Finberg formally inducted into Montana Coaches Hall of Fame

Longtime Columbia Falls basketball coach Cary Finberg was officially inducted into the Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Great Falls on July 31.

Finberg is a 33-year veteran in the Montana coaching ranks. He started his coaching career in Dillon as a freshman basketball coach (1991-1993) before moving back home to Columbia Falls (1993-2024) where he was the head boys’ basketball coach for 19 years and the girls’ head basketball coach for 13. His teams garnered 533 wins compared to only 204 losses at Columbia Falls.

Finberg retired from coaching the varsity girls team in 2024. He retired from coaching the boys team in 2015. He coached both programs for four years. He continues to coach summer league boys basketball.

He was nominated by now retired Columbia Falls high school assistant principal John Thompson and former assistant coach and now Lockwood girls’ basketball coach Rob Tedlund.

Over his tenure Finberg’s teams earned an astonishing 17 top three finishes at the state tournament, winning six state championships (five in boys’ 2003,2 005, 2006, 2001, and 2014 and one in girls’ 2017) to go along with four runner-up finishes (three boys and one girls) and seven third place trophies.

He was nominated 17 times for the Montana Coach of the Year (11 times for boys and six times for girls). In 2014 and 2015 he was nominated for both boys and girls in the same year. He held the title of MCA Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year (five times) in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011 and 2014 along with his 2017 Girls MCA Coach of the Year honor.

Finberg has been a member of the Montana Coaches Association for 33 years.

Also inducted were Ricknold Thompson of Helena Capital, Wayne Beddow of Missoula Hellgate, and Brian Kavanagh of Cut Bank.