Montana State University’s men’s basketball program is reshaping its coaching roster ahead of the 2026‑27 season, signaling a continued push to build on the momentum generated by a strong 2025‑26 campaign.
Kenny Love, a former standout player at Whitworth University, will join the Bobcats as an assistant coach after four seasons leading the Pirates’ women’s basketball team. Love’s collegiate career under head coach Matt Logie included four NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, three Northwest Conference titles, and a 2015 Third‑Team All‑American honor.
Love’s playing legacy at Whitworth, where he helped the team secure a Northwest Conference Player of the Year award in 2015, provides a direct link to Logie, who previously brought him to Montana State as an assistant under his own staff.
Zach Payne and Sam Scholl, both of whom arrived with Logie at the start of the 2023‑24 season, have been elevated to associate head coach positions. Payne, formerly an assistant at the University of Montana, contributed to a Vikings squad that finished fourth in the Big Sky regular‑season standings at Portland State, while Scholl, a veteran with a 24‑year coaching career across California programs, guided his teams to seven postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments.
Shamrock Campbell, who served two years as Director of Basketball Operations, now steps into an assistant coach role after a collegiate playing career that featured two‑time NAIA All‑American honors at Carroll College and a final season at Point Loma Nazarene University under Logie’s mentorship.
A Cohesive Six‑Coach Staff
The upcoming 2026‑27 staff will comprise six full‑time coaches, a configuration that university officials say reflects a strategic investment in depth and continuity. The move follows the Bobcats’ achievement of a third straight Big Sky Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth during Payne and Scholl’s inaugural season.
Montana State finished the 2025‑26 season with an 18‑14 overall record and a 12‑6 mark in Big Sky play, placing second in the conference standings. The program’s recent success has set a benchmark that the new coaching additions are expected to meet and exceed.
University officials highlighted the blend of experience and fresh perspective that the new staff brings, noting that Love’s championship pedigree, Payne’s proven development work, Scholl’s extensive head‑coaching background, and Campbell’s operational expertise together position the team for sustained competitiveness.
The reshaped coaching lineup will debut as the Bobcats prepare for the upcoming season, with expectations high among players, staff, and fans eager to see how the new dynamics will translate into on‑court performance.