Under the M

Fresh out of Libby High School, Brian Fruit enrolled as a freshman at UM in 1980. He worked on the UM Golf Course grounds crew as an undergraduate. After earning a BA in recreation management, Brian was hired as the Grizzly Pool Manager in 1985. He served in this role and managed swimming lessons for countless Missoula children for 16 years!

While managing the Grizzly Pool, Brian used the Faculty/Staff tuition waiver to earn a Master in health and physical education. When the Fitness and Recreation Center was built and opened in October 2001, Campus Recreation grew to accommodate all the new facilities and programs and Fruit was promoted to Assistant Director of Facilities for Campus Recreation. 

Brian served as Interim Director of Campus Recreation from 2012 to 2013 as Campus Recreation underwent a leadership transition. In 2013, under Stephen Thompson's leadership, Brian assumed the role of Associate Director of Facilities – a role he will hold until Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.

Asked about the most memorable aspects of his time at UM, Brian says, "My role at the Grizzly Pool added the element of working a bit more with the public that I also enjoyed. In fact, my daughter derived her name by me first hearing it while enrolling kids for swim lessons."

Brian's tenure at UM has been characterized by the opportunity to work with a lot of really good people and students: "I’m very grateful and humbled by the level of support I’ve felt and experienced over the years from my colleagues, UM staff/faculty, and UM students over the years. I hope I said thank you at the appropriate time, but if not – thank you!"

In his well-deserved retirement, Brian plans to travel and explore, keep moving his body, and continue finding new purposes in life.