Costello creates a culture of success at MSU

Editor’s Note: This article is the second installment of a three-part series covering the athletics department’s success Stay tuned for the third and final edition. 

Athletic Director (AD) Leon Costello’s leadership has brought nearly immediate results to the athletic department as athletes’ performance shot up both in competition and in the classroom since he was hired in 2016. As the face of MSU Athletics, Costello has been instrumental in what many Bobcat fans are calling “The Year of the Bobcat.”

Over the course of Costello’s tenure, Bobcat Athletics has experienced an unprecedented amount of success at all levels — a pattern he predicted from the moment he was hired.

“We’re going to win, we’re going to win big, we’re going to win championships,” Costello said at his first press conference as athletic director in 2016.

Costello and company have created a culture of success contributing to the electric atmospheres seen at Bobcat sporting events.

“It’s something I envisioned, but maybe didn’t think would happen as quickly as it has,” Costello told the Exponent of the department’s success. “I think that comes back to getting the right people in the right spots and working together.”

For Costello, success begins with the individual athletes.

“Everything we do has to be student athlete driven,” he said. “If we don’t have student athletes, none of us — whether you’re a coach, whether you’re support staff — we don’t have jobs.”

Since taking over as AD, Costello has worked hard to provide Bobcat student athletes the resources they need to thrive. Under Costello, MSU has added a registered dietician, more strength and conditioning coaches, an additional academic advisor and switched medical providers to Bozeman Health. The new Bobcat Athletic Complex includes a Bozeman Health Clinic for student athletes.

“When I talk about the foundation, it’s really trying to broaden the services for our student athletes,” Costello said.

Athletic performance is an obvious indicator of success for Costello’s department, but he is just as focused on helping athletes succeed in the classroom. While student athletes are only required to hold a 2.0-grade point average to participate in the competition, the most recent department average GPA was 3.37.

“We have great graduation rates,” Costell said. “When student athletes come here, we know that we’ve got the support to help get them through a rigorous academic calendar and help them graduate.”

“That’s why you come to college, right?” Costello said. “You come to college to go to class and get your degree.”

Under Costello, nearly every MSU team has become more competitive, if not dominant. Since he took over, Bobcat football has morphed into a perennial national championship contender, reaching the FCS Championship game last season. The Cats have only lost the annual Brawl of the Wild matchup once under Costello. Before hiring Costello, the Cats had lost three straight. Both MSU basketball teams have steadily improved, culminating in dual Big Sky Championships and NCAA tournament berths this year. The excitement from the university community reflects this success.

“Our fan support is second to none,” Costello said. “I think we saw that this year with selling out every home football game, you saw the crowds for basketball this year making conference championship runs … I think that really sets us apart.”

Costello not only wants to replicate the success of the 2021-22 sports season, but he also wants the department to move forward, looking for ways to improve.

“If you’re not getting better, the rest of the pack is catching you and you’re probably getting worse,” Costello said.

He hopes that the department will keep generating revenue to fund improvements, steadily building on the foundation he has laid over the last six years.

“There’s more to do. You can never settle.”

During his tenure, Costello has been tasked with finding candidates to fill eight different coaching roles. Each coach Costello has chosen, has led their respective team into a new era of success. Most notably, Costello hired Head Football Coach Brent Vigen in 2021 and Head Basketball Coach Danny Sprinkle in 2019.

Coaches Hired Under Costello: 

Football: Brent Vigen (2021)

Men’s basketball: Danny Sprinkle (2019) MSU Alumnus

*Volleyball: Daniel Jones (2017)

* Tennis: Trey Morris (2019)

Rodeo: Kyle Whitaker (2021)

Track and Field/Cross country: Lyle Weese (2018) MSU Alumnus

Alpine Ski: Kris Shampeny (2021) MSU Alumnus

Nordic Ski: Adam St. Pierre (2021)

* Indicates a promotion from an assistant coaching role to the head coaching position

Cross Country:

MSU’s cross country squad turned in another strong season with two members of the men’s team reaching the NCAA national cross country meet. Duncan Hamilton and Matthew Richtman both competed in the 10K at the national meet, with Hamilton placing 59th and Richtman 112th. On the women’s side, Camila Noe had an outstanding season, earning All-Region recognition from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Golf:

Cat Golf will wrap up its season at the Big Sky Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona, starting Monday, April 18. Junior Kameryn Basye leads the team in scoring average for the second consecutive season at 76.44 strokes per round. She was also named to the All-Big Sky Third Team on Monday, April 18. The Cats recently finished seventh at the Bobcat Desert Classic with freshmen Cora Rosanova and Jordan Briggs leading the way, respectively placing 23rd and 27th overall in the tournament.

Rodeo:

MSU boasts one of the most storied and successful rodeo programs in the nation. The men’s team currently sits 12th in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) rankings and the women’s team in third. Caleb Shane Berquist holds a narrow lead in the men’s all-around ranking, just 7.5 points clear of second place. At the recent MSU Spring Rodeo, junior Paige Rassmussen led the women’s team to victory with stellar performances in goat tying and barrel racing.

Skiing:

Bobcat Skiing once again turned in a top 10 team finish at the NCAA Skiing Championships. The Cats finished ninth in the nation behind strong performances from Nellie Talbot and Kristiane Bekkestad on the women’s side and Riley Seger on the men’s. Additionally, 13 Bobcats were named to the National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team.

Tennis:

The MSU men’s tennis team is set to play for the regular-season Big Sky championship this Saturday, April 23, against none other than Montana. The Cats defeated Sacramento State last week by a score of 7-0 behind a gritty performance from sophomore Daan Van Dijk, who helped secure the tie-breaking doubles victory and claimed a win in the number one singles match. In the fall of 2021, Van Dijk and Matej Panik became the first doubles pair to qualify for the ITA National Championship in Bobcat history. The women’s team finished sixth in the conference and is preparing to compete in the Big Sky Conference Championship Tournament.

Track and Field:

MSU track and field is in the midst of a remarkably successful season. The Cats sent two athletes, Duncan Hamilton and Lucy Corbett, to the NCAA indoor championships, and the outdoor season has seen outstanding performances from several athletes. Wilson and Noe were named the Big Sky Athletes of the Week after Noe smashed the MSU 5,000 meter record and Wilson posted MSU’s second highest outdoor pole vault ever. Elena Carter recently broke the MSU record in the women’s 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.53 seconds, and Derrick Olsen shattered his own school record with a time of 13.93 seconds in the men’s 110 meter hurdles.

Volleyball:

MSU Volleyball had an outstanding season, reaching the Big Sky Championship tournament before ultimately falling to Weber State in the semifinals. Kira Thomsen led the team in kills, digs and aces, improving on an incredible freshman season. Hannah Scott also dominated in her final year, reaching 1,000 career kills early in the season and finishing second on the team in kills.