Cara Cocchiarella begins her third season as the head coach of the Bulldogs. Cara is a native of Missoula, Montana. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from the University of Montana. While a student at the university, she was a Presidential Scholar and a member of the Lady Griz basketball team. Coach Cocchiarella took her position at Montana Western after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations for the women’s program at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Prior to her stay at Gonzaga, Cara was a teacher and coach at Missoula Sentinel and Loyola Sacred Heart in Missoula. At Loyola, she compiled an amazing overall record of 132 wins versus just 23 losses. In 2006, she led the Breakers to the Class B state title and was recognized as the Coach of the Year.   c_cocchiarella@umwestern.edu

Lauryn Lynch begins her second season as a Bulldog assistant coach. A former Bulldog player, Lauryn came to Western after a stellar high school career at Ronan High School in Ronan, Montana. Coach Lynch is involved in many aspects of the program, including recruiting, player development and assisting Coach Cocchiarella with the varsity team.   l_lynch@umwestern.edu