Area mentors honored as MCA Coaches of Year
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 9 months AGO
The Montana Coaches Association has named coaches of the year for fall sports, and a handful of the honorees are from the Flathead Valley.
Soccer coaching brothers Brenden and O’Brien Byrd were both named Coach of the Year, for Class AA girls’ soccer and Class A boys’ soccer.
Brenden Byrd’s Glacier Wolfpack were State AA girls’ champions while O’Brien Byrd’s Columbia Falls Wildcats were runners-up to Whitefish in the State A boys.
It’s the fifth Coach of the Year award for O’Brien Byrd, who guided Whitefish to four State A boys’ titles in 12 seasons, 2003-14. It’s the first for Brenden Byrd, whose Pack gave Glacier, which opened its doors in 2007, its first such crown.
The awards go to the state champion coaches, unless the coach is not a member of the MCA. Then the honor goes to the next in line and similarly, Columbia Falls’ James Peacock is Coach of the Year for Class A girls’ cross country, though Laurel won the state title at Rebecca Farm in October.
Whitefish’s Bill Kahle is the Coach of the Year for Class A boys’ golf, after his Bulldogs won their first state title since 2009.
Another area cross country coach won for cross country as well: Andrew Gideon, whose Eureka Lions won a second straight championship, has the honor for Class B boys.
A complete list of award winners follows:
MCA Coach of the Year, Fall 2020
Football
AA - Dane Oliver, Missoula Sentinel
A - Mike Ludwig, Laurel
B - Chris Grabowska, Manhattan
8-man - Mike Culter, Drummond-Philipsburg
6-man - Michael Reiter, Froid-Medicine Lake
Volleyball
AA - Rebecca Cleveland, Helena Capital
A - Anita Foster, Billings Central
B - Ann Funk, Choteau
C - Lena Kallevig, Bridger
Boys cross country
AA - Diego Hammett, Missoula Sentinel
A - Mark Albert, Hamilton
B - Andrew Gideon, Eureka
C - Nate TeSlaa, Manhattan Christian
Girls’ cross country
AA - Casey Jermyn, Bozeman
A - James Peacock, Columbia Falls
B - Brooke Dolan, Townsend
C - Nate TeSlaa, Manhattan Christian
Boys’ golf
AA - Craig Matosich, Missoula Sentinel
A - Bill Kahle, Whitefish
Girls’ golf
AA - Ryan Nelson, Bozeman
A - Jim O’Neil, Laurel
Boys’ soccer
AA - Jay Anderson, Missoula Hellgate
A - OBrien Byrd, Columbia Falls
Girls’ soccer
AA - Brenden Byrd, Glacier
A - Aloma Jess, Laurel
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