Matt Logie appointed as new men’s basketball coach

Former men’s basketball head coach Danny Sprinkle has stepped away from the program after four successful seasons, culminating in two NCAA tournament appearances and back to back Big Sky Conference championships. As Sprinkle heads to Utah State to continue his coaching career, new head coach Matt Logie will look to build upon the recent momentum of the program and take the team to new heights.

On April 17, Logie was named as the 24th head coach of the men’s basketball program.  He most recently coached at Division II Point Loma in California. While at Point Loma, Logie amassed a 82-23 record en route to three conference championships. Prior to coaching Point Loma, he was leading Division III Whitworth University in Spokane for eight seasons. Logie helped guide the Whitworth Pirates to a 194-35 record during his time there.

Logie’s Division I basketball experience stems from a playing career at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania followed by being an assistant coach for seven seasons, the last two of which he served as associate head coach.  He was also instrumental in the recruiting process for the Lehigh team featuring current NBA point guard CJ McCollum that famously upset Duke in the 2012 NCAA tournament. According to  Athletic Director Leon Costello, McCollum relayed to MSU athletic staff, during Logie’s hiring process, that he would not have gone to Lehigh if it wasn't for Logie.

At Logie’s introductory press conference on April 19, President Waded Cruzado began with  high praise for Logie. “Your passion, your knowledge and the fact that you know how to take teams to win, that was a big selling point,” Cruzado said. “Matt is right at the front edge of how this game is being played.”

Costello spoke after Cruzado. He started by thanking several people in his life as well as former coach Sprinkle. “We’re not in this position without him.  He has changed the trajectory of Bobcat basketball,” Costello said. “Thank you coach Sprinkle.”

Costello then explained that the search for a replacement involved looking for someone who could build on the success of the past four seasons. “From the onset, our priority was to find a coach who would build on our recent success of Bobcat basketball. A proven winner, someone who wasn’t afraid to take over a championship program and make it even better,” he said.

After Costello’s remarks, Logie received a warm welcome and began by thanking his family, including his late grandfather, who coached high school basketball in the Seattle area for 42 years. “I know he’s looking down today with a huge smile on his face and he’s probably waiting to remind me of the importance of offensive rebounding, to which I usually reply, ‘Make the shot, you don’t have to rebound,’' Logie said.

Logie’s history of successful team building will be put to the test this offseason, as the transfer portal has led to unprecedented player movement. According to on3.com, a website that tracks recruitment commitals and transfer portal activity, over 1000 men’s Division I college basketball players have entered the transfer portal as of April 10. That means over 20 percent of men’s Division 1 basketball players on scholarships nationally have entered the transfer portal. 

Prior to 2021, the NCAA penalized players who transferred schools by ruling them ineligible to play their first season at a new school. Players can now transfer one time with no eligibility penalty. A player entering the transfer portal means coaches from other teams can now contact them about leaving their current team and playing for a new program. The past several weeks have seen Great Osobor, Robert Ford III, Raequan Battle, Darius Brown II, Nick Gazelas and Alex Germer all enter the transfer portal.

Logie and Costello both acknowledged that this is now the new normal in college sports.  “I’m sure everyone is wondering what’s next,” Logie said. “The first thing we’re going to do is get down to work getting the right people.”  

“In these crazy times of recruiting and with the transfer portal and NIL [Name, Image, Likeness agreements], I wanted someone that understands and has extensive recruiting contacts in the west and could come in and hit the ground running,” Costello said. “I wanted a coach who has a history and demonstrated ability to build a strong locker room and team culture. Through our conversations, there is no doubt this is a quality that enables him to be successful,” Costello said.