Glacier girls basketball coach Kris Salonen has resigned after more than six years heading the Wolfpack program.

Salonen led the Wolfpack to a 93-58 record in her tenure, including four consecutive state tournament performances before this winter. Glacier finished third in the state in the 2014-15 season, beating Billings Senior to claim the only trophy in the school’s nine seasons.

The Wolfpack finished 12-9 this season, including a 6-6 mark in conference, before a loss to Missoula Big Sky in a state play-in game on its home floor. The departing senior class included Salonen’s daughter, Taylor, who has signed to play basketball at Carroll College next year.

“Taylor has the opportunity to go to Carroll now and my son is going to be a seventh grader,” Salonen said. “It would be hard for me to watch them (while) coaching in the middle of the year. (My husband and I) talked about it and between that and 25 years of coaching, I think we’re done.”

Salonen joined the Glacier program as an assistant coach when the school opened in 2007 after leading the Columbia Falls girls for six years. She took over the Glacier varsity program midway through the 2010 season after Doug Hashley stepped down. Prior to moving to the Flathead Valley she was a coach and teacher at Ronan for nine years.

As a going-away gift, Glacier’s administrators gave Salonen a stadium seat to help her watch her kids play more comfortably.

“Kris’ approach with her student-athletes will be missed,” Glacier activities director Mark Dennehy said in a statement from the school announcing the resignation.

“She has spent countless hours coaching basketball and has been one of our leaders within our strength and conditioning summer program since Glacier has opened. The time she has committed to the Pack while being mom is hard to imagine. We wish Kris happiness as she takes this next step in her life.”

Before getting into coaching, Salonen, née Kris Schmitt, set records as a track athlete at the University of Montana. She was the first female athlete at Montana to break 60 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles and won multiple Big Sky Conference titles in the sprints and hurdles. In high school, she was an all-state athlete in multiple sports at Great Falls High.

In 1999, Sports Illustrated named her 44th among a list of Montana’s 50 greatest sports figures. (SI List)

The cupboard shouldn’t be bare at Glacier after Salonen leaves. The Wolfpack will return seven juniors to the program next year, many of which saw extensive play this season. In addition, the program’s junior varsity finished last season unbeaten.

“That’s probably the hardest thing, leaving (the kids),” Salonen said. “The parents have all been very supportive ... Mr. Dennehy and the administration will pick somebody that will fit the program perfectly and take care of the girls.

“We’re leaving the program in a really good spot. Obviously we didn’t like how this year finished. But I feel gifted and privileged to be a part of this team. We went four years to the state tournament. Sometimes you take that for granted. That’s not easy.”

Dennehy said the search for Salonen’s replacement will begin immediately.