The University of Montana in Missoula competes in the Big Sky Conference and has one of the most passionate fan bases in mid-major basketball. The Grizzlies have won numerous Big Sky titles and made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Grizzlies mascot represents the grizzly bears native to Montana's wilderness, embodying the rugged and powerful spirit of the state.
The 2006 NCAA Tournament, when the 12th-seeded Grizzlies upset No. 5 seed Nevada 87-79 for the program's first tournament win in 31 years, a highlight for the Grizzly faithful who packed Dahlberg Arena all season.
Dahlberg Arena in Missoula is one of the loudest mid-major venues in the country, and Montana fans regularly sell out the arena for Big Sky Conference games.
The Montana Grizzlies compete in the Big Sky and hold an all-time record of 1572–1291 (.549 winning percentage) across 114 recorded seasons dating back to 1911-12.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 18-16 | 10-8 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2024-25 | 25-10 | 15-3 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2023-24 | 24-12 | 12-6 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2022-23 | 17-14 | 10-7 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2021-22 | 18-14 | 11-9 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2020-21 | 15-13 | 7-9 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2019-20 | 18-13 | 14-6 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2018-19 | 26-9 | 16-4 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2017-18 | 26-8 | 16-2 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2016-17 | 16-16 | 11-7 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2015-16 | 21-12 | 14-4 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2014-15 | 20-13 | 14-4 (Big Sky) | Travis DeCuire | |
| 2013-14 | 17-13 | 12-8 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2012-13 | 25-7 | 19-1 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2011-12 | 25-7 | 15-1 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2010-11 | 21-11 | 12-4 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2009-10 | 22-10 | 10-6 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2008-09 | 17-12 | 11-5 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2007-08 | 14-16 | 8-8 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2006-07 | 17-15 | 10-6 (Big Sky) | Wayne Tinkle | |
| 2005-06 | 24-7 | 10-4 (Big Sky) | Larry Krystkowiak | |
| 2004-05 | 18-13 | 9-5 (Big Sky) | Larry Krystkowiak | |
| 2003-04 | 10-18 | 6-8 (Big Sky) | Pat Kennedy | |
| 2002-03 | 13-17 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Pat Kennedy | |
| 2001-02 | 16-15 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Don Holst | |
| 2000-01 | 11-16 | 6-10 (Big Sky) | Don Holst | |
| 1999-00 | 17-11 | 12-4 (Big Sky) | Don Holst | |
| 1998-99 | 13-14 | 6-10 (Big Sky) | Don Holst | |
| 1997-98 | 16-14 | 9-7 (Big Sky) | Blaine Taylor | |
| 1996-97 | 21-11 | 11-5 (Big Sky) | Blaine Taylor | |
| 1995-96 | 20-8 | 10-4 (Big Sky) | Blaine Taylor | |
| 1994-95 | 21-9 | 11-3 (Big Sky) | Blaine Taylor | |
| 1993-94 | 19-9 | 6-8 (Big Sky) | Blaine Taylor | |
| 1992-93 | 17-11 | 8-6 (Big Sky) | Blaine Taylor | |
| 1991-92 | 27-4 | 14-2 (Big Sky) | Blaine Taylor | |
| 1990-91 | 23-8 | 13-3 (Big Sky) | Stew Morrill | |
| 1989-90 | 18-11 | 10-6 (Big Sky) | Stew Morrill | |
| 1988-89 | 20-11 | 11-5 (Big Sky) | Stew Morrill | |
| 1987-88 | 18-11 | 7-9 (Big Sky) | Stew Morrill | |
| 1986-87 | 18-11 | 8-6 (Big Sky) | Stew Morrill | |
| 1985-86 | 21-11 | 9-5 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1984-85 | 22-8 | 10-4 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1983-84 | 23-7 | 9-5 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1982-83 | 21-8 | 9-5 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1981-82 | 17-10 | 10-4 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1980-81 | 19-9 | 11-3 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1979-80 | 17-11 | 8-6 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1978-79 | 14-13 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 1977-78 | 20-8 | 12-2 (Big Sky) | Jim Brandenburg | |
