Since arriving in Butte as the head men’s basketball coach in March of 2016, Adam Hiatt has built Montana Tech into one of the premier college basketball programs in the entire country. He has been named the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year in back-to-back-to-back seasons (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25), was named one of the 100 Most Impactful Head Coaches in Men’s NAIA Basketball by Silver Waves Media, and is the fastest coach to win 150 games in school history. As one of the most successful coaches in the country, Coach Hiatt has amassed the 5^th highest win percentage in the country (81.7%) since the NAIA merger in 2021.

With a bevy of new faces, Coach Hiatt’s young 2024-25 team once again made history by being the first program since 1973 to win four straight Frontier Conference regular season championships. More impressively, the 2024-25 Orediggers became the first program in Frontier Conference history to win four consecutive conference tournament titles, and raised the bar further by becoming the only program to double four-peat as regular season and tournament champions in the nearly 100-year history of the Frontier Conference. As the only team in the entire country to double four-peat in their conference, the 2024-25 team also earned the distinction of being the only program to win 20+ games in four straight seasons in Montana Tech history. Hiatt’s Orediggers finished the regular season ranked #21 in the National Coaches’ Poll, rising to as high as #5 before key injuries. The Diggs competed in their fourth consecutive NAIA National Tournament, this time in Santa Clarita, CA, and concluded the season with a 24-7 overall record. Under Coach Hiatt’s leadership, the Montana Tech men’s basketball program has arguably completed the greatest four-year stretch in conference history (107-24 overall record).

The 2023-24 season saw Coach Hiatt’s Orediggers become the first program in Frontier Conference history to win three consecutive regular season and tournament championships. The Diggs finished the Frontier slate with a 14-1 record and a scoring margin of +15.1 points, both conference historic bests. No program in Montana Tech history had three straight 20+ win seasons and conference tournament championships since Kelvin Sampson in 1982-85. Hiatt’s Orediggers finished the regular season ranked #8 in the National Coaches’ Poll (a new school record) and again earned the right to host the first two rounds of the NAIA National Tournament. For the third consecutive season, the Diggers won their opening round game and advanced to at least the round of 32. Concluding the 2023-24 season with a 27-5 overall record and a program-best sixth consecutive winning season, the Orediggers boasted one of the best three-year runs in Frontier Conference history with an 83-17 overall record.

The 2022-23 Orediggers doubled down and repeated as Frontier Conference regular season champions (by a record 5-game margin) and, once again, won the Frontier Conference tournament, this time in Great Falls, MT at the Four Seasons Arena, all with four new starters. Montana Tech also set a conference record for most points scored in the championship game with 103. This season marked only the second repeat regular and postseason championships in program history (the first since Kelvin Sampson’s 1985 team). Hiatt’s Orediggers finished the regular season ranked #10 in the National Coaches’ Poll (a school record) and earned the right to host the first two rounds of the NAIA National Tournament. On March 7, 2023, the Orediggers defeated Westmont College (CA) by a score of 83-69 to advance to the second round where they defeated Thomas More University (KY) on March 8^th in a thrilling 77-72 OT victory. For the first time in program history, Montana Tech advanced to the final site in Kansas City, MO for the round of 16. In Kansas City, Hiatt’s Orediggers faced off against the #1 seed, William Penn (IA) on March 13, 2023. Once again, the Diggers prevailed in OT to advance to the Final 8. Montana Tech’s run finally ended in the round of 8, but not before again setting school records for most wins in a season (29-5 overall record and most national tournament wins in program history (3).

The 2021-22 season was one for the record books. Coach Hiatt’s Orediggers set school records for most wins in a season (27-7) and most conference wins in a season (13-2). Additionally, the 2021-22 team received the program’s first ever national ranking, finishing the season ranked #14 in the coaches’ poll. For the first time since 1993, the men’s basketball program won the Frontier Conference regular season championship. On February 28, 2022, Montana Tech advanced the Frontier Conference tournament championship game for the first time since 1999. In a game for the ages, the Orediggers prevailed over Carroll College on the road by a score of 62-61 to sweep the Frontier Conference regular and post season championships. For only the 3^rd time in program history, Montana Tech men’s basketball advanced to the NAIA National Tournament, earning a #3 seed in the 64-team bracket. On March 11, 2022, the Orediggers won their first national tournament game in school history by defeating MACU (OK) 71-67, before ultimately bowing out in the 2^nd round vs SAGU (TX) in Waxahachie, TX.

Coach Hiatt’s 2020-21 team tied a school record for most conference wins in a season (12-8) and posted their first top 3 Frontier Conference finish in over two decades. For their efforts, Montana Tech hosted another first round playoff game for the second consecutive year, a milestone that had not been accomplished since the 1990s. The program’s home playoff win vs. Rocky Mountain College on February 25, 2021 was the first home postseason victory since 1999. The 2020-21 season also marked the 3^rd consecutive winning season for the Orediggers, a feat that had only happened once before (1982-85).

Hiatt’s 2019-20 Oredigger basketball team beat the University of Montana in Missoula for the first time since 1945, stunning the perennial Big Sky Conference champion, and securing the first NCAA Division I victory in program history. Not to be outdone, the Diggers also defeated the #3 (LC-State), #8 (Carroll College), and #17 (Providence) ranked NAIA teams in the country. The 2019-20 season also saw several milestones, including the most overall wins, the most conference wins, the first conference winning record, the first time beating every conference opponent, and back-to-back winning seasons in over two decades. Coach Hiatt was named the HoopDirt.com NAIA national coach of the week in February 2020, and was a finalist for national coach of the year.

