Chris Cobb - Men's Basketball Coach - University of Montana Athletics

Chris Cobb

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
chris.cobb@mso.umt.edu
Phone:
243-5334

Twitter: @CoachCCobb

Chris Cobb enters his 11th season with the Montana men’s basketball program in 2024-25, including his ninth as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. He was originally hired by Travis DeCuire in 2014, serving one season as the Grizzlies’ recruiting coordinator and one as an assistant coach before being elevated to the top assistant coach in May 2016.

During his 10 seasons in Missoula, Cobb and the Grizzlies have enjoyed unprecedented success, averaging 20.1 wins per season and winning three Big Sky Conference regular-season titles. Montana also won back-to-back Big Sky tournament championships in 2018 and 2019, playing in the NCAA tournament both years. Over those two seasons, Montana went 52-17, the school’s most wins ever over a two-year period. The Grizzlies ranked in the top 20 of the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll both seasons.

In addition to 201 total wins (.618 winning percentage), the Griz are 125-58 in Big Sky play (.683) since 2014-15, holding a winning record over eight of the nine opponents in the conference.

Montana has had a winning record each season with Cobb on the sidelines, including five 20-win seasons and five postseason berths (2018 NCAA, 2019 NCAA, 2015 NIT, 2016 CBI, 2024 CBI).

At the Big Sky tournament, the Grizzlies have produced an impressive 15-7 record, including five appearances in the title game and a league-record eight straight wins from 2018 through 2021.

Cobb has coached nine first-team All-Big Sky selections, in addition to six second-team honorees, plus the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Newcomer of the Year (twice), Top Reserve (twice) and tournament MVP (twice). Additionally, Cobb has coached three of the top-eight scorers in school history in Sayeed Pridgett, Ahmaad Rorie and Michael Oguine.

There have also been eight 1,000-point scorers in Cobb’s time at Montana, including a couple of players in Aanen Moody and Martin Breunig that got it done in just two years for the Griz.

In 2023-24, Montana won a postseason game for just the second time in program history as the Griz reached the quarterfinals of the CBI. The 24 wins were tied for eighth-most in program history as DeCuire led his team to the Big Sky title game for the fifth time in 10 seasons.

The Grizzlies were 12-6 in Big Sky play to finish in a tie for second, and built much of their success around a terrific offense that set a program record for total points with 2,768.

Aanen Moody earned first-team All-Conference honors and reached the 1,000-point mark as a Grizzly, while Brandon Whitney and Dischon Thomas also scored their 1,000th collegiate points during the year.

Following the 2021-22 season, Cobb was invited to the prestigious TopConnect Basketball Symposium, an event that identifies the nation’s top assistant coaches and connects them with athletics directors to provide tremendous networking and leadership development opportunities. That summer, Cobb was also named one of the Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistant Coaches by Silver Waves Media.

Cobb was DeCuire’s top assistant for the best two-year stretch in school history, as Montana won 26 games in back-to-back seasons, not only winning Big Sky Conference regular-season titles, but also sweeping through the league tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

In 2018-19, Montana won 26 games, tied for the third-most in school history. During non-conference play, the Grizzlies beat a pair of NCAA tournament teams in Georgia State and North Dakota State, and snapped South Dakota State’s nation-leading 26-game home winning streak. After beginning Big Sky play just 3-2, Montana won 16 of its next 18 games to repeat as Big Sky regular-season and tournament champions.

Montana was one of 20 schools nationally to rank in the top 100 for both scoring offense and defense, and was incredibly efficient, making 49.2 percent of its shots (10^th in the nation), including 37.6 percent from beyond the arc (38^th).

The 2017-18 season was historic on many levels, winning 26 games, and like 2018-19, winning Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles and advancing to the NCAA tournament. The team’s 26-8 record included a perfect 14-0 mark on its home court.

The Grizzlies got off to a strong start, posting their first winning non-conference record in six seasons, including a signature victory at Pitt of the ACC. Montana then won its first 13 Big Sky games, the third-longest winning streak in school history and the third-longest active streak in the NCAA at the time. The stretch featured a program-record seven consecutive road victories. Montana used the same starting lineup for all 34 contests in 2017-18, leading to a balanced effort. The Grizzlies led the Big Sky in five statistical categories and ranked in the top three in 14. On defense, the Grizzlies ranked in the top 30 nationally for turnovers forced (15.4, 22^nd), steals (7.8, 23^rd) and turnover margin (+3.0, 29^th).

Over the past three seasons, Montana has developed its next wave of young talent with true freshmen accounting for 100 total starts in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

During a shortened 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Montana once again earned a top-three finish in the Big Sky, winning 18 games despite returning just four letterwinners from the previous season. The Grizzlies led the Big Sky for field-goal percentage (.498), 3-point field-goal percentage (.394) and turnover margin (+3.5), and ranked in the top three for scoring (74.1), scoring margin (+6.4), free-throw percentage (.745), field-goal defense (.436) assists (13.3), steals (6.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). On a national scale, Montana ranked 21st in the NCAA for shooting and 55th for 3-point accuracy.

Montana had a trio of freshmen start 40 combined games in 2019-20, including Big Sky Freshman of the Year Derrick Carter-Hollinger. The Grizzlies were also paced by two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection Sayeed Pridgett and second-team honoree Kendal Manuel.

