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LOGAN — Hailing from the state of Montana, Utah State's newest basketball coach Danny Sprinkle knows a thing or two about the program's most legendary figure, Wayne Estes.
Estes, the All-American and Anaconda, Montana, native who held the program's scoring record for 45 years and died tragically his senior season, is as revered in the Big Sky state as he is in Cache Valley.
So when Sprinkle, the Helena native and former Montana State coach, stepped to the podium inside the Wayne Estes Center to be introduced as its 21st coach in Aggies history on Monday afternoon, he addressed the common denominator.
"Everybody in Montana knows Wayne Estes, just like they do here," Sprinkle said. "Everybody in Montana that knows basketball knows Wayne Estes. That's important to me walking into those doors every day. I know I'm representing that, and that means a lot."
Sprinkle's father, Bill, who was in attendance on Monday, watched Estes play in high school when he came to Great Falls. Sprinkle's grandmother was from Anaconda and would bring Estes up in conversation.
"He probably is the most important figure in Montana history in basketball," Sprinkle said. "Even though he came down here, everybody still remembers him. His legacy. His legend. … He, obviously, was an unbelievable person, and that's why everybody remembers him."
To Estes and beyond, the overarching theme of Sprinkle's opening press conference was about familiarity. Unlike his predecessor, Ryan Odom, who never visited Utah State's campus prior to accepting the job in 2021 and lacked west coast ties, Sprinkle has several memories of the program.
He began his coaching career as an assistant at Cal State Northridge, which shared a conference with Utah State at the time. He spoke highly of former Aggies coach Stew Morrill, and insisted the "blue collar" style of basketball he wants the team to play will be similar to the play of Morrill's early 2000s squads.
Sprinkle alluded to his first game as a head coach when his Montana State Bobcats nearly knocked off the Aggies at the Spectrum in 2019. He blames former Aggies player Brock Miller, who was in attendance on Monday, for being the "joker" that hit a 3-ball to seal the game.
Here's Danny Sprinkle calling Brock Miller a "joker" for hitting a shot to help USU beat Montana State in 2019: pic.twitter.com/JYGKEH38QL
— Jacob Nielson (@Jacobnielson12) April 10, 2023
It's refreshing for a fan base that, perhaps may be insecure after seeing two coaches walk out the door in the past three years, can see a new coach find common ground with the program through anecdotes and being genuine.
Obviously, there is no telling how long the Sprinkle tenure will last at Utah State, though.
When asked if he sees it as a job he'll keep for a while, Sprinkle said: "That's my plan. I don't have plans of going anywhere." But Craig Smith and Odom probably didn't plan on leaving, either, when they took the job. What is worthwhile, though, is Sprinkle appears to grasp what the Aggies program, which has qualified for the NCAA Tournament four of the last five seasons, is all about.
"There's expectations here, and I accept that responsibility," Sprinkle said. "I know what the expectations are, and that's what I'm about, and that's why I'm here. I'm about winning and I'm about doing it the right way. We will continue to cultivate, enhance the culture, and the atmosphere that's been around here."
Utah State interim athletic director Jerry Bovee, an Aggies alumnus, felt the pressure in recent weeks during the interviewing process and said "we threw everything in getting this right." After interviewing what he said was 12-13 candidates, he concluded he got the right man for the job.
Sprinkle has matched — and exceeded — expectations before. When he was hired by his alma mater, Montana State, in 2019, the Bobcats hadn't had a winning season in nine years, and Sprinkle put it upon himself to change the trajectory of his own program. In four seasons, he finished above .500 every year, won a regular-season Big Sky title and had two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Where things go from here is key. There were notably just four scholarship players in attendance at the conference — Rylan Jones, Isaac Johnson, Mason Falslev and Szymon Zapala. The rest of the team, besides Zee Hamoda, who was allegedly absent due to school responsibilities, has either graduated or hit the transfer portal.
If winning a press conference matters, though, Sprinkle, who describes his care factor as "off the charts," chalked up his first victory by instantly connecting with the community he's joined.
"I wear my emotions on my sleeve," Sprinkle said. "Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not, but that's who I am. And I've been successful doing that, and I just think, let people know the truth and who I am. That's how I was raised and that won't change. I'm extremely excited to represent (the program) into the future."
