Schweyen takes reins of Lady Griz program

For as much as Thursday was a chance for new Lady Griz coach Shannon Schweyen to look ahead, she never wants to forget those days two-plus decades ago when she was a player at Montana herself.

"It was such an amazing experience," said Schweyen, who was introduced as Robin Selvig's successor Thursday morning, the day after being announced as Montana's new coach.

"The friendships you make, the opportunities you get. It's a rewarding thing to be able to give that experience to the young ladies who come here."

Just two weeks after Selvig announced his retirement, putting an end to a 38-year coaching career that saw him collect 865 wins, Montana has a new face and new voice.

At least in the position of head coach. Because Schweyen, the best women's basketball player in Big Sky Conference history and assistant to Selvig the last 24 years, hardly needs an introduction.

"I mentioned two weeks ago that I'd be a fool not to look at Shannon as a strong candidate for this job," said UM Director of Athletics Kent Haslam, who opened Thursday's press conference.

"She was right at the top of the list as we moved to replace Robin. She did an excellent job of sharing her vision. She came prepared and took nothing for granted. She is ready for this job."

With her family -- husband Brian, who is Montana's track and field coach, three daughters, mother and in-laws -- looking on, Schweyen stayed on point for 20 minutes: love of place.

Montana, by default, has always been Schweyen's home. Over the last 28 years, Missoula and the University of Montana are where she and her family have taken it one step further and put down roots.

"As I went to school here and coached here, it was always the dream to be able to stay. Brian and I both love Montana, and we wanted to stay and be a part of the tradition," she said.

"We raised our family here. My daughters have grown up here. They learned how to ride their bikes on campus. They grew up hiking the M and wandering the hallways. This is home to them and to all of us."

As a player first, then as an assistant, the one common denominator running through Schweyen's 28 years as a Lady Griz was Selvig, who recruited then Shannon Cate out of Billings.

They went 103-18 together as coach-player. They won 531 more games as coach-assistant.

"Of course I need to thank Robin for the opportunity. Being next to him for that many years taught me a lot about basketball and about life," Schweyen said. "The things that Robin instilled in me as a coach and as a person have been very valuable.

"He's a big part of who we are, as are all the Lady Griz who have put on a uniform and ran out onto the floor."

With the formalities now over and the start of the 2016-17 season less than two months away, focus turns to the realities of the late coaching change. Schweyen needs to hire two assistants to join Sonya Stokken on staff.

And then there will be the season's first practice, which Selvig always laid out, pen on lined paper, with photocopies for each assistant, and preparing for the first opponent. All firsts for a longtime assistant coach.

"I think I'll take a lot of what Robin did and maybe experiment with some other things," Schweyen said.

"We're not taking over something that's been broken. This has been a winning tradition. There is a huge part of it we'll continue to do the same way, but there are things we might try that are a little bit different."

And when she comes to a fork in the road as head coach -- go with option A or B? -- she has no better resource than her own memory. The goal at the end of the day: give her players the same experience she enjoyed.

"I want the girls to leave after four years here with a degree and a feeling that this was a positive experience," Schweyen said. "I am excited to continue the tradition that has been built here and hopefully continue to build on it."

University of Montana Athletics

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