Mines, that’s what he was used to when he was the offensive coordinator at Harvard; guys are going to have to graduate.

“With his assistant coaches, he’s empowering. He gives a lot of responsibility to his assistants, particularly to the defense. He doesn’t mess with his defensive (coaches). He communicates well with his players, doesn’t put up with any BS. Everyone is accountable in his program.”

With respect to Stitt’s recruiting ability, Orser talked about how limited scholarship funds at Division II did not stop Stitt from finding the right athletes for his system. Players agreed to pay high tuition costs to play for Stitt.

“All those really good receivers that are playing for Eastern Washington, those are the kind of guys that will be playing for him,” Orser said. “They’re going to run across recruits that are that talented and that fast. He is a very, very good recruiter. He’s going to paint a picture of how he uses everybody and what they’re going to do, what they can achieve, what they can accomplish.

“The entertainment factor is going to go way up.”

Stitt, who was a running backs at Doane College in Nebraska, was a graduate assistant in 1989 at Northern Colorado under Joe Glenn. Glenn, of course, later coached Montana to its second national title in 2001.

Orser said Stitt’s son Joe -- he has two boys with his wife, Joan -- is named after Glenn.

As for Stitt’s offense, it’s impressive. And many of his ideas have been utilized throughout the collegiate and professional ranks. Famously, Stitt lent some schemes to the coaching staff at West Virginia before the 2012 Orange Bowl against Clemson.

The Mountaineers scored 70 points in a rout.

“He tries things, and then all the big boys come and steal it from him,” Orser joked. “I’ve watched so many pro teams and big schools walk through our doors. Everyone knows about the West Virginia game, but there are a lot of other examples nobody knows about.”

Stitt won’t be formally introduced as the Grizzlies’ coach until Friday morning. But Orser said Stitt is currently hard at work. Montana’s first game under Stitt is a tough one, Aug. 29 at home against FCS power North Dakota State.

“He’s already working on NDSU tonight,” Orser said.

All well and good but he'd better start working on the cats. :D

What a great thread and then you have to go and kill it!! :evil: :lol: :wink:

In all seriousness, this guy is going to be great for this program! Love his attitude and the "I'm going to prove you wrong" mentality.
 
"All well and good but he'd better start working on the cats."

First things first. I think the cats need to start working on the cats.
 
signedbewildered said:
"All well and good but he'd better start working on the cats."

First things first. I think the cats need to start working on the cats.


FTC
 
While I am gushing about the new coach I must tell about the msu graduation I attended last Saturday. It was cat litter bad and I had family graduating. More on that later.

Concerning Ash the guy is a damn nice guy and a pretty good coach. I have enjoyed meeting him and like him. He might get over the meltdown at the end of each season but until then I really enjoy beating his team.
 
I am guessing Joe Glenn was on the phone about with KH giving Stitt a lot of praise. I like the comment about "entertainment value" going up. :thumb:
 
"While I am gushing about the new coach I must tell about the msu graduation I attended last Saturday. It was cat litter bad and I had family graduating. More on that later."

You wore your Griz gear didn't you?
 
I like that he is known for being a good recruiter!
I like that he is known for holding players accountable!
I like that he lets the defensive coaches do their thing!
I like that he is passionate about football!
I hope he hates cats as much as the rest of us!
 
The articles are both interesting, although the comments made in the Gazette article by Pryor Orser where very strange.....almost dismissive of several good coaches that have been here prior. Hope he can live up to the hype.
 
signedbewildered said:
"I'm excited for what he brings and I'm excited for the type of person he is," Haslam said.

Stitt is considered an offensive-minded coach. His team this fall averaged 39 points and 523 yards of offense per game. The Orediggers had a high-powered passing attack that produced 4,539 yards and 38 touchdowns, with just 11 interceptions.

From first seen on eGriz (Stitt candidacy), I have echoed the above Haslam statement. :clap:

Stitts QB was the #1 yardage leader in all of D2. :shock: :D
 
IntuitiveGriz said:
signedbewildered said:
"I'm excited for what he brings and I'm excited for the type of person he is," Haslam said.

Stitt is considered an offensive-minded coach. His team this fall averaged 39 points and 523 yards of offense per game. The Orediggers had a high-powered passing attack that produced 4,539 yards and 38 touchdowns, with just 11 interceptions.

