Wayne Tinkle Position: Head Coach Follow on Twitter: @WayneTinkle

Wayne Tinkle is beginning his seventh season as the head coach at The University of Montana in 2012-13. He has an overall record of 116-71 (.620). His 116 career victories are the fourth most in school history.

In 2011-12 he guided Montana to its second trip to the "Big Dance" in his tenure, as the 13^th-seeded Grizzlies played the fourth-seeded and 14^th-ranked (Associated Press) Wisconsin Badgers in a second round NCAA Tournament game in Albuquerque, N.M.

Tinkle's Griz teams have now won 20 or more games the past three years in a row, going 22-10, 21-11, and 25-7 this past season. He is 66-30 (.688) in Big Sky games.

With its NCAA berth in 2012, Montana and Coach Tinkle have now advanced to post-season play a school-record three straight seasons. He is one of just three coaches in school history to win 20 or more games in three straight seasons. Montana's 15 victories in Big Sky games in 2011-12 are a school record, as is UM's 7-1 league road record.

Montana's 25 victories in the 2011-12 season are the third most in school history. He was recognized for the Grizzlies' success in 2012, as he was named the NABC Division I All-District 6 "Coach of the Year" by The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), as selected by his peers.

"Tinks" was chosen the Big Sky Conference "Coach of the Year" by his peers. He is just the fifth coach ever at Montana (since 1963) to be named the Big Sky's coach of the year.

Two seasons ago Tinkle guided Montana to a 21-11 record and a berth in the College Basketball

Invitational (CBI) Tournament. Three seasons ago, the Griz went 22-10, won the league's post-season tourney, and advanced to the NCAAs, losing 62-57 to New Mexico.

Coach Tinkle has now been to the NCAA tournament a total of five times - two as the head man and three times as an assistant coach at Montana.

His NCAA trips came in 2009-10 and 2011-12 as the head man against New Mexico and Wisconsin, respectively. He was also a member of the Grizzlies' NCAA tournament teams in 2001-02 against Oregon with head coach Don Holst, in 2004-05 vs. Washington, and then in the 2005-06 season (against Nevada and Boston College) with head man Larry Krystkowiak.

Tinkle, 46, was named the 26th head men's basketball coach at Montana in the summer of 2006. He served as an assistant coach at UM for the previous five seasons, working with Krystkowiak for two seasons, two years with Pat Kennedy (2002-04), and one with Holst.

He was a standout forward for the Griz from 1985-89 and a three-time All-Big Sky pick his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. He is ranked fourth in UM history in career rebounds with 836 and sixth in career points with 1,500, and is ranked among the Big Sky's career leaders in both of those categories.

He was Montana's Carl Dragstedt Award (MVP) winner in 1988 and 1989. He led the team in rebounding in 1987 (8.9 average), 1988 (8.4 average), and 1989 (8.7 avg.), and in scoring in 1988 (16.2 ppg) and 1989 (17.1 ppg).

He played in the pro ranks for 12 seasons (1990 to 2001). In his professional career he played in the CBA, as well as in Sweden, Spain, Italy and Greece. He played his final four seasons in Spain from 1995-99, where he ranked among the league's top scorers and rebounders.

Wayne was born in Milwaukee, Wis., and is the youngest of 11 children (seven girls and four boys). He is a 1984 graduate of Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash. He received his degree in health and human performance from UM in 2005.

He is married to former Lady Griz basketball star Lisa McLeod, who was inducted into the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame in the fall of 2011. Wayne and Lisa have three children: daughters Joslyn and Elleson, and son Tres. Joslyn was a junior starter at Stanford in the 2011-12 season, while Elle, a high school senior at Big Sky High School, will be playing at Gonzaga next year.

COACH TINKLE YEAR-BY-YEAR

2006-07: 17-15 (10-6) - 3rd

2007-08: 14-16 (8-8) - T, 4th

2008-09: 17-12 (11-5) - T, 2nd

2009-10: 22-10 (10-6) - T, 3rd $

2010-11: 21-11 (12-4) - 2nd %

2011-12: 25-7 (15-1) - 1st $

TOTALS 116-71 (66-30)

$%=Earned NCAA Tournament berth

%=Earned CBI Tournament berth