Glacier High has found its next softball coach, and he’s been around the program for 13 seasons.

Gary Evans has been around softball even longer: His fastpitch background dates back to the early 1980s, and he was inducted into Montana’s Softball Hall of Fame in 2023. 

Evans replaces Abby Snipes, who guided the Wolfpack to two State AA titles in seven seasons. Snipes took over as Glacier’s activities director for the retired Mark Dennehy. 

“Gary Evans is an excellent softball coach and an even more incredible human being,” Snipes said in a release from the high school. “He knows more about softball and has contributed so much to the Montana fastpitch softball community. Gary is revered as an expert pitching coach around the state and is frequently consulted by his high school and college-level coaching colleagues.  

“He will continue to push our program to new heights of success.” 

Evans, a 1982 Havre High School graduate, got a business degree from Montana State-Northern and then managed Kalispell’s Herbergers store for 25 years. He spent a lot of his time in Kalispell as an unpaid assistant, starting at Flathead High before helping out Andy Fors at Glacier beginning in 2012.  

Fors left a couple seasons after the Wolfpack won the 2015 state championship. Evans is the fourth head coach in program history. 

“When Abby stepped away my wheels started turning because I have the opportunity at this point of my life where I could devote a little more time to the program,” Evans said. “I didn’t know if there was a certain path to follow. I just knew I really enjoyed being around the athletes. 

“So, not a hard sell.” 

Evans noted more than once he’s had a good seat — a flipped-over batting practice bucket — to watch the local programs. He’s assisted six head coaches overall, four at Flathead.  

“It’s always been something I enjoyed,” he said. “Now I get the opportunity to run a program.” 

Snipes’ coaching career closed with a flourish: State titles in 2023 and 2025 wrapped around a runner up finish in 2024. 

“High expectations for the program, you know?” Evans said. “I’ve been lucky enough to sit on the bucket and have a very good seat for those titles. It’s not like we’re going to go in there and reinvent the wheel. The wheel is already round.” 

He was pleased to note that longtime assistants Brad Nikunen, Hannah Atley and Greg Adkins will remain with the program. “All wonderful, talented people,” he said. 

It will also help players like Olivia Warriner, Ava Grady and Karley Allen returning. All three earned all-conference or All-State honors in 2024. Grady, Chloe Farrell and Warriner all return to the circle for Glacier. 

Evans notes Kalispell’s youth programs provide a steady stream of talent. 

“The Glacier program is so blessed,” he said. “Year after year I think the cupboard might be empty because we graduated four or five good players. But the talent keeps coming.  

“When the kids get there, they know the game. There are talented kids coming up, or are still in the program, for sure.”