June 17, 2026
HELENA, MONT. - The Frontier Conference is proud to announce that Chris Mouat, head women’s basketball coach at Montana State University-Northern, has been selected as the recipient of the Ron "Swede" Kenison Award for the 2025-26 academic year.
The Ron "Swede" Kenison Award is the highest honor presented by the Frontier Conference. It recognizes individuals nominated by member school administrative officers for their outstanding, long-term contributions to the growth, well-being, and promotion of the conference.
Coach Mouat, the winningest coach in the history of the MSU-Northern women’s basketball program, recently completed his 21st season at the helm. He is widely recognized as a dedicated leader in the NAIA, ranking among the top 20 winningest active women’s basketball coaches. Throughout his tenure, Mouat has mentored nine All-Americans and led the Skylights to five NAIA National Tournament appearances.
Beyond his success on the court, Mouat has been a steadfast advocate for the Frontier Conference through his service on the NAIA Area Ratings Committee (ARC) for Women’s Basketball. His commitment to making a positive impact is further evidenced by his founding of the "Hoops for a Cause" campaign. Since its inception in 2017, the initiative has raised over $200,000 for various charitable causes across Montana.
"Chris represents the values of this award through his dedication to student-athletes, his tireless promotion of the Frontier Conference, and his philanthropic spirit," said Frontier Conference Commissioner Dr. Scott Crawford. “He is committed to the memory of Ron “Swede” Kenison who served Frontier Conference membership for more than a decade during his tenure as Commissioner.”
The Ron "Swede" Kenison Award was officially presented to Coach Mouat during the Frontier Conference Awards Dinner on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, as part of the conference's annual summer meetings.