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Coaches are familiar even if teams aren't

Coaches are familiar even if teams aren't

Published November 15, 2008

Gonzaga and Montana State University-Billings have never met on the basketball court, but their coaches have a long-standing friendship.

"I enjoy his humor and his assessment on basketball teams and strategies," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of Yellowjackets counterpart George Pfeifer. "He likes to fish so we talk fishing a lot. I think he's a really good person."

Those are some of the reasons Few called MSUB administrators on behalf of Pfeifer, who was looking for work after being fired following his two-year stint at Idaho. Their association began when Pfeifer was the head coach at Lewis-Clark State College (from 1989-2005) and Few was a GU assistant.

Gonzaga opens the season against the NCAA Division II Yellowjackets today at 4 p.m. at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Pfeifer takes over a program that was 1-28 last season. MSUB defeated Dickinson State 96-91 in an exhibition contest Tuesday. Senior guard Mike Hall, who transferred from Idaho to MSUB, made six 3-pointers and scored 32 points.

Jim Meehan