Dryden and Schwaderer named tennis coaches of the year
The Whitefish Pilot | Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 3 weeks, 3 days AGO
Whitefish tennis coaches Chris Schwaderer, Doris Puglisi, Ally Jones and Patrick Dyden with the Class A state boys and girls trophies.
Patrick Dryden and Chris Schwaderer, head coaches of the girls and boys tennis programs at Whitefish High School, were named Coaches of the Year for spring 2026 by the Montana Coaches Association.
Dryden, with about 25 years of tennis coaching experience, and Schwaderer with 17 years, helped lead the Whitefish tennis teams to double-state titles this season.
Seven boys and six girls contributed to the team titles.
The coaches were selected for the honors by a vote of MCA member coaches.
The girls championship win was the program’s fourth under Dryden’s leadership and first since 2019. It’s Dryden’s fifth Coach of the Year honor. Dryden was also named to the Montana Coaches Association's 2026 Hall of Fame inductees earlier this year.
Schwaderer’s honor was his third. The boys claimed back-to-back state titles in what was the program’s 11th historic win.