Brown named regional Coach of the Year, Bittner “Player to Watch”
6/10/2025 1:59:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Montana men's tennis team placed a pair of crown jewel awards on top of its already historic season with another record-breaking set of year-end honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday as the ITA released its annual list of regional award winners.
After leading UM to the most overall wins in program history, a Big Sky title, and a program-best No. 7 regional ranking, head coach Jason Brown was named the ITA's Mountain Region Coach of the Year. He's just the second coach in Big Sky Conference history and the first in two decades to earn the regional Coach of the Year award.
Not only that, Grizzly No. 1 and Big Sky tourney MVP Tom Bittner was named the Mountain Region's "Player to Watch" – the de facto honor for the player predicted to be the region's MVP next season, and a first for Montana. He is now one of three players in Grizzly history and one of just four in Big Sky history to earn a regional year-end award for his play on the court.
The ITA presents nine different awards to players and coaches in its 13 regions around the country at the conclusion of each season. Voting for the awards is conducted among the head coaches in the region. The ITA's Mountain Region includes most programs in the Big Sky and other notable teams from around the west like Utah, Utah State, BYU, Air Force, Denver, New Mexico and New Mexico State.
Brown is now 97-67 overall and 36-22 in conference play with a stellar 44-7 home record in eight years at UM. He was named Big Sky Coach of the Year at the end of the regular season for the second time in his career after leading UM to the NCAA tournament in 2025. His Grizzlies advanced to the national tourney for just the second time in program history after winning the Big Sky tourney in Phoenix as the three seed.
Last week, the ITA ranked UM No. 7 in its annual regional top 10, a program high and another indicator of UM's rise as a mid-major power.
Brown is the first head coach from the Big Sky to be named regional Coach of the Year in two decades since Mike Phillips of Montana State won the honor in 2005.
"The fact it's voted on by my peers makes me feel really honored. I'm just humbled by the fact they think I'm doing a good job with what we have here at Montana. But it's really a tribute to the guys. Obviously, none of this happens without a team of guys who compete hard and compete in the right ways. I think it's as much of a statement they are fair, classy, always give their best, and uphold the standards we set as a program, as anything. None of this happens without them winning a lot of matches," said Brown.
"It's never happened before for us, so I'm going to cherish this one, honestly. I'm going to let it sink in a little bit knowing it's one of those things that may never happen again. I'm proud we're repping Montana in such a great way."
Bittner, a rising senior, was ranked the No. 9 overall singles player in the Mountain Region by the ITA last week – a program high after he slotted in at No. 10 as a sophomore. He was a unanimous first team all-conference selection in singles after rebounding from off-season surgery to post a 13-5 season on court one.
He was also named Big Sky tournament MVP after clinching UM's win over Northern Arizona in the title match in dramatic fashion over the league's regular season MVP Dani Torres of NAU.
"All the other coaches who have seen him play and recognize what a class act he is, how hard he competes, and how good his tennis has become is a testament to his hard work in battling back from injury," said Brown.
"I love that it sets the table for him to have a shot at being the best player in the region next year, not just the conference. It's really cool, and for a Griz to get this is another indication we're pushing the program forward."
Bittner is the first ITA regional "Player to Watch" in program history. The Griz have had two other regional award winners, however. In 2022, Big Sky MVP Ed Pudney was named "Most Improved Senior" as was Yannick Schmidl in 2018. The only other player to win a regional award from the Big Sky was NAU's Eban Straker-Meads who was the Most Improved Senior in 2021.
2024-25 ITA Division I Men's Mountain Region Award Winners
Mountain Region Coach of the Year: Jason Brown - Montana
Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year: Daniel Hangstefer - Boise State
Mountain Region Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship: Daniel Sancho Arbizu - Denver
Mountain Region Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship: Arjun Kersten - Air Force
Mountain Region Most Improved Player: Raffaello Papajcik - Denver
Mountain Region Player to Watch: Tom Bittner - Montana
Mountain Region Rookie of the Year: Lukas Velik - Boise State
Mountain Region Senior Player of the Year: Daniel Sancho Arbizu - Denver
Mountain Region Community Service Award: Northern Arizona
Big Sky Conference Regional Award Winners
ITA Coach of the Year
2025: Jason Brown, Montana (Mountain)
2005: Mike Phillips, Montana State (Mountain)
ITA Most Improved Senior
2022: Edward Pudney, Montana (Mountain)
2021: Eban Straker-Meads, Northern Arizona (Mountain)
2018: Yannick Schmidl, Montana (Mountain)
ITA Player to Watch
2025: Tom Bittner, Montana (Mountain)
ITA Assistant Coach of the Year
2013: Kevin Kurtz, Sacramento State (Northwest)
Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership & Sportsmanship
2008: Kyle McDonald, Montana State (Mountain)
Other
2022 ITA Community Service Award Honorable Mention: Northern Arizona
After leading UM to the most overall wins in program history, a Big Sky title, and a program-best No. 7 regional ranking, head coach Jason Brown was named the ITA's Mountain Region Coach of the Year. He's just the second coach in Big Sky Conference history and the first in two decades to earn the regional Coach of the Year award.
