I can now say that I supervised a hall of famer.

This summer, Monte, the grizzly bear mascot at the University of Montana, was selected for the Mascot Hall of Fame. This past Saturday, he was officially inducted into the esteemed fraternity when he received his Hall of Fame “ring” during the Griz vs. Western Carolina football game.

After being selected to the Mascot Hall of Fame this past summer, Monte was inducted this past Saturday. Former University of Montana students who played Monte, including a couple who I personally supervised, took part in the ceremony and are featured in this picture (photo courtesy of the University of Montana).

Call me proud.

I started my career on the marketing team within the University of Montana Intercollegiate Athletics Department. I was pretty much the low man on the totem pole as I wore a lot of different hats but gained some fantastic experience. One colorful duty I held was that of mascot coordinator. It was my responsibility to manage the mascot program and make sure that appearances were scheduled, game entertainment was planned, our student performers were taken care of, and much more than you could probably ever imagine.

Monte and I at the NCAA Tournament in 2012.

Don’t look at me to take credit for Monte’s ascension to mascot stardom. By the time I was installed as the mascot coordinator in 2009, Monte was already well on his way to the Mascot Hall of Fame (even though it didn’t even exist at that time 😂). Legends like Scott Stiegler and Barry Anderson had already catapulted Monte to the national level by their epic portrayals of the costumed grizzly bear. Basically, when I started in the athletic department there was already a profound legacy and established program to oversee. It was both a lot of pressure and a lot of fun.

What an awesome opportunity I had to manage the Monte program!

Just like with my time at UM in general, I learned a lot from managing the Monte program. Whether it was navigating a packed schedule of appearances, billing the hundreds of people who would hire Monte, ordering new mascot suits (not cheap!), or answering fan mail, there was never a dull day…and that was just behind-the-scenes stuff.

There was never a dull day with Monte.

The public-facing, athletics-related work was another dimension of mascot management. Basketball halftime performances, skits between volleyball sets, fulfilling in-game sponsorship obligations, and making the mascot available to fans just scratch the surface of Monte’s presence at Grizzly Athletics events. And that doesn’t even cover the most stressful part…football home entrances! Whether Monte was cruising out on his motorcycle, tubing across midfield, roaring out on an ATV, or saluting the stadium on top of a military vehicle, all of these spectacles took down-to-the-second planning and plenty of rehearsing.

Monte pours his heart out for the community, but he especially goes hard when it comes to supporting the student-athletes of all sports at the University of Montana.

But for every minute of stress incurred from being the mascot coordinator, I was rewarded with two minutes of joy. Because I was the staff member responsible for Monte, I got to accompany him to road games, national mascot competitions (went to Disney World twice), cheerleading camps, and some super cool community events where we were treated like gold.

Monte and I at the UCA Championships at Walt Disney World in 2013.

I also had the opportunity to produce “Monte Movies” (I even appeared in one), direct a couple different Capital One National Mascot of the Year campaigns, coordinate birthday bashes, and have a front row seat to the unbelievable chemistry that exists between Monte and Griz Nation.

The opening scene of the Monte Movie I appeared in back in 2013.

And that last item truly is what makes Monte so special. It is why I am in the position to brag about the rad things I got to do all those years ago. Simply, the students who have portrayed Monte over the past few decades are beyond amazing. Starting with Scott and Barry and followed by all the talented others, the Monte alumni inner-circle is almost as prestigious as past U.S. Presidents. Although they have all brought a slightly different skill set and personality to the role, they still honored the Monte legacy and left no doubt that the greatest tradition and ambassador at the University of Montana is a beloved grizzly bear.

Had to include the most awkward photo I have with Monte.

But to be honest, I think Griz Nation only knows half of what Monte truly does for the community. I saw firsthand the truly heroic acts the students I supervised would do. I am talking about donating hours of their time in the suit to help non-profits. Or going to hospitals to brighten the days of sick children. Or going out of their way to help kids petrified of Monte overcome their fear. Or answering the call when a clueless mascot coordinator would ask them to go back on the field in the fourth quarter after they had already spent every ounce of energy. These are the individuals inside the suit.

Congrats to this special bear!

Congratulations to Monte, especially the three students I had the pleasure of supervising at the start of my career. May the country’s best collegiate mascot forever enjoy enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Don’t Blink.