Columbia Falls boys basketball coach John Anderson has resigned after one season, claiming he couldn’t work in a “toxic” environment.

Anderson, a Whitefish attorney said he enjoyed working with the boys, but shortly after the beginning of the year, he claimed a member of the school’s athletic department made a disparaging remark about his family.

“They said, ‘maybe my wife’s cancer would come back and I’d have a reason to resign,’” Anderson said Friday.

Anderson refused to name the individual, but he said it was apparent that it would be difficult to succeed in Columbia Falls.

But Columbia Falls athletic director Troy Bowman said he had no knowledge of such an incident.

“That did not happen to my knowledge.  I have a copy of his resignation letter and it in no way alludes to any disparaging remarks made towards John or his family by anyone in the athletic department,” Bowman said in an email to the newspaper.

He noted Anderson’s resignation isn’t official until the school board votes on it at Monday’s meeting.

Anderson’s wife has been through cancer treatment and has since recovered. Anderson’s son played on the Whitefish junior varsity team this season. Anderson said despite the apparent conflict of Anderson coaching the rival club, he said from a family standpoint, it wasn’t a big issue. He noted his family is very competitive. Anderson changed his mind in the course of a few days. Just last Monday he said he planned on returning, and laid out plans for summer tournaments and camps.

Anderson took the post after longtime and successful coach Cary Finberg resigned at the end of last season. 

He went 4-17 in his first year and the Wildcats finished the year with a 20-point loss to Whitefish in the divisional tournament.