Not only that, Grizzly No. 1 and Big Sky tourney MVP Tom Bittner was named the Mountain Region's "Player to Watch" – the de facto honor for the player predicted to be the region's MVP next season, and a first for Montana. He is now one of three players in Grizzly history and one of just four in Big Sky history to earn a regional year-end award for his play on the court.
The ITA presents nine different awards to players and coaches in its 13 regions around the country at the conclusion of each season. Voting for the awards is conducted among the head coaches in the region. The ITA's Mountain Region includes most programs in the Big Sky and other notable teams from around the west like Utah, Utah State, BYU, Air Force, Denver, New Mexico and New Mexico State.
Brown is now 97-67 overall and 36-22 in conference play with a stellar 44-7 home record in eight years at UM. He was named Big Sky Coach of the Year at the end of the regular season for the second time in his career after leading UM to the NCAA tournament in 2025. His Grizzlies advanced to the national tourney for just the second time in program history after winning the Big Sky tourney in Phoenix as the three seed.
Last week, the ITA ranked UM No. 7 in its annual regional top 10, a program high and another indicator of UM's rise as a mid-major power.
Brown is the first head coach from the Big Sky to be named regional Coach of the Year in two decades since Mike Phillips of Montana State won the honor in 2005.
"The fact it's voted on by my peers makes me feel really honored. I'm just humbled by the fact they think I'm doing a good job with what we have here at Montana. But it's really a tribute to the guys. Obviously, none of this happens without a team of guys who compete hard and compete in the right ways. I think it's as much of a statement they are fair, classy, always give their best, and uphold the standards we set as a program, as anything. None of this happens without them winning a lot of matches," said Brown.
"It's never happened before for us, so I'm going to cherish this one, honestly. I'm going to let it sink in a little bit knowing it's one of those things that may never happen again. I'm proud we're repping Montana in such a great way."
Bittner, a rising senior, was ranked the No. 9 overall singles player in the Mountain Region by the ITA last week – a program high after he slotted in at No. 10 as a sophomore. He was a unanimous first team all-conference selection in singles after rebounding from off-season surgery to post a 13-5 season on court one.
He was also named Big Sky tournament MVP after clinching UM's win over Northern Arizona in the title match in dramatic fashion over the league's regular season MVP Dani Torres of NAU.
"All the other coaches who have seen him play and recognize what a class act he is, how hard he competes, and how good his tennis has become is a testament to his hard work in battling back from injury," said Brown.
"I love that it sets the table for him to have a shot at being the best player in the region next year, not just the conference. It's really cool, and for a Griz to get this is another indication we're pushing the program forward."
Bittner is the first ITA regional "Player to Watch" in program history. The Griz have had two other regional award winners, however. In 2022, Big Sky MVP Ed Pudney was named "Most Improved Senior" as was Yannick Schmidl in 2018. The only other player to win a regional award from the Big Sky was NAU's Eban Straker-Meads who was the Most Improved Senior in 2021.
2024-25 ITA Division I Men's Mountain Region Award Winners
Mountain Region Coach of the Year: Jason Brown - Montana
Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year: Daniel Hangstefer - Boise State
Mountain Region Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship: Daniel Sancho Arbizu - Denver
Mountain Region Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship: Arjun Kersten - Air Force
Mountain Region Most Improved Player: Raffaello Papajcik - Denver
Mountain Region Player to Watch: Tom Bittner - Montana
Mountain Region Rookie of the Year: Lukas Velik - Boise State
Mountain Region Senior Player of the Year: Daniel Sancho Arbizu - Denver
Mountain Region Community Service Award: Northern Arizona
Big Sky Conference Regional Award Winners
ITA Coach of the Year
2025: Jason Brown, Montana (Mountain)
2005: Mike Phillips, Montana State (Mountain)
ITA Most Improved Senior
2022: Edward Pudney, Montana (Mountain)
2021: Eban Straker-Meads, Northern Arizona (Mountain)
2018: Yannick Schmidl, Montana (Mountain)
ITA Player to Watch
2025: Tom Bittner, Montana (Mountain)
ITA Assistant Coach of the Year
2013: Kevin Kurtz, Sacramento State (Northwest)
Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership & Sportsmanship
2008: Kyle McDonald, Montana State (Mountain)
Other
2022 ITA Community Service Award Honorable Mention: Northern Arizona
Players Mentioned
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