Kent Paulson feels right at home in the Frontier Conference.

The University of Montana Western graduate whose sons played basketball for Montana Tech and Carroll College has seen what it takes for the schools to be successful.

Now, he'll have a chance to make the conference even better.

Paulson, a longtime high school educator, administrator and coach, was named the first full-time commissioner of the Frontier Conference, Carroll College President Tom Trebon announced Tuesday during a press conference.

Paulson takes over for Mike Walker, who resigned after three years as league commissioner. During that time, Carroll College advanced to two NAIA national football championships, winning in 2007, and Rocky Mountain College won the 2009 NAIA men's basketball title.

"I want to personally congratulate Mike Walker for his tremendous efforts," Paulson said in a statement. "Under Mike's quality leadership, the Frontier Conference has risen to a success level unprecedented in league history. Athletic teams from the conference have placed the Frontier at the very top of the NAIA ladder.

"I pledge to work hard every day to continue to move the Frontier Conference forward and contribute in all aspects possible to its rich academic and athletic traditions," Paulson said.

The new commissioner said his predecessor has been very helpful with the transition and even agreed to answer any questions Paulson might have during the first year.

Still, Paulson will likely bring his own knowledge and experience to the position, having spent much of the last decade in the stands and on the sidelines of Frontier games.

His older son Kale graduated from Tech after playing on the basketball team, while his younger son Kurt was a part of the Saints squad that reached the NAIA "Fab Four" in 2004(? check).

"It's a conference that truly represents a home field for me," Paulson said. "I've just always felt that the Frontier is our state's conference. Six of the nine teams are in Montana."

Meanwhile, the conference has expanded over the years with teams in Idaho, Utah and Oregon. And, Paulson said, he's interested in continuing the trend.

He said in an interview after the press conference that he's interested in finding new schools to join the Frontier's football programs, which currently has six teams, forcing every team to play the others twice.

"I know the coaches I've talked to would like to see it," he said. "With the strong showing our teams have made at the national level, the Frontier Conference should be in the driving seat for talking to schools that want to get in our conference."

While the schools' basketball programs have played tournaments at Eastern Oregon University -- an independent schools whose football program is its only team that participates in the Frontier -- he'd like to encourage the Mountaineers basketball programs to join or play more in the conference.

Still, Paulson understands that the Frontier will have to be fiscally responsible in finding and scheduling games.

"We want to look at geographics and be smart," he said. "And look for quality institutions."

Among other things, he would like to see the basketball teams participating in a tournament again. The first round would likely be a playoff game -- giving the winning teams home-court advantage -- before everyone met in a neutral site.

"As a fan, I missed the tournament this year," he said.

His enthusiasm is part of the reason he was named the new commissioner, along with his long history in education and sports.

"Kent Paulson is a perfect fit for the Frontier Conference Commissioner," Trebon said. "There were many outstanding candidates for this position, but Kent rose to the top with his administrative skills, Montana business contacts and his passion for Frontier Conference athletics."

The Frontier Conference has nine schools in four states: Carroll College, the University of Great Falls, Montana State-Northern, Montana Tech, Montana Western and Rocky Mountain College, all in Montana; Lewis-Clark State in Idaho; Westminster College in Utah; and Eastern Oregon University.

Paulson will officially begin his duties on July 1.

After graduating with a bachelor of science degree from Western Montana College in 1973 and earning a masters of education in guidance counseling from the Dillon school in 1979, Paulson received his secondary principal endorsement from the University of Montana in 1980.

He spent the past 14 years at Whitefish High School, nine as assistant principal and the past five as principal. He has also taught and coached at Troy and C.M. Russell High in Great Falls, is a former basketball official, basketball tournament manager and track and field official.

He and his wife, Joan, have third child, Krista, who graduated from the University of Montana.

"I've been blessed. I've been able to do thing I love with my career," he said. "This is another chapter."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Jeff Windmueller: 447-4065 or jeff.windmueller

@helenair.com