Reports: Utah State hiring Bobcats' Sprinkle

Montana State men’s basketball coach Danny Sprinkle, who took the Bobcats to the last two NCAA Tournaments, has been hired away by Utah State according to several reports on Friday.

Sprinkle replaces Ryan Odom, who left the Logan, Utah, school for the same job at Virginia Commonwealth a week ago.

College basketball analyst Jeff Goodman was apparently the first to report the hiring; he Tweeted that Utah State, “is finalizing a deal to hire Montana State’s Danny Sprinkle, source told @Stadium.” That was at 10:08 a.m. Friday; the Salt Lake Tribune had a story up within 20 minutes.

Sprinkle, who played collegiately for the Bobcats, had uncommon success at Montana State. His last two teams went 27-8 and 25-10 and won the third and fourth Big Sky Conference tournament championships in MSU history. His record at his alma mater is 81-43, a .653 winning percentage.

This is generally what happens in the Big Sky: A coach builds a winning program and gets snapped up by a school from a larger conference. Of the last 11 coaches to win a Big Sky men’s basketball title — covering the last 20 seasons — seven left for different, presumably more high-paying college jobs.

The exceptions would be current Montana coach Travis DeCuire, who is 177-113 in nine seasons guiding the Griz, including back-to-back trips to the NCAAs in 2018-19; and Weber State coach Randy Rahe, who retired last May after guiding the Wildcats to three NCAA Tournaments (and a 316-191 record) in 16 seasons.

Larry Krystkowiak left Montana after back-to-back NCAA appearances for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, though he returned to the college ranks with the Utah Utes from 2011-21.

The Utah State Aggies play in the Mountain West Conference, and are 6-24 in the NCAA Tournament all-time, with one win since 1970 — Stew Morrill’s squad upset No. 5 seed Ohio State 77-68 in overtime in 2001.

But the Mountain West includes 1990s basketball power UNLV as well as San Diego State, which on Monday lost in the NCAA championship game to UConn, 76-59.

Below is a look at the last 20 years of Big Sky tournament champions:

BSC tourney champ: What the coach did from there

Montana St. 2022-23: Danny Sprinkle leaves for Utah State.

E. Washington 2021: Shantay Legans took over the Portland Pilots in 2021.

Montana 2018-19: Travis DeCuire is now 177-112 at Montana.

North Dakota 2017: Brian Jones gone after a 12-18 season in 2018-19. 140-150 at UND

Weber State 2016: Randy Rahe retired before the 2022-23 season.

E. Washington 2015: Jim Hayford left for Seattle U in 2017.

Weber State 2014: Randy Rahe stays put.

Montana 2012-13: Tinkle left for Oregon State in 2014

No. Colorado 2011: This BJ Hill’s best season (21-11) gone after 2015-16, not HC since

Montana 2010: Wayne Tinkle won two more with the Griz.

Portland St. 2008-09: Ken Bone went to Wazzu 2009

Weber St. 2007: Randy Rahe hung around for two more NCAA berths.

Montana 2005-06: Larry Krystkowiak left for the NBA Bucks in 2006

E. Washington 2004: Ray Giacoletti left for Utah in 2004