Jim Brandenburg
Jim Brandenburg (born December 10, 1935)
Teams coached: Montana Grizzlies, Wyoming Cowboys, San Diego State Aztecs
Montana record: 28-26 (.519) **
Wyoming record: 176-97 (.645)
San Diego State record: 52-87 (.374)
Overall record^: 256-210 (.549) **
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3 (1981, 1982, 1987)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1 (1987)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 0
- NIT Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1986)
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1986)
- WAC Regular Season Champion: 3 (1981, 1982, 1986)
- Big Sky Regular Season Champion: 1 (1978)
- WAC Tournament Champion: 1 (1987)
Awards:
- WAC Coach of the Year: 3 (1981, 1982, 1986)
- Big Sky Coach of the Year: 1 (1978)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
1987-1992 | San Diego State |
1978-1987 | Wyoming |
1976-1978 | Montana |
1970-1976 | Montana (asst) |
1969-1970 | Flathead Valley CC |
Jim Brandenburg Facts
- Jim Brandenburg
- Born December 10, 1935
- Hometown: Topeka, Kansas
- Alma Mater: Colorado State University (BA, 1958)
- The KS-native attended Thomas Edison HS in San Antonio, TX before playing at Colorado A&M for coaches Bill Strannigan and Jim Williams
- Started his coaching career in 1958 after graduating, spending eleven years coaching at the high school level
- Coached first at Luther Burbank HS (San Antonio, TX), then for six years at William C. Hinkley HS (Aurora, CO)
- Spent one year as the head coach at Flathead Valley CC in Kalispell, MT, his first collegiate job
- Joined Lou Rocheleau’s staff at Montana in 1970, joining the coaching ranks of the NCAA Division I
- Stayed on staff from 1971-76 under the Grizzlies’ next head coach, future Hall-of-Famer Jud Heathcote
- Took over as the Montana head coach in 1976 when Heathcote left for Michigan State
- Went 28-26 in two years as head coach, including 10 wins in the 1976-77 season that were vacated to losses due to the use of ineligible player
- Left Montana for Wyoming in 1978, where he coached the Cowboys for the next nine seasons
- Won the WAC regular season three times and played in three NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 1987
- Final coaching position was at San Diego State, winning 52 games in five seasons as the Aztecs’ head coach
- Retired from coaching following the 1991-92 season, finishing his career with 256 career victories
- Along with his wife, Jan, has two daughters and one son
Jim Brandenburg Coaching Tree
- Steve Aggers (Loyola Marymount, Eastern Washington, Wayne State, Great Falls)
- Tom Asbury (Pepperdine, Kansas State)
- Charles Bradley (Loyola Marymount, Metro State)
- Jessie Evans (San Francisco, Louisiana-Lafayette)
- Greg Graham (Boise State)
- Mike Montgomery (California, Golden State Warriors, Stanford, Montana)
- Michael Ray Richardson (London Lightning)
- Gene Visscher (Northern Arizona, Weber State)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only
** Listed records and accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA