Rocky Mountain College head football coach Brian Armstrong has had the interim tag lifted from his title.

The Frontier Conference school announced in a press release on Tuesday afternoon that Armstrong will remain in charge of the school’s fledgling program.

The 36-year-old Armstrong was given the interim position in late July when head coach David Reeves suddenly departed to accept an assistant coaching position at Northern Arizona University.

Armstrong, who took over the program less than two weeks before the start of fall camp, had spent the previous two seasons at Rocky serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Rocky compiled a 2-9 record this fall and finished tied for last in the Frontier, but the Battlin’ Bears were involved in a number of close games and wound up losing six games by eight points or less.

“We may not have had the best season for the record books, but this football team, with Brian at the head, put forth a great effort,” Rocky athletic director Bobby Beers said. “The locker room demeanor was loyal and positive, and tough losses did not lead to surrender.”

No contract details were immediately available, but Armstrong said in the press release that he was appreciative of the school’s support.

“I was thankful for the opportunity to see the season through and I’m grateful for the chance to make my entire focus on how we can improve and close out games successfully,” he said.

The Bears ended their season on Nov. 7 with a 40-33 home loss to Montana Western.

“The frustrating part is that although we’re playing better and more consistently, our record doesn’t indicate that,” Armstrong said after the season finale. “We’re doing just enough things to hurt ourselves. That, in my opinion, is where the offseason comes in.

“That’s where you build mental and physical toughness. That’s where you build team. That’s where you do a lot of things.”

Armstrong is a 1992 graduate of Helena High. He played his college football at Western Montana College, where he was an All-America offensive lineman for the Frontier champion Bulldogs.

He was a head high school coach in Lakeland, Fla., before returning to Montana and joining Rocky’s coaching staff in 2007.

Rocky’s last winning season in football came in 1999.

“I think, more than anything else, I want to see our kids have success,” Armstrong said. “We do have kids here that work as hard as anybody else in the conference. We need to find our recipe for success.”