In 2020-21, Montana was the only school nationally to have three true freshmen average at least 25.0 minutes per game, and was one of two schools in the country to have its freshman class total 2,000 minutes played. Montana peaked at the right time, winning its final four games of the regular season, followed by a pair of victories in the Big Sky tournament – including an upset over No. 3-seed Weber State – to advance to the semifinals. During non-conference play, Montana also earned a win at Washington of the Pac-12.

The Grizzlies set a then-school record from the charity stripe in 2020-21, making 78.2 percent of their free-throw attempts (15^th in the NCAA). They also ranked highly from 3-point range (36.2, 61^st) and for overall shooting (46.0, 66^th), and ranked in the top 25 percent nationally for scoring defense (67.0 points allowed per game, 77^th).

Montana won 18 games in 2021-22, including a 7-4 mark during a non-conference slate that saw the Grizzlies earn victories over Air Force (Mountain West) and Southern Miss (Conference USA), in addition to winning the Zootown Classic tournament title. The Grizzlies were paced by second-team All-Big Sky selection Josh Bannan, who was the only player in the league to average at least 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The sophomore also shot .520 from the floor while recording the Grizzlies' third-highest rebounding average over the past two decades.

Montana set a school record from the free-throw line for the second year in a row, ranking 10th in the NCAA at 78.5 percent. The Grizzlies were also among the nation's leaders for turnovers per game (10.2, 20th), turnover margin (+2.9, 35th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28, 46th).

Among the greats Cobb has developed are Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine and Pridgett. Rorie, the 2019 Big Sky tournament MVP, reached 1,500 career points faster than any player in Montana history, doing so in his third season with the program. Oguine was the 2018 tournament MVP and league’s top defender, and finished his career ranked in the top 10 for scoring, steals and games started. Pridgett was a two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection, finishing his career ranked fourth for scoring, sixth for steals and in the top 15 for both assists and rebounds. During Cobb’s first season, Jordan Gregory was a Capital One third-team All-American while Martin Breunig was a two-time first-team All-Big Sky pick who is still enjoying a professional career overseas.

Off the court, Montana has earned the NABC Team Academic Award four times, including both in 2020 and 2021. Also in 2020, Cobb was selected to Montana's inaugural Athletics Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Cobb came to Montana after four years as an assistant coach at Chico State (2010-11 through 2013-14), where he helped lead the Wildcats to three consecutive NCAA DII tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight during the 2013-14 season. He was part of Chico State's first championship team in the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 2011-12 (the first in school history), working for head coach Greg Clink.

At Chico State, he was a key component of the team's scouting, recruiting and player development efforts, and helped oversee the academic program while also assisting in the promotion of the Wildcats' clinics and summer camps. During his tenure with the Wildcats, he coached and helped to develop seven all-league players, two all-region selections and one NCAA Division II All-American.

Cobb came to Chico State after serving as an assistant to head coach Bill Treseler at San Francisco State during the 2009-10 season. The Gators posted a winning record that season, going 17-14.

He joined the coaching ranks immediately after completing a four-year career at Menlo College in Atherton, California, where he was a two-time All-California Pacific Conference first-team selection and part of the Oaks' conference championship team in 2008. He's finished his collegiate career ranked second in school history for career assists and 3-pointers made.

Cobb was an outstanding prep player at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California, and was instrumental in leading the Dragons to three consecutive Hayward Area Athletic League titles and a 2004 appearance in the state championship game. He was named first-team all-league during his junior and senior seasons, and was an All-Northern California Division III first-team selection as a senior.

He received his bachelor's degree in business management from Menlo College in 2009. He earned his master's degree in kinesiology, with an emphasis in sports administration, from Fresno Pacific University in 2012.

Chris and his wife, Alisa, welcomed a son, Clayton, in September 2019, and a daughter, Olivia, in November 2021.

CHRIS COBB AT A GLANCE
PERSONAL
Hometown	Castro Valley, California
Education	Menlo College, 2009
Family	Wife: Alisa Children: Clayton, Olivia

COACHING HISTORY
Year	School	Position	Record	Conference Finish	Postseason
2009-10	San Francisco State	Assistant	17-14	5th	CCAA Tournament
2010-11	Chico State	Assistant	14-13	7th	CCAA Tournament
2011-12	Chico State	Assistant	25-8	1st	NCAA DII 2nd Round
2012-13	Chico State	Assistant	19-11	2nd	NCAA DII 1st Round
2013-14	Chico State	Assistant	25-8	2nd	NCAA DII Elite Eight
2014-15	Montana	Assistant	20-13	1st	NIT
2015-16	Montana	Assistant	21-12	2nd	CBI Tournament
2016-17	Montana	Associate	16-16	5th	Big Sky Quarterfinals
2017-18	Montana	Associate	26-8	1st	NCAA Tournament
2018-19	Montana	Associate	26-9	1st	NCAA Tournament
2019-20	Montana	Associate	18-13	3rd	N/A (COVID-19)
2020-21	Montana	Associate	15-13	6th	Big Sky Semifinals
2021-22	Montana	Associate	18-14	5th	Big Sky Quarterfinals
2022-23	Montana	Associate	17-14	4th	Big Sky Semifinals
2023-24	Montana	Associate	24-12	3rd	CBI Quarterfinals
13 Seasons			301-183