(Editor's note: Montana State University news release)
BOZEMAN — One of the most decorated players in Montana State men's basketball history is coming back to Bozeman.
Head coach Matt Logie announced the addition of Xavier Bishop to the Bobcats' coaching staff on Wednesday.
"I am thrilled to welcome Xavier Bishop home to Montana State as our next men's basketball assistant coach," Logie said. "Xavier is someone whose name comes up immediately when you talk about the recent success of Bobcat basketball as he played a significant role in laying the foundation of our basketball culture here and contributed mightily to the championship success and NCAA Tournament tradition that has been established here."
Bishop was named the 2022 Big Sky Tournament MVP after helping lead the Cats to the first of now three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. The two-time All-Big Sky selection spent three seasons at MSU from 2019-2022 after starting his college career at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
"I'm super excited to be back, especially in a place that I really love and care about and have had success at," Bishop said. "I'm super appreciative of Coach Logie taking a chance on me, believing in me, and allowing me to be on his staff. I can't wait to get back in Brick Breeden this winter and see the fans and the community and help this team go for number four."
As a fifth-year senior in 2021-22, Bishop led the Big Sky in assists and was named first-team All-Big Sky after averaging 13.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. With the veteran point guard orchestrating, the Cats won the Big Sky regular-season title with a program-record 16 conference victories.
The Bobcats' regular-season title was their first in 20 years and catapulted them into a postseason run that culminated in a Big Sky Tournament championship win over Northern Colorado and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996. Bishop averaged 15.7 points per game over the three games in Boise, punctuated by a 19-point, eight-assist performance in the championship game.
The Cats finished the year 27-8 after falling to No. 3-seed Texas Tech in San Diego.
In 2020-21, the native of Springfield, Illinois, claimed second-team All-Big Sky accolades after ranking among the top 10 in the Big Sky individually in points, assists, minutes played, assist/turnover ratio, free throws made and free throws attempted. Montana State advanced to the Big Sky Tournament championship game, the first of now four straight trips to the title game in Boise.
After playing overseas for Bayer Giants Leverkusen in Germany during the 2022-23 season, Bishop spent the 2023-24 campaign working under his former head coach Danny Sprinkle at Utah State. While in Logan, Bishop contributed to a staff that helped lead the Aggies to a Mountain West Conference Championship and an NCAA Tournament win over No. 9-seeded TCU.
Bishop followed Sprinkle to the University of Washington over this past offseason, serving on the men's basketball staff.
"Xavier is a tremendous hire for Coach Logie and the basketball program," University of Washington head coach Danny Sprinkle said. "He brings championship pedigree, mindset and an immense personal pride in being a Bobcat. His ability to communicate with the players, recruits and the community is high-level which is what makes him special. Personally, I am very excited to follow his success as he is like a son to me. I'm very pleased he will learn under a great person and coach in Coach Logie as well as his staff."
Bishop returns to Bozeman to coach a pair of his former teammates in current seniors Tyler Patterson and Sam Lecholat.
"Xavier's basketball experience as a player as well as with Coach Sprinkle at both Utah State and Washington have prepared him well for this opportunity," Logie said. "As a Big Sky Tourney MVP and point guard, he knows what it takes to be an extension of the head coach at a championship level, and I look forward to seeing his impact with the backcourt players in our program. Furthermore, his passion for MSU and connection to our players and alumni will be a huge asset as we continue to build on the foundation that he helped to create here."
Montana State brings back three starters and three important role players from a team that stormed through the Big Sky Tournament last year, defeating Montana, 85-70, in the championship game to claim its third straight Big Sky title and third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Cats welcome eight impact newcomers to the program in 2024-25 as the Logie era enters its second year. Logie's teams have reached the NCAA Tournament in 12 of his 13 years as a head coach, and his career win percentage of .794 ranks eighth among all active men's college basketball coaches.
Other changes to the coaching staff for 2024-25 include the promotion of Shamrock Campbell to Director of Basketball Operations and the addition of Reed Brown as a graduate assistant.
