Former Bulldog to coach at UM

Kurt Paulson, a 2001 graduate of Whitefish High School, has been hired as an assistant coach with the University of Montana mens basketball team.

Paulson was a graduate assistant coach for the Grizzlies in 2009-10 and 2010-11. He joined head coach Wayne Tinkle’s staff shortly after assistant Freddie Owens left for Oregon State. Paulson joins Jonathan Metzger-Jones and Kerry Rupp as the Grizzlies’ assistant coaches under Tinkle, who will be entering his eighth season at Montana next fall.

“We’re excited to be bringing Kurt on board, because it’s really going to make for a smooth transition,” Tinkle said. “He’s familiar with our style of play and the kind of kids that we want to recruit, so he’s going to be able to hit the ground running.”

Paulson is the son of Kent Paulson, the commissioner of the Frontier Conference, and the nephew of Kraig Paulson. The latter was the progenitor of the No. 37 tradition at Montana and a longtime assistant coach for the Griz football team. He is now the assistant head coach under Bobby Hauck at UNLV.

“Kurt comes from a family that bleeds maroon and silver, or copper and gold if you go way back,” Tinkle said. “The Paulsons are a long line of great people and great coaches, and they are loyal to our state. It’s nice to be adding one of our own to the mix. We know Kurt is going to do great things for us.”

Paulson played for the Carroll College basketball team and led the Saints to the 2005 NAIA semifinals. As a senior he helped Carroll set a school record for wins with 30.

Paulson spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Carroll before breaking into the Division I ranks.

“I was hoping this opportunity would come,” Paulson said. “This has been a goal of mine, to be able to coach fulltime at the college level. It’s been my goal since I got done playing at Carroll.”

Paulson spent the last two years as the activities director and boys basketball coach at Bigfork High School.

He led the Vikings to 39 wins in two seasons and to the semifinals of the Class B state tournament in March.