Krysko brings tenacity to Griz
5/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Most coaches spend many years, even decades, as an apprentice before getting their shot at the big corner office.
Not Larry Krystkowiak. The recently hired University of Montana men's basketball coach spent only three seasons as a college hoop assistant -- two at UM and another at Old Dominion -- before landing a low-paying post as head coach of the Idaho Stampede, a minor-league pro team.
"I don't think I was very good at being an assistant coach," Krystkowiak said Tuesday at a Grizzly Scholarship Association barbecue that attracted a few hundred UM fans to Montana ExpoPark.
"But I got a taste of being a head coach last year and really got hooked on it. I'm very fortunate. A lot of guys spend 15 or 20 years and never get a crack at a head job. My timing was good and now I'm going to make the best of it."
Krystkowiak was hired at UM earlier this month after Pat Kennedy, who guided the Grizzlies through two losing seasons, resigned to take a job at Towson University. The Grizzlies quickly offered their all-time leading scorer and rebounder the head job, even though he had no experience running a Division I program.
But it's not like Krystkowiak woke up one morning and decided that basketball might make a nice little hobby. Krysko played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association, absorbing lessons from some of the greatest minds in the pro game.
"I think the five years I spent in Milwaukee under Del Harris were a great learning experience," he said. "Del was a great Xs and Os guy.
"The one year at Utah under Jerry Sloan taught me a lot about toughness. And if you couldn't learn anything from Phil Jackson (then with the Chicago Bulls), you weren't paying attention."
Krystkowiak obviously paid plenty of attention during his NBA career, which was hampered by injuries, allowing him plenty of time to observe the complexities of the hoop game.
"I kept positive and negative files," he said. "I'd keep one book of stuff that would be neat to run in certain situations. And I had a book of things I would never do if I was running a team."
So what's the book on Krystkowiak's first Grizzly team going to include?
He's not sure, but he knows UM will emphasize a post offense, and he knows his players will be in shape. Those were two of the Grizzlies' weakest areas the last two seasons.
"Number 1, we're going to defend," he said. "We're going to push the ball upcourt, and we're going to look for a guy around the rim.
"Monty (Mike Montgomery, Krysko's coach at UM in late 1980s) always wanted to run the ball through the post first. I think you have to have a post presence, and I think Kamarr Davis (6-7 senior) can be that guy."
Krysko admitted that he isn't very familiar with the personnel returning from last season's 10-18 squad that was a big disappoinment to UM fans.
He knows enough about the talent pool, however, to realize that all those players might not function well in his program.
"We're not able to bring new players in unless somebody leaves," he said. "But there may be some guys who aren't a good fit for us, and it wouldn't be justice for the program if we kept them around.
"We're not going to be in a hurry to do anything. We'll sit down and talk to all the guys. Wayne (assistant coach Tinkle) knows them and what they can do. One thing we'll talk about is being in shape, because that's one thing we as coaches can control."
Being the father of three young sons has reinforced the value of discipline, said Krysko, who is 39 but doesn't look much older than some of his athletes.
"I'm kind of a tough-love coach. All players want discipline, whether they know it or not. It's like with your own kids. You apply discipline because it's good for them."
Krysko is in the process of finding a home in Missoula for his wife, Jan, and their children. After playing 10 years in six different NBA cities, spending a year in France and another in the CBA, he went on to coach in three U.S. time zones. Now, the Shelby native, who starred at Missoula Big Sky and UM, would like to plant some Montana roots and stay awhile.
Not Larry Krystkowiak. The recently hired University of Montana men's basketball coach spent only three seasons as a college hoop assistant -- two at UM and another at Old Dominion -- before landing a low-paying post as head coach of the Idaho Stampede, a minor-league pro team.
"I don't think I was very good at being an assistant coach," Krystkowiak said Tuesday at a Grizzly Scholarship Association barbecue that attracted a few hundred UM fans to Montana ExpoPark.
"But I got a taste of being a head coach last year and really got hooked on it. I'm very fortunate. A lot of guys spend 15 or 20 years and never get a crack at a head job. My timing was good and now I'm going to make the best of it."
Krystkowiak was hired at UM earlier this month after Pat Kennedy, who guided the Grizzlies through two losing seasons, resigned to take a job at Towson University. The Grizzlies quickly offered their all-time leading scorer and rebounder the head job, even though he had no experience running a Division I program.
But it's not like Krystkowiak woke up one morning and decided that basketball might make a nice little hobby. Krysko played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association, absorbing lessons from some of the greatest minds in the pro game.
"I think the five years I spent in Milwaukee under Del Harris were a great learning experience," he said. "Del was a great Xs and Os guy.
"The one year at Utah under Jerry Sloan taught me a lot about toughness. And if you couldn't learn anything from Phil Jackson (then with the Chicago Bulls), you weren't paying attention."
Krystkowiak obviously paid plenty of attention during his NBA career, which was hampered by injuries, allowing him plenty of time to observe the complexities of the hoop game.
"I kept positive and negative files," he said. "I'd keep one book of stuff that would be neat to run in certain situations. And I had a book of things I would never do if I was running a team."
So what's the book on Krystkowiak's first Grizzly team going to include?
He's not sure, but he knows UM will emphasize a post offense, and he knows his players will be in shape. Those were two of the Grizzlies' weakest areas the last two seasons.
"Number 1, we're going to defend," he said. "We're going to push the ball upcourt, and we're going to look for a guy around the rim.
"Monty (Mike Montgomery, Krysko's coach at UM in late 1980s) always wanted to run the ball through the post first. I think you have to have a post presence, and I think Kamarr Davis (6-7 senior) can be that guy."
Krysko admitted that he isn't very familiar with the personnel returning from last season's 10-18 squad that was a big disappoinment to UM fans.
He knows enough about the talent pool, however, to realize that all those players might not function well in his program.
"We're not able to bring new players in unless somebody leaves," he said. "But there may be some guys who aren't a good fit for us, and it wouldn't be justice for the program if we kept them around.
"We're not going to be in a hurry to do anything. We'll sit down and talk to all the guys. Wayne (assistant coach Tinkle) knows them and what they can do. One thing we'll talk about is being in shape, because that's one thing we as coaches can control."
Being the father of three young sons has reinforced the value of discipline, said Krysko, who is 39 but doesn't look much older than some of his athletes.
"I'm kind of a tough-love coach. All players want discipline, whether they know it or not. It's like with your own kids. You apply discipline because it's good for them."
Krysko is in the process of finding a home in Missoula for his wife, Jan, and their children. After playing 10 years in six different NBA cities, spending a year in France and another in the CBA, he went on to coach in three U.S. time zones. Now, the Shelby native, who starred at Missoula Big Sky and UM, would like to plant some Montana roots and stay awhile.
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