Head Coach Craig Carse

Coaching Record Following the 2002 Season:
MSU Billings (8 years): 151-70
Overall (12 years): 232-113

Craig Carse, whether he be in Appalachia, the Bayou or the Rocky Mountains, wins basketball games. The 2003-2004 season will mark his ninth with the Yellowjackets and 12th overall as a head coach.  Carse is one of the NCAA's winningest active coaches.  After guiding the Yellowjackets to the 2002 Pacific West Conference Championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament, Carse was named as the 2002 PacWest Conference Coach of the Year.  Despite multiple injuries, the 2003 squad finished third in the PacWest with a 19-8 overall mark

After a seven year run as an assistant at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, in 1994 Carse went to work as Executive Vice-President of the United States Basketball Academy.  During that year, Carse developed an innovative style and system of play that features the strengths of individual players.  Incorporated in this was an up tempo attack, pressure defense, three pointers and substitutions galore.  While his teams may not look as athletic or opposing, the "system" has guided them to become the nation's top offensive program.

In 1995, Carse re-entered the world of collegiate coaching and took over a 'Jacket program that had gone 5-21 the year before and had only one winning season in the previous four.  On the court, he implemented the "system" that he had worked feverishly on the year before.  Off the court, discipline was the new rule.  His players have to accept a rigorous direction and maintain excellence and high academic standards if they want to play basketball.  Carse's seven MSU Billings seasons have seen over a 3.30 team grade point average.

This new philosophy changed the 'Jackets fortunes more than anyone could have ever imagined.  MSU-B advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight years and won 20 games for only the second time in the 1990's.  Despite a limited roster, that first team ('96) managed to lead the nation in three pointers and rank third in scoring.

The next six years produced more of the same.  Three more NCAA berths, three Pac West Conference Championships, a slew of national, conference, and school records and Coach of the Year awards.  In addition, the 'Jackets have led the nation in three pointers made per game in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.  They also have been the nation's leading scoring team in '97, '98, 2000, 2001, and 2002 with a second place ranking in 1999.  The 'Jackets under Carse have averaged 107 PPG and yielded only 82 on the campus of MSU Billings.

And while Carse is definitely proud of what his players and teams have accomplished over the years, he isn't in coaching for only wins and championships.  His peace of mind comes from his philosophy of an honest direction with a focused purpose towards consistent repetition that develops values that people can grow with for life.

Carse would rather talk of the off court success of his teams than all the basketball achievements they once accomplished.  The kind of person one is, the dedicated husband or type of father a former player becomes, or the ethics one displays as an employee or employer are his main concerns.

One area many of his former players have grown into is a professional basketball career.  While at LSU, Carse was the primary recruiter of Chris Jackson, Stanley Roberts, Shaquille O'Neal, Geert Hammink and Ronnie Henderson.  All were NBA draft picks with O'Neal being the #1 and Jackson a #3 selection.  At small West Virginia State, Carse managed to produce NBA selections.  Both Ron Moore and Ronnie Legette were drafted a few months after playing in the NAIA National Championship game.  At MSU-B, Carse has had All-American Titus Warmsley in the camp of the Boston Celtics.

The fact that West Virginia State was even in the NAIA Tournament was amazing.   When Carse took the job in 1984, the Yellowjackets had not been a successful program in a very long time.  After a tough first year, Carse's team went 18-11 in '85, a definite sign of things to come.  In going 57-8 in his final two seasons, Carse led the Yellowjackets to conference, tournament, and district championships and the fore mentioned spot in the NAIA title game, broadcast nationally on ESPN in 1987.

After playing LSU in a Hawaii tournament, long time mentor Dale Brown offered Carse a spot on his staff.  Carse was to become LSU's primary recruiter and Brown's top aide.   During Carse's time as assistant coach, the Tigers were one of the most successful teams in the Southeastern Conference and NCAA.  The Bayou Bengals advanced to six straight NCAA Tournaments and were ranked as high as #1 nationally.

Carse has coached and participated in National Championship Tournaments at every level.   His first position as an assistant at Bethany College, West Virginia in 1977 saw a 3-18 team the year before, win the Presidents Conference Championship and advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1978.  At Salem in West Virginia, from 1978 through 1983, he helped turn a losing program into a West Virginia Conference power with conference championships and a NAIA tournament berth.  His West Virginia State, Louisiana State and Montana State teams, as stated, all participated in national tournaments.  Before Carse's arrival at West Virginia State and Montana State both programs had suffered losing campaigns.

Carse is a noted speaker and clinician.  He has lectured and taught the game of basketball nationally and internationally.  He represented the United States in Europe at the Super Cup as well with Asian Basketball and Chinese National teams.

A native of Sistersville, West Virginia, Carse recently completed his 28th year in college basketball.  He and his wife of 25 years have two children, David (22) and Lindsey (19).  Carse and his wife, Leslie, both holding degrees from the West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, live outside Billings, Montana.