A trip to Bismarck, North Dakota, may not be on everyone’s bucket list, but the National High School Athletic Coaches Association was having its annual convention there and Flathead wrestling coach Jeff Thompson was giving a presentation. 

On Wednesday Thompson got a bonus: He was named NHSACA Coach of the Year at the closing banquet. He knew he’d been nominated by the Montana Coaches Association, but didn’t give it much thought beyond that. 

“I even told my wife, ‘You don’t even need to go,’ ” he said. “I looked up some of these guys (nominated) and thought it was a one in a million chance. 

“I never, ever would have expected.” 

Thompson has been coaching high school wrestling for 19 seasons, most of them at Flathead High, where his Brave Brawlers have won eight boys championships and the Bravettes won the first two girls championships for Montana, in 2021 and 2022. 

His teams have racked up a 314-39 record in duals, and Thompson has been the MCA Coach of the Year eight times. He was inducted into the MCA Hall of Fame two years ago. 

Accomplishments aside, he was happy to be invited to Bismarck, where he gave a presentation. 

“It was just to talk about our program and our culture,” he said. “And it was a fun thing to do that. I put a lot of time into it.” It’s the success-breeds-success culture of the program that got the titles rolling at Flathead, along with a large contingent of assistant coaches and a college wrestling room approach. 

“We had so much fun,” Thompson said. “I got to hang out with coaches I haven’t seen in years, or even wrestled against in college (Troy Steiner wrestled for Iowa against Thompson, who competed for Minnesota). We had an outstanding time. 

“It was the cream of the crop of coaches and just to be surrounded by so many good people, I was just honored to be there. And when they called my name I couldn’t believe it. It was one of those moments that I really enjoyed. I’m not quite sure what the criteria was, but it was fantastic.” 

That was Wednesday. Thursday Thompson was back in Kalispell preparing for the Montana Intensive Wrestling Camp at Flathead beginning Saturday. “We have over 300 kids coming in,” he said. “It’s non-stop here.” 

The NHSACA also honored longtime Huntley Project volleyball coach Iona Stookey, whose teams won over 900 matches and 14 state championships. She’s been in the MCA Hall of Fame since 2017. 

On Tuesday long-time Hardin volleyball and track coach Laura Sundheim was inducted into the NHSACA Halll of Fame. Her teams won six volleyball state titles, and five more championships in cross country. 

All three coaches will be recognized at the MCA awards ceremony Aug. 1 in the Great Falls Russell auxiliary gym.