Cary Finberg headed to MCA Hall
The Montana Coaches Association announced five coaches that will be inducted into its Hall of Fame Friday, and one of them is Columbia Falls basketball legend Cary Finberg.
Finberg will be honored alongside a who’s-who of Montana high school coaches on July 31 in Great Falls: Rob Lott of Twin Bridges, Brian Kavanaugh of Cut Bank, Missoula Hellgate’s Wayne Beddow and Ricknold Thompson of Helena Capital.
Finberg hung up his whistle in 2024 after 33 years in the coaching ranks. He started as a freshman coach at Dillon from 1991-93, before returning to his high school alma mater for the 1993-94 season.
He was the head boys basketball coach for 19 seasons, and his teams won five state titles: 2003, 2005-06, 2011 and 2014. He guided the girls basketball team from 2011-24, and the Wildkats won their second state championship in 2017.
His teams brought home trophies — meaning a top-three finish at state — 17 times, including four runner-up finishes. HIs combined coaching record was 533-204; his boys teams went 298-134.
The MCA noted he was nominated for Montana Coach of the Year for Class A 17 times, 11 times for boys basketball.
Lott spent 38 years coaching, with 26 of them at Twin Bridges. He started at Ennis (1981-82), was in Sheridan from 1982-93 and then put down roots in Twin. He guided the Falcons to the 2011 8-man football state championship; his girls basketball teams garnered four State C trophies, with a runner-up finish in 2012.
His Sheridan boys’ track teams won three State C titles from 1984-86.
Kavanaugh spent 24 years coaching boys basketball at Cut Bank, 21 as head coach. His record was 386-150 and the Wolves won three