(Editor's note: University of Montana news release)
MISSOULA — Joslyn Tinkle, who spent the last three seasons on head coach Brian Holsinger’s staff at Montana, has accepted an assistant coaching position at Pepperdine.
Tinkle becomes the first hire by new Pepperdine coach Katie (Baker) Faulkner, who was chosen to lead the Waves last month after previously spending time at Washington, Oregon State and Wisconsin. Faulkner was a standout for the Lady Griz from 2009-10 to 2012-13.
“The last couple years, I’ve gotten some phone calls from different programs gauging my interest,” said Tinkle. “But I was never seeking anything. I loved being at Montana and the girls we have and the staff and the Missoula community.”
Then Faulkner called.
“I really had to look at who I want to be as a coach and what I want to accomplish," Tinkle said. "This is an opportunity to grow in my professional career. This will be an opportunity to be challenged in a different way.”
Tinkle joined Holsinger’s staff three years ago after he was hired away from Oregon State, where he worked alongside Faulkner and with OSU men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle.
Holsinger has now had assistant coaches depart after each season: Jordan Sullivan to Utah after the 2021-22 season, Lisa O’Meara to Oregon after the 2022-23 season, and Tiffany Stubbs to Dordt and Tinkle to Pepperdine after this past season.
“Anytime you’re a head coach, you want to see people progress in their careers,” said Holsinger. “That’s what this is all about. Eventually Joslyn will be a great head coach. This is the next step in that journey.
“Everybody’s coaching journey is different. She came here having not coached and we gave her a bunch of good experiences. Now she feels like she’s ready for a new adventure. I’m excited for her.”
Pepperdine is coming off a 5-25 season, with the Waves going 1-15 in the West Coast Conference.
Pepperdine hasn’t had a consistent run of success in more than 20 years, when the Waves went to either the NCAA tournament or WNIT six straight seasons between 1998-99 and 2003-04.
“Katie’s done really well for herself in her young career,” Tinkle said of her new boss. “She is a good person who works really hard. We’ll be trying to figure it out together. We have our work cut out for us as we try to rebuild this.
“I have so much gratitude for Brian, for Montana Athletics, for the Missoula community. Everyone welcomed me back with open arms. It was an incredible three years that I will be forever grateful for. I was so lucky to get my coaching career kick-started at a place that means so much to me.”
