Tinkle staying at UM

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Montana men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle says he's coming back for a sixth season.

Tinkle said Sunday he withdrew from consideration for the same job at Fresno State.

"When they put the feelers out there, I had to take a look," Tinkle told the Missoulian. He said he met with a group of people from Fresno and the job was intriguing, but the support and progress he's seen with the Montana men's program convinced him to stay.

Tinkle's teams have posted a 91-64 record over the past five seasons and won at least 20 games in each of the last two. Montana advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2010.

Tinkle left Missoula Thursday morning to drive to Indianapolis along with his wife, Lisa, and children Elle and Tres to watch daughter Joslyn and the Stanford women's basketball team play in the Final Four.

Last week, athletics director Jim O'Day said he and school administrators were working on a contract extension for Tinkle, who has one year remaining on a three-year deal with a base salary of just under $123,000. Tinkle said the contract discussions did not influence his decision to stay.