McLean to RMC

BILLINGS — Glacier cross country coach Mike McLean has been named the new cross country and track and field coach at Rocky Mountain College, the college announced. He will take over the programs immediately ahead of RMC’s first indoor meet this weekend.

McLean, who has coached cross country and track in the Flathead Valley for the last 23 years, has been the cross country coach at Glacier since the school’s opening in 2007. In that time, he led the boys to top five finishes each of the last three seasons and the girls top six each of the last two.

He’s coached a handful of all-state runners at Glacier in that time, including 2014 state champion Annie Hill, two-time all-state senior Kade McCutcheon and current-Gonzaga athlete Troy Fraley. McLean also regularly helped Flathead Valley distance runners in regional and national competitions.

It is a venture back to the college ranks for McLean, who coached at Flathead Valley Community College for 11 years before beginning at Glacier. The move back to a full-time coaching position was a strong pull for him, with Glacier into a good position and his family all moved out.

“You’ve got a great group of kids and it’s super hard to leave,” McLean said. “My hopes are that some of these kids would come down to Rocky.”

With little time to prepare, McLean has been meeting with coaches and students all week in an effort to get familiar with the program as it begins its indoor season. That rush hasn’t diminished his excitement to rejoin the college ranks, continuing to coach and teach student-athletes.

“It’s off the charts how excited I am,” McLean said. “Most of these kids I’ve never met before, some of the kids I have seen at the Class AA level.

“There’s a lot of good kids. It’s really exciting.”

One name that will look familiar is Glacier grad Rachael Hart, now a junior distance runner for the Battlin’ Bears.

McLean is hoping his connection with coaches and athletes at the high school level over the last eight years will help him recruit more high-level student-athletes to Billings. He’ll also be putting an emphasis on education.

“We’re talking to kids, some kids right in the Flathead,” McLean said.

“There’s lots of kids who want to continue running in college but can’t run at the (NCAA Division I or Division II) level. There’s lots of great spots. I feel Rocky’s one of them.”

McLean takes over for the recently departed Alan King, who took a similar position at Culver-Stockton College in Carson, Missouri. This was the first hire for Rocky athletics director Bruce Parker, who took over as athletic director at RMC in the summer after 11 years at Carroll College.

“We are so very pleased and excited that Mike has accepted this position,” Parker said in a press release.

“He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. I truly believe Mike can take our cross country and track and field programs to the next level.”

RMC will compete in their first indoor track and field meet of the season on Saturday at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.

“It’s coming up,” McLean said. “We’re scrambling.”