Prior to his arrival to Boulder, he guided the Bears to a 56–66 record (.459) in four seasons, including a breakout season in 2009–10, when the Bears were 25–8 (.758) and finished second in the Big Sky Conference. For his efforts, he was awarded the NABC Division I All-District Coach of the Year, the Big Sky Coach of the Year by both The Sporting News and CollegeInsider.com, where he was also named a finalist for the National Mid-Major Coach of the Year award.