MISSOULA — Larry Donovan, who served as head football coach at Montana from 1980-85 and won a Big Sky Conference championship, has died at the age of 84.
Donovan's passing was announced Monday by the CFL's B.C. Lions, with whom he coached from 1986-89. Montana also announced the news via social media on Tuesday. No cause of death has been reported.
Grizzly football is saddened to learn of the passing of former head coach Larry Donovan. He was 84.
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) April 15, 2025
Coach Donovan led the Griz to the 1982 Big Sky Championship and was instrumental in making Washington-Grizzly Stadium a reality.
Our thoughts with his family. pic.twitter.com/pjQ43u6wS8
A native of Casper, Wyoming, Donovan came to Montana as head coach in 1980 from Kansas, where he was an assistant coach. Donovan replaced previous coach Gene Carlson. In six seasons at UM, Donovan coached the Grizzlies to a 25-38-1 overall record.
His best season came in 1982 when the Grizzlies won the Big Sky championship with a 5-2 league record and went 6-6 overall. It was Montana's first conference title since winning two in a row in 1969 and 1970. It produced the Grizzlies' first appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs, a 21-7 loss at league rival Idaho.
After a 3-8 (2-5 Big Sky) season in 1985, Donovan's contract was not renewed and he went to B.C. in the CFL where he served as defensive line coach. He took over as interim head coach in 1987 and retained the role in 1988 and 1989. In 1988 he coached the Lions to an appearance in the Grey Cup. He then served as an assistant coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1990 and 1991.
One of Donovan's major contributions at Montana was his effort to spearhead fundraising for what later became Washington-Grizzly Stadium on the UM campus, which opened in 1986 and gave the Griz one of the best home-field advantages in college football. Donovan's Grizzlies played their games at Dornblaser Field in Missoula.
Donovan played college football at Nebraska from 1960-62, and his early coaching stops included assistant positions at South Dakota, Washington State and Iowa. Donovan also coached the Japanese X League Hurricanes from 1992 until 2007.
According to the Canadian Press, Donovan was a commissioned second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving two years of active duty in Oklahoma and Korea and received a commendation medal for his service.
