Christy Harkins back with the Pack
Glacier head coach Christy Harkins talks to the Wolfpack during a timeout against Butte during Round 1 of the Western AA Volleyball Tournament at Glacier High School on Thursday, Nov. 4. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Christy Harkins’ retirement from coaching is apparently over after one year, with the announcement Wednesday that she is returning as Glacier’s volleyball coach.
Glacier High activities director Mark Dennehy sent out a short email Wednesday announcing the move, pending approval of the school board.
“After a one-year hiatus, Christy is excited and energized to lead our volleyball team,” Dennehy stated. “Through the years, Christy has brought a steady approach, outstanding fundamentals, and eye for detail while leading the program.”
Harkins announced last Jan. 24 that she was retiring as English teacher as well as from coaching at Glacier, where she was the only volleyball coach the school — which opened its doors in 2007 — has known.
Harkins replaces Courtney Baker, who guided the Wolfpack to a 9-17 mark in her one season. Glacier finished third in the Western AA standings but Dennehy, asked about the change, said simply, “We’re going in a different direction.”
So Harkins returns.
“Jumping back into the frame,” she said Wednesday. “They had the opening for head coach, and you know, coaching is my passion, coaching is my love. I really, really missed it this fall. I missed the girls, the school and this program. So I was very thankful to have the opportunity to come back up.”
Harkins has coached high school volleyball for 30 seasons, including three seasons in Washington state, seven at Columbia Falls, five at Flathead High and then 15 at Glacier.
The Wolfpack were 221-159 under Harkins, whose career record stands at 455-274. She took six Columbia Falls teams to the State A tournament, guided Flathead to three State AA tournaments — ending with a runner-up finish in 2006 — and saw Glacier advance to State 10 times, with third-place trophies in 2010 and 2016.
Harkins, whose husband Mark has been Glacier’s boys basketball coach since 2007, said she watched around 90 percent of the Wolfpack’s home matches last fall. She won’t return to teaching; this is strictly a return to coaching.
“Which I think is going to be a great gig,” she said.
Harkins is working on building a coaching staff, since summer camps and workouts are not far off.
“I’ll be meeting with the girls pretty soon and talk about plans for the offseason,” Harkins said. “We’ll get things rolling pretty soon.”