MISSOULA — Joslyn Tinkle, an assistant coach for the Montana women's basketball team the past three seasons, is moving on.
Tinkle, a former Missoula Big Sky and Stanford standout player, has taken a job as assistant coach for Pepperdine, who hired Lady Griz legend Katie (Baker) Faulkner as head coach in April. Faulkner confirmed the news to 406mtsports.com on Thursday afternoon.
Tinkle is a Missoula-raised women's basketball icon, with a proud past that includes back-to-back State AA championships at Big Sky, three Final Four appearances and one finals appearance under Tara VanDerveer at Stanford.
When she arrived in Missoula three years ago to help UM head coach Brian Holsinger in his debut season, Tinkle said she would lean on what she learned from her father, former Montana men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle, and VanderVeer.
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"I've got plenty of Wayne-isms and Tara-isms," she told 406mtsports.com back in 2021. "Sometimes I'll be saying something how my dad has taught me and I kind of in my head think, 'Ah, I sound like my dad.'
"I've been fortunate to play and learn under Tara, the winningest coach in college history. But I think my dad is a great coach and I've been lucky to be raised in his household. I learned a lot and sat in on practices and workouts and was up close and center for his games."
Tinkle says she thought about coaching as far back as 2016 when she retired from her professional playing career overseas. She held off because she wanted to be near family in Oregon while her brother, Tres, starred for the Beavers. Wayne Tinkle has been head coach at Oregon State since 2014 and Tres has played basketball overseas the past few seasons.
Joslyn started looking for coaching jobs in 2020 and had opportunities, but none compared to helping guide the Lady Griz. In her three seasons with Montana, the team has had mixed results, with a combined record of 56-37 and one win in the Big Sky Conference tournament.
Montana had arguably its biggest win with Tinkle on the staff on March 20 when it beat Boise State in a WNIT opener in Missoula. Five days later, the Lady Griz lost at North Dakota State.
Holsinger now has two assistants to replace — assuming he wants to stick with four like last season. Tiffany Stubbs left the Lady Griz recently to join the staff of reigning NAIA champion Dordt University.
Bill Speltz is Missoulian sports editor. Contact him at bill.speltz@406mtsports.com or on Twitter @billspeltz