GREAT FALLS — Former Carroll College basketball standout and Helena Capital girls basketball coach Bill Pilgeram has entered his sixth season as head coach of the Corban University women’s basketball program.
In his first three years, Pilgeram led the Warriors to a 50-28 record, but the program has gotten off track a bit since then. After the shorted COVID season, his fourth year concluded with a 5-24 record followed by a 12-17 record in his fifth year.
After recruiting more talent and returning some of his key players, Pilgeram said his team is where they want to be right now.
“We’ve got the type of people, the type of kids, the type of players that we want here,” said Pilgeram. “We’ve got a good mix of young and old. After COVID we had to rebuild a little bit, and I think we’ve done that with the kids we want. We’ve got a lot of promise and a lot of potential on this team, so I’m excited about the future and where we’re headed.”
Pilgeram spoke with MTN Sports about the freshmen on his roster that have proven they will be able to make a difference in the program this year and for the years to come. He also mentioned that his returning upperclassmen have taken on bigger leadership roles that have helped to shape the culture of his program, giving him excitement for the journey of the season.
The Warriors’ upperclassmen are not the only ones accepting bigger roles, however. In the spring of 2023, Pilgeram added to his plate by accepting the role as the director of athletics for Corban University.
“That just allows me to have a little bit of a bigger impact at Corban University," he said. "I love Corban’s mission, I love everything we are about. Now instead of being directly in charge of just my team, I have a hand in the whole athletics department.”
With the new role he has taken on and his program trending back in the right direction, Pilgeram is setting himself up for a lengthy stay at Corban University. He explained that he loves his situation but there are no guarantees either way, with nothing set in stone as to where his next steps could take him.
Being a Plains native and having had a successful playing and coaching career in the Treasure State, he expressed interest in returning to coach if the "right situation" were to come about.
“I love the people, I love everything about Montana," Pilgeram said. "Definitely would never say never. If the opportunity and the right thing opened up, then for sure.”