| 1976-77 | 18-8 | 9-5 (Big Sky) | Jim Brandenburg | |
| 1975-76 | 13-12 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Jud Heathcote | |
| 1974-75 | 21-8 | 13-1 (Big Sky) | Jud Heathcote | |
| 1973-74 | 19-8 | 11-3 (Big Sky) | Jud Heathcote | |
| 1972-73 | 13-13 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Jud Heathcote | |
| 1971-72 | 14-12 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Jud Heathcote | |
| 1970-71 | 8-16 | 6-8 (Big Sky) | Lou Rocheleau | |
| 1969-70 | 8-18 | 5-10 (Big Sky) | Robert Cope | |
| 1968-69 | 9-17 | 4-11 (Big Sky) | Robert Cope | |
| 1967-68 | 8-17 | 5-10 (Big Sky) | Ron Nord | |
| 1966-67 | 6-18 | 1-9 (Big Sky) | Ron Nord | |
| 1965-66 | 14-10 | 6-4 (Big Sky) | Ron Nord | |
| 1964-65 | 11-15 | 2-8 (Big Sky) | Ron Nord | |
| 1963-64 | 6-17 | 1-9 (Big Sky) | Ron Nord | |
| 1962-63 | 6-18 | Ind | Ron Nord | |
| 1961-62 | 10-14 | 5-9 (MSAC) | Frosty Cox | |
| 1960-61 | 14-9 | 7-7 (MSAC) | Frosty Cox | |
| 1959-60 | 7-17 | 3-11 (MSAC) | Frosty Cox | |
| 1958-59 | 10-14 | 7-7 (MSAC) | Frosty Cox | |
| 1957-58 | 12-10 | 8-6 (MSAC) | Frosty Cox | |
| 1956-57 | 13-9 | 9-5 (MSAC) | Frosty Cox | |
| 1955-56 | 14-12 | 4-10 (MSAC) | Frosty Cox | |
| 1954-55 | 12-14 | 4-10 (MSAC) | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1953-54 | 7-20 | 3-11 (MSAC) | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1952-53 | 14-11 | 6-8 (MSAC) | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1951-52 | 12-14 | 7-7 (MSAC) | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1950-51 | 13-18 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1949-50 | 27-4 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1948-49 | 12-13 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1947-48 | 21-11 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1946-47 | 12-16 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1945-46 | 13-16 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1944-45 | 7-22 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1943-44 | 2-10 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1942-43 | 15-9 | Ind | Clyde Carpenter,Eddie Chinske | |
| 1941-42 | 14-10 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1940-41 | 14-14 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1939-40 | 17-8 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1938-39 | 17-13 | Ind | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1937-38 | 10-19 | 3-17 (PCC) | Jiggs Dahlberg | |
| 1936-37 | 14-12 | Ind | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1935-36 | 13-11 | Ind | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1934-35 | 6-18 | Ind | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1933-34 | 16-10 | Ind | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1932-33 | 8-11 | Ind | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1931-32 | 6-14 | Ind | John Stewart | |
| 1930-31 | 10-12 | Ind | John Stewart | |
| 1929-30 | 13-9 | Ind | John Stewart | |
| 1928-29 | 9-11 | 2-8 (PCC) | John Stewart | |
| 1927-28 | 6-8 | 4-6 (PCC) | John Stewart | |
| 1926-27 | 5-11 | 1-9 (PCC) | John Stewart | |
| 1925-26 | 5-10 | 2-8 (PCC) | John Stewart | |
| 1924-25 | 9-10 | 2-6 (PCC) | John Stewart | |
| 1923-24 | 7-8 | 1-4 (PCC) | John Stewart | |
| 1922-23 | 7-14 | Ind | John Stewart | |
| 1921-22 | 14-7 | Ind | Bernie Bierman | |
| 1920-21 | 12-8 | Ind | Bernie Bierman | |
| 1919-20 | 7-9 | Ind | Bernie Bierman | |
| 1917-18 | 6-6 | Ind | Jerry Nissen | |
| 1916-17 | 4-11 | Ind | Jerry Nissen | |
| 1915-16 | 6-4 | Ind | Jerry Nissen | |
| 1914-15 | 4-6 | Ind | Jerry Nissen | |
| 1913-14 | 2-9 | Ind | W.W.H. Mustaine | |
| 1912-13 | 5-3 | Ind | W.W.H. Mustaine | |
| 1911-12 | 1-5 | Ind | N. Whitlock |
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| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|