BUTTE — Montana Tech confirmed that the victim in last night's hit-and-run incident in Butte was a basketball coach at the school.
According to a press release, at approximately 6:15 pm on Tuesday, May 19, 2021, Montana Tech Head Men’s Basketball Coach Adam Hiatt was hit by a motor vehicle while riding his bicycle in the area of Western Avenue and California Streets. Coach Hiatt was riding northbound on Western Blvd. on the shoulder of the road when a maroon Buick sedan struck his left side and he ended up on the hood of the vehicle and then on the ground. The vehicle continued northbound.
Coach Hiatt was injured in the accident, but did not need overnight medical treatment and is at home with his family.
The incident is being investigated by Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement.
From the MT Tech website:
Head Coach Adam Hiatt begins his fifth season at the helm of the Montana Tech men’s basketball program this spring.
Over his first four years with the program, the Orediggers have grown into a conference and national contender. This past season in particular was one for the ages. The 2019-20 Montana Tech Oredigger men’s 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 No. 3, No. 8, and No. 17 ranked NAIA teams in the country.
Last season saw several milestones as well, 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 for the first time 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.
Statistically, the men’s basketball team not only finished the 2019-20 season as one of the top teams in the Frontier Conference, but also one of the elite teams in the entire country. The Diggers finished the season with the highest Massey computer ranking in program history (#11 in the country). Additionally, they ranked in the top 20 nationally in Turnover Margin, Scoring Defense, Steals, Scoring Margin, FG Percentage Defense, Assist/Turnover Ratio, FG Percentage Offense, and Net Efficiency.
All-conference selections Taylor England and Sindou Diallo were also named NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans.
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 fourth 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. Over the course of Hiatt’s coaching tenure at Westminster, the Griffins posted an overall record of 151-68 (.690). Hiatt began his coaching career at the University of Idaho as an assistant on George Pfeifer’s staff.
As a head coach, Hiatt’s programs have produced 18 All-Conference selections, 8 All-Americans, 55 Academic All-Conference performers, and 26 Daktronic-NAIA Scholar Athletes.
Originally from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Hiatt played two seasons at Ricks College where he was a two-time All-Conference (Region XVIII) performer. He played his final two seasons for current University of Utah Associate Head Coach Tommy Connor at Westminster, earning NAIA All-American honors both seasons, and led the Griffins to two consecutive conference championships. 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.
Coach Hiatt has been married to his wife Jenica for fifteen years. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Addelei and Clara, and three sons, Jaxon, Reddic, and Mitchell.
