I teased this one a bit on Twitter earlier this morning. It’s now official – here’s the release from Montana Western…

Montana Western Director of Athletics Michael Feuling announced Friday, March 3 that Mike Larsen has decided to step down from his position as head men’s basketball coach. Larsen recently completed his fifth season at the helm of the Bulldogs program.

“I want to thank everyone at Montana Western for all of the support and encouragement throughout my time here.” Larsen said. “I have decided to step away from coaching to enjoy time with my family. This was one of the toughest decisions I have ever made, but I chased the round ball for a really long time and now it is time to shift my focus to being a dad and husband. This is not the end of my journey just time to close this chapter. Thanks to everyone who made my dream a reality.”

Larsen posted a 57-84 record as head coach of the Bulldogs, coached two NAIA All-Americans, a Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year, 12 all-conference selections, 20 academic all-conference selections, and nine Daktronics Scholar-Athletes.

“I want to sincerely thank Mike, Katie, Natalie, Ellie and Blaine for their contributions to the Bulldog basketball program these past five years and wish them the best in their future endeavors.” Director of Athletics Michael Feuling said.  “Montana Western is a unique and special place, I am excited about the future of the program moving forward and providing our current and future Bulldogs with a championship experience.” added Feuling.  

Associate Head Coach Pat Jensen has been named interim head coach.