University of Montana Men's Basketball Camps
Head Coach Wayne Tinkle

Wayne Tinkle is 31-31 in two seasons at his alma mater, going 14-16 in 2007-08 and 17-15 in his inaugural season as head coach in 2006-07.

Last year the Griz were 8-8 in the Big Sky Conference, tying for fourth place. The fourth-seeded Griz lost 67-65 at Idaho State in the league’s post-season tournament.

Two seasons ago UM had a 10-6 league ledger and finished third, losing 78-71 to Northern Arizona in the Big Sky tourney semifinals, played in Ogden, Utah.

Tinkle, 41, was named the 26th head coach at Montana in the summer of 2006, replacing Larry Krystkowiak, who left his alma mater to become the (former) head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.

“Tinks” 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 Don Holst (2001-02).

Two seasons ago Montana went 24-7 overall, and beat Eastern Washington in the league tournament semis, and then upset tourney host Northern Arizona 73-60 to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. That year the 12th-seeded Grizzlies defeated fifth-seed Nevada 78-79 in a first-round game, the second time in school history UM had won an NCAA contest. Montana lost in the second round to fourth-seeded Boston College, 69-56.

Tinkle 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 career rebounds with 836 and sixth in career points with 1,500. He is also ranked among the Big Sky’s career leaders in both of those two categories.

He was Montana’s Carl Dragstedt Award (MVP) winner in 1988 and 1989. His senior year he averaged 17.1 points a game, the eighth highest single-season average ever at UM.

He led the team in rebounding in 1987 (8.9 average), 1988 (8.4 average), and 1989 (8.7 average), and in scoring in 1988 (16.2 ppg) and 1989 (17.1 ppg).

Wayne played in the professional ranks for 12 seasons, from 1990 to 2001. He played in the Continental Basketball League in Topeka, Kansas, and finished the year playing in Venezuela. In his professional career he played in the CBA, and in Sweden, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

Tinkle played his final four seasons in Spain from 1995-99, where he ranked among the league’s top scorers and rebounders.

He sat out the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons due to injuries, and retired after playing briefly in the IBL in Las Vegas.

Wayne was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is the youngest of 11 children (seven girls and four boys). He is a 1984 graduate of Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington.

He received his degree in Health and Human Performance from UM in 2005. He married former Lady Griz basketball star Lisa McLeod.

Wayne and Lisa have three children: daughters Joslyn and Elleson, and son Tres.