Three Flathead coaches moving to Glacier High

Three Flathead High School head athletic coaches are moving to Glacier High School next fall, Flathead activities director Mark Dennehy announced Friday.

Football coach Grady Bennett, volleyball coach Christy Harkins and girls track coach Jerry Boschee will coach the same sports at Glacier they coached at Flathead.

"I like change and it's exciting for me to go to a new school and start a new tradition there," Harkins said.

Harkins said choosing to leave Flathead for Glacier was tough, but her decision to make the move was based on professional and personal factors.

"I came to Flathead five years ago and it's been really great to be part of that fantastic tradition they've had there," Harkins said.

Glacier won't have any seniors next year, but Harkins said the Wolfpack will feature freshmen, sophomore, J.V. and varsity volleyball teams.

"Every year when you start a new season, that senior leadership has to be developed - has to be created," Harkins said. "We're just going to be doing it with juniors, and probably sophomores also."

Some of Harkins' freshmen and sophomore Bravettes will be at Glacier next year and some of her assistant coaches will be following as well, but it was still hard for her to leave Flathead.

Harkins said she was up front with her athletes from the time she considered going to Glacier.

"We had the conversation before the season and we'll have it again," Harkins said. "We need to live each day and play each day without worrying about the future because you've got to cherish what you've got."

Though parting with Flathead will be tough, Harkins is eager for her new opportunity.

"Who wouldn't want to be in a brand new facility and get the chance to start something new?," Harkins said. "I think that's exciting."

According to Dennehy, Harkins, Boschee and Bennett are the only athletic head coaches switching from Flathead to Glacier. Flathead speech and debate coach Greg Adkins and band director David Barr are also joining the Wolfpack.

Bennett said he couldn't imagine leaving Flathead when he first considered Glacier, but he took a weekend with his wife to write down every factor that was relevant to his decision. He also consulted with his assistant coaches.

"What it really came down to is my coaching staff, and the fact is the majority of my staff lives north and their kids are going to go to Glacier and that's where they want to be," Bennett said.

Bennett said he has learned over the years that coaching is all about the kids, but it is also important to satisfy the coaches he works with.

According to Bennett, the Flathead football program has improved greatly over the last few years. He is proud of his staff for changing expectations at Flathead to the point where people expect the Braves to win.

Now that Flathead's staff knows the blueprint for developing a quality program, Bennett looks forward to building Glacier from the ground up and thinks doing so will benefit the whole community.

"We have to create two equally solid programs," Bennett said. "We can't just leave one void. I'm half way through my teaching career, so it's a new opportunity at the half-way point."

Bennett told his players' parents at an Aug. 17 meeting that he and the majority of his staff was leaving for Glacier. He broke the news to his team at a pre-practice meeting four days later.

"It's actually been really neat the way it's been received," Bennett said. "I have not heard one negative. Really, it's been great."

Bennett stressed a simple message to his players: "We are committed 100 percent to this year and pursuing a state championship," Bennett said.

Bennett also met with each class of football players. He told the seniors he and his assistants are committed to sending them out on top. He told the sophomores and freshmen that while some of them will be separating, they should be excited by increased opportunities to get on the field and play next year.

Bennett said the most difficult group to address was the juniors "because that's the group we're saying goodbye to."

But Bennett isn't leaving anytime soon. The Braves have plenty of football to play this season and Bennett has promised Flathead he will continue his normal coaching duties, including organizing off-season training until the school names a new coach in the spring.

Bennett also knows that even when he says goodbye to the Braves, he won't be going very far and can still be part of their lives.

"They know I'm not going to change and I'm still going to care about them," Bennett said.

Flathead coaches who wished to transfer to Glacier as head coaches were interviewed before a small activities placement committee about two weeks ago.

According to Dennehy, all of Flathead's departing coaches have pledged to take care of current and future Flathead athletes until a new coach is selected for their program.

"All the coaches that are going to be going - they're right in the heart of their careers in coaching and they all have still a ton of enthusiasm and energy to build a new program," Dennehy said. "They certainly care about kids and they've shown that throughout their tenures here at Flathead high."

Glacier will compete at the AA level next fall with an anticipated enrollment of 950 students, compared to 1,500 for Flathead. Both schools anticipate enrollments of 1,200-1,300 in 2008-09.