Wyoming, Griz and FVCC coach Brandenburg dies

Jim Brandenburg, the longtime Wyoming Cowboys basketball mentor who coached his first college team at Flathead Valley Community College, died Sunday.

He was 87.

Cause or site of death was not included in stories printed at the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune and gowyo.com; he was born in Topeka, Kansas, on Dec. 10, 1935, and as of 2017 resided in Austin, Texas.

Brandenburg coached Micheal Ray Richardson and the Montana Grizzlies for two seasons before spending nine seasons at Wyoming, leading the Cowboys to nearly unprecedented heights.

They went 176-97 in his tenure, won three Western Athletic Conference titles and made three NCAA appearances, including a Sweet 16 appearance with Fennis Dembo, Eric Leckner and Co. in 1987.

Before that he coached the FVCC Mountaineers men’s team to a 23-4 record in 1969-70. He left to be Jud Heathcote’s assistant the next season and the Mountaineers didn’t return in 1970-71.

A 2017 Daily Inter Lake story noted Brandenburg had almost left coaching after 11 seasons in the high school ranks in Texas and Colorado.

It took a trip to Kalispell — “just a wonderful, quaint community,” he told the Inter Lake — to sell him on the job in 1969.

In 1976 Brandenburg replaced Heathcote, who would win an NCAA championship with Magic Johnson at Michigan State in 1979, as UM’s coach. His first Grizzly team forfeited 11 wins because of an ineligible player; his second won the Big Sky Conference regular season title but lost the Big Sky tournament championship to Weber State.

Then Brandenburg left for Wyoming, which had won 84 games over its previous eight seasons. He would amass eight NBA draft picks and a 4-3 record in NCAA Tournament play.

In 1982 the Cowboys lost a second-round NCAA game to Georgetown 51-53; the Hoyas lost to North Carolina in that year’s championship.

Brandenburg’s 1986 team lost to Ohio State in the NIT championship game.

In 1987 he abruptly left Laramie for a job at WAC rival San Diego State. The Aztecs went 52-87 under Brandenburg, who was dismissed partway through his fifth season.

He is survived by a son, Bart, and a daughter, Shannon.

"Coach Brandenburg and his family made an enormous impact on this state and this university," said UW athletic director Tom Burman, who was Cowboys’ student manager during Brandenburg’s tenure. "He built a national brand during his time at Wyoming. He has touched so many players and staff and our thoughts and prayers are with Shannon, Bart and the Brandenburg family."