From first seen on eGriz (Stitt candidacy), I have echoed the above Haslam statement. :clap:

Stitts QB was the #1 yardage leader in all of D2. :shock: :D


Coach Stitt has to be giddy with the QB's he's getting....going to fun to watch!!!
 
fanof griz4life said:
IntuitiveGriz said:
signedbewildered said:
"I'm excited for what he brings and I'm excited for the type of person he is," Haslam said.

Stitt is considered an offensive-minded coach. His team this fall averaged 39 points and 523 yards of offense per game. The Orediggers had a high-powered passing attack that produced 4,539 yards and 38 touchdowns, with just 11 interceptions.

From first seen on eGriz (Stitt candidacy), I have echoed the above Haslam statement. :clap:

Stitts QB was the #1 yardage leader in all of D2. :shock: :D


Coach Stitt has to be giddy with the QB's he's getting....going to fun to watch!!!

And the QBs must be giddy about getting Stitt.

In fact, one of them (Simis) tweeted, "Big time hire! Love it!!"
 
IntuitiveGriz said:
fanof griz4life said:
IntuitiveGriz said:
signedbewildered said:
"I'm excited for what he brings and I'm excited for the type of person he is," Haslam said.

Stitt is considered an offensive-minded coach. His team this fall averaged 39 points and 523 yards of offense per game. The Orediggers had a high-powered passing attack that produced 4,539 yards and 38 touchdowns, with just 11 interceptions.

From first seen on eGriz (Stitt candidacy), I have echoed the above Haslam statement. :clap:

Stitts QB was the #1 yardage leader in all of D2. :shock: :D


Coach Stitt has to be giddy with the QB's he's getting....going to fun to watch!!!

And the QBs must be giddy about getting Stitt.

In fact, one of them (Simis) tweeted, "Big time hire! Love it!!"

That is what I was thinking. This has to be a quarterback's dream team. I love the statement about getting the best receivers as well. The Griz look like the perfect fit for Coach Stitt and I am very excited for the future. Can't wait to see what he has in store for NDSU! Go Griz!!
 
If you were to describe the characteristics of a successful coach and a man made to inspire and lead others into battle on the football field, it would look a lot like Pryor Orser's description of Coach Stitt. Pryor knows damn well what it takes to be a successful coach and to recruit and inspire players, so I take a huge amount of comfort in his description of Coach Stitt. I think we got ourselves a very good coach to lead the Griz!

On a related note, there has been a lot of talk about Coach Stitt's success as CSM, and some argue that he didn't win enough there. Those folks really do not understand the level of student it takes to qualify and pass classes at CMS. Pryor Orser and Coach Stitt are very similar in that they both took programs who where lucky to win any games in any year, and made them both into perennial conference and national powers. Since Pryor left the Griz staff to take the head coaching job at CMS he has made them into a consistent conference winner that makes a strong run for national titles every year, and he usually has the player of the year on his team too. It is really pretty mind-boggling the success both Coach Stitt and Coach Orser have enjoyed at CMS. Don't be surpised if Coach Orser follows Coach Stitt back to lead the Griz some day. He is certainly on their radar.
 
firmgriz said:
If you were to describe the characteristics of a successful coach and a man made to inspire and lead others into battle on the football field, it would look a lot like Pryor Orser's description of Coach Stitt. Pryor knows damn well what it takes to be a successful coach and to recruit and inspire players, so I take a huge amount of comfort in his description of Coach Stitt. I think we got ourselves a very good coach to lead the Griz!

On a related note, there has been a lot of talk about Coach Stitt's success as CSM, and some argue that he didn't win enough there. Those folks really do not understand the level of student it takes to qualify and pass classes at CMS. Pryor Orser and Coach Stitt are very similar in that they both took programs who where lucky to win any games in any year, and made them both into perennial conference and national powers. Since Pryor left the Griz staff to take the head coaching job at CMS he has made them into a consistent conference winner that makes a strong run for national titles every year, and he usually has the player of the year on his team too. It is really pretty mind-boggling the success both Coach Stitt and Coach Orser have enjoyed at CMS. Don't be surpised if Coach Orser follows Coach Stitt back to lead the Griz some day. He is certainly on their radar.

I think the fact that you don't hear one person complaining from CSM about his playoff record, and that everyone just sings this mans praises and loves him at CSMs speaks volumes to how difficult it is to win there and the expectations being far exceeded by Mr Stitt....the haters have poor outlooks....this guy is gonna be a home run!!!
 
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