Letter from The University of Montana 2012 football team

March 30, 2012

Letter from The University of Montana Football Team

Dear Parents, Griz Nation, The University of Montana, the citizens of Missoula;

We write this letter as the players of the 2012 University of Montana Football team. We also write this letter as students of a University we love, members of a community we cherish and as stewards of one of the most respected and honored football traditions of excellence in the nation.
The events over the past months regarding allegations and actions of players and most recently the firing of our head coach and the athletic director have all had a deep and profound impact on us. We understand and accept the fact that a few of our teammates' actions, whether intended and deserved or not, have contributed to this unfortunate situation. Whether or not true, regardless of obvious motivations and despite the facts, or lack of them, we have learned that the rules in today's public arena are about perception and expediency. As student athletes of this university we are left without an answer as to why our two leaders, Coach Pflugrad and Jim O'Day, are gone. These events have left us disappointed, saddened, and stunned, but they have also provided us something else.
We have been reminded of the commitment we made years ago, and supported by our families, to pursue excellence in the sport we love that led us from across the country and Montana to come here. Our responsibility to honor those who support us, our duty to respect the players and coaches who built the proud Griz tradition, and our unwavering appreciation of Griz Nation is now stronger and more deeply felt. Most importantly, our commitment to each other is stronger than ever.
Speaking with one voice, we ask for your strength, support and solidarity. We hope this series of personal and collective tragedies will give way to strengthening and rebuilding. We also ask those who have been entrusted with authority and power to carefully consider the impact of their statements and actions on our team and our great tradition.
Our team stands together, closer and stronger than ever before. Just as we will hold ourselves to a higher standard, we will also hold others. We understand that honor, truth and hard work win in the end. We are Montana.


Respectfully,
The University of Montana Football Team

Interim AD & Interim Head FB Coach

The University of Montana has announced that Jean Gee has been selected as the school’s interim athletic director, while former UM associate head coach Mick Delaney will  serve as the Grizzlies’ interim head football coach, announced UM President Dr. Royce Engstrom.

Jean Gee has been involved with Grizzly Athletics for the past 15-plus years.  She has served as the Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator for Grizzly Athletics for the past eight years.

Prior to that, Gee was Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance & Academic Services at UM for almost six years.
A native of Lewistown, Mont., Jean received a B.A. in psychology from UM in 1995 and a master's degree in public administration in 2006.

Delaney recently concluded his fourth season as an assistant coach at Montana and working with the running backs, and was the associate head coach.  A veteran mentor, Delaney has been in coaching ranks 44 years, with 29 of them at the collegiate level.  Originally from Butte, he came to Montana from Colorado State where he was an assistant coach from 1993-2007.

Prior to coaching the Rams, Delaney was the head football coach and athletic director at Western Montana in 1991-92. He served as the athletic director at Montana Tech in Butte from 1983-85.  He began his coaching career at Butte Central High School (1964-67) as head wrestling coach and assistant football coach.
     
Delaney was an assistant football coach under head coach Jack Swarthout at UM from 1968-69. He was the head wrestling coach at Montana at that time also.  He then moved on to Great Falls High School (1969-76) where he taught English and was the assistant wrestling and track and field coach. He coached at Montana State from 1979-80.
     
Mick earned his B.A. in education at UM-Western (Western Montana College) in 1964. He is an inaugural inductee into the Western Montana College Sports Hall of Fame.




Dave Guffey
The University of Montana
Associate A.D., For External and Media Relations
Hoyt Athletic Complex
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, MT  59812
406-243-5402-Office; 370-9435-Cell; 243-6859-Fax
guffeydb@mso.umt.edu