You may have seen the documentary "The House That Rob Built" when it became available for purchase or rent earlier this year. But if you haven't, I encourage you to put it at the top of your summer watch list. Film director Megan Harrington has put her arms around such a monumental time in our Missoula history and given it a big bear hug. The film pays tribute to Lady Griz Coach Rob Selvig and the instrumental ways in which he shaped a notable team and its individual players for basketball and beyond.
Megan, the inspiration for the film you directed, "The House That Rob Built," has this notion that Rob Selvig was a pioneer for women to participate in athletics, and really, the rest of their lives. Is it fair to say that Rob inspired a certain gusto or confidence in you with your athletic journey and the career path you've chosen?
Rob was coaching me to be the best basketball player and teammate, which was preparing me for life after basketball. The concepts of understanding your role on a team, sacrifice, perseverance, failure, success, and accountability translate into the real world. He instilled a confidence to face the storm or sunshine with gusto, and to give myself grace when I fall short.
What does the phrase "he believed" mean to you, as a former Lady Griz?
To me, “he believed” is the foundation of his legacy. His belief in the greatness of female athletes when he took over the program in 1978 instilled a new sense of pride in his players and encouraged a community to come see them play. I gained a much deeper appreciation for his early teams who blazed a trail. In turn, they handed the torch to the next generation to carry and pass on. The result? Countless little girls across Montana—including myself—had female role models to look up to and dream about emulating. It’s a case study in how important it is to believe in what you’re doing and why.
Through directing this film and hearing the stories that came from fellow Lady Griz members, how did their narratives shape the storyline?
The player testimonies were instrumental in shaping the story and we did a great deal of research in preparation for each interview. I wish we could have filmed every Lady Griz but time and financial restrictions didn't allow us to do everything we wanted. There are powerful moments and stories that didn’t make the film but hearing them profoundly impacted me and the rest of the film crew.
Can you talk about the "house of inclusion" that Rob built?
Rob’s “house of inclusion” united young women from different backgrounds and worldviews together in pursuit of becoming the best team possible. He had the unique ability to handle each player differently—not better or worse than another—but in accordance with what would make them grow and thrive. In an increasingly business-like basketball world, Rob viewed us all as people first and basketball players second.
As a native Missoulian, give us your genuine reaction to the feedback this film has conjured up nationwide. Surely, it's humbling to see such a brilliant story touch the hearts of strangers and Montanans alike.
My genuine reaction is gratitude. It makes me a little emotional, to be honest, so it’s good we’re not doing a TV interview! Teamwork makes the dream work and I’m grateful to have worked alongside talented individuals at every phase who believed in the story and poured their entire heart into the project. It was a journey full of highs and lows—moments where you had to dig deep and keep pushing forward—just like a real basketball season.
Family Theater Productions was instrumental in the film becoming a reality and by the grace of God we reached the finish line. In those final months of editing, Jon Cipiti (Director), John Louis Caiella (Editor), and Grant Fonda (Composer) went above and beyond the call of duty and are honorary Grizzlies with grit!
Missoula holds a special place in the growth of women’s basketball and we wanted everyone—coaches, players, family, fans, UM, and Griz Nation—to be proud.
Can you share one of your favorite memories with Coach Selvig?
My favorite memory was the night he called to offer me a scholarship, which I didn’t think was going to happen, because without that moment all the other incredible memories would not have been possible.
In late January 1995 around 9:30 p.m. my sister came into our room and said I had a phone call and it sounded like Robin Selvig. When I got on the phone it was Rob on the other end. We exchanged greetings and then he said, “Do you still want to be a Lady Griz?” Considering that had been my dream since I was a little girl, this was not a difficult question to answer. He then said something like, “Well, we have a scholarship and we’d like to offer it to you.” That’s when I proceeded to ask who it really was because I thought someone was pranking me. He informed me it was Robin Selvig but I still didn’t believe him and kept asking, “who is this?” We went round and round like this for about 30 seconds until he finally said, understandably at his wits end, “Listen, do you want the scholarship or not?” That’s when I knew it really was Robin Selvig at which point I became hysterical and promised him he’d never regret calling. Probably not the best start with your new coach but we laugh about it now.
What's next for you?
We are evaluating different documentary and scripted ideas right now for development, so stay tuned and follow us at www.FamilyTheater.org.