Archives West Finding Aid

George P. Dahlberg, best known as Jiggs Dahlberg, was born April 21, 1900, in Butte, Montana. He was educated at the State University at Missoula (now The University of Montana-Missoula), where he played both football and basketball and earned six varsity letters. Dahlberg graduated in 1925. He went on to coach Grizzly basketball for 18 years (1937-1942 and 1944-1955), leading the team to 222 wins. He achieved more wins and coached for more years than anyone in the history of Grizzly basketball. Dahlberg then served as the Grizzly athletic director for 16 years (1955-70).

Dahlberg started the athletic department’s fundraising arm in 1955 with the UM Century Club, which became the Grizzly Athletic Association (now the Grizzly Scholarship Association). Dahlberg was also an avid Grizzly sports historian. He created the Red Book, a handwritten compilation of statistics, rosters, and pertinent information for each season of Grizzly athletics from 1897 to 1980.

Dahlberg received the title of professor emeritus from UM's Department of Health and Human Performance, the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame inducted Dahlberg in 1993, and the arena in UM's Adams Center is named in his honor. He died September 18, 1993.