On March 23, 2016, Coach Hiatt began the process of building the Montana Tech men’s basketball program into a Frontier Conference and NAIA power. The 2017-18 Orediggers nearly doubled their overall win share from the previous season and quadrupled their conference win totals, including wins over the #10 (Carroll College) and #19 (LC-State) ranked teams. The 2018-19 season was a breakout season. Coach Hiatt’s Orediggers defeated the #23 (Providence) and #7 ranked (Carroll College) teams in the country. On February 27, 2019, the Diggers won their first Frontier Conference postseason game in 20 years by defeating Rocky Mountain College 70-59 on the road. The win secured only the program’s 2^nd winning season since the conference expanded in 1999-2000.

Before Montana Tech, Coach Hiatt was the head coach at former Frontier Conference member Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. While with the Griffins, Hiatt finished third all-time in total victories and third in winning percentage. The Griffins continually finished near the top of the Frontier Conference and were regular NAIA National Tournament participants. Coach Hiatt’s Griffins collected a signature win versus the defending Big Sky Champion, University of Northern Colorado, on December 5, 2011. Over the course of Hiatt’s coaching tenure at Westminster, the Griffins posted an overall record of 151-68 (.690), won three Frontier Conference regular season championships and two conference tournament championships. Hiatt began his coaching career at the NCAA Division I level at the University of Idaho as an assistant on George Pfeifer’s staff in the WAC.

As a coach in the Frontier Conference, Hiatt’s programs have produced an impressive list of individual accomplishments.

National Player of the Year: Geoff Payne (2009)

1^st Team All-Americans: Geoff Payne (2009), Caleb Bellach (2023)

2^nd Team All-Americans: Sindou Diallo (2022), Hayden Diekhans (2025)

3^rd Team All-Americans: Blaire Prowse (2010), Michael Stockton (2011), Asa Williams (2024)

HM All-Americans: Ben Walker (2010), Jake Orchard (2011, 2012, 2013), Tallon Robertson (2014), Chris O’Neill (2018), Taylor England (2019, 2020), Sindou Diallo (2020, 2021), Caleb Bellach (2022)   

Conference POY: Geoff Payne (2009), Caleb Bellach (2023), Hayden Diekhans (2025)

Defensive POY: Tallon Robertson (2014), Taylor England (2020), Derrius Collins (2022), Hayden Diekhans (2024, 2025)

Newcomer of the Year: Geoff Payne (2009), Sindou Diallo (2020), Caleb Bellach (2022), Asa Williams (2023)

Freshman of the Year: Bridger Larson (2021)

6^th Man of the Year: Michael Stockton (2010), Jordan Prior (2014), Keeley Bake (2022), Camdyn LaRance (2024)

All-Conference: Geoff Payne (2009), Ben Walker (2010, 2012), Weston Anderson (2010), Blaire Prowse (2010), Michael Stockton (2011), Jake Orchard (2011, 2012, 2013), Jordan Hayter (2012), Tallon Robertson (2013, 2014), Blake Skidmore (2014), Quincy Bair (2015), Chris O’Neill (2017, 2018), Troy Owens (2019), Dylan Pannabecker (2020), Taylor England (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), Sindou Diallo (2020, 2021, 2022), Caleb Bellach (2022, 2023, 2024), Asa Williams (2023, 2024), Michael Ure (2023, 2024), Hayden Diekhans (2024, 2025), Keeley Bake (2025), Ifeanyi Okeke (2025)

Originally from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Hiatt played two seasons at national junior college, Ricks College, where he was a two-time all-Conference (Region XVIII) performer. He played his final two seasons at Westminster College, earning NAIA all-American honors both seasons, and led the Griffins to two consecutive Frontier Conference championships, two national tournament appearances, including the first win in the program’s history. In 2003-04, he was the Frontier Conference scoring champion (21.9 ppg). Hiatt holds the all-time career scoring and single season scoring records at Westminster. Over the course of his four-year college career, he scored 2,270 points.

Tyler Miller joined the Montana Tech men’s basketball program ahead of the 2020-21 season. Miller is the program’s lead assistant coach after spending six seasons at NCAA Division I member University of Central Arkansas of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Since his arrival with the Orediggers, Miller contributed to 120 wins in five seasons and four Frontier Conference regular-season and tournament championships. On top of these achievements, Miller was a part of Montana Tech’s first ever NAIA quarterfinal appearance in school’s history in 2023 in Kansas City, Mo.

During his time as an assistant in Conway, Arkansas, Miller helped lead UCA to its first winning season in over a decade in 2018. He coached eight all-conference performers, including the Newcomer of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and three all-defensive team honorees. He also coached Southland Conference Player of the Year and UCA all-time leading scorer Jordan Howard.

A native of Chandler, Ariz., Miller was an outstanding high school player at Basha High School, where he was a four-time All-Arizona Republic player, before beginning his collegiate career at Western Colorado University in 2009-10. He scored 168 points and collected 78 rebounds in 26 games for the Mountaineers. Miller finished his basketball career at the University of Montana Western in Dillon. Miller, a three-year starter, helped his team to 67 wins, a conference championship, and two NAIA National Tournaments, including a national quarterfinal appearance in 2013. He scored 768 points, grabbed 390 rebounds and dished out 117 assists during his career in the Frontier Conference.

In addition, Miller made the Frontier Conference Academic All-Conference Team all three years and was a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete two times. Miller graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2014 from Montana Western. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in computer information technologies. While at UCA, Miller earned his master’s degree in instructional technologies, specialized in leadership and technology of media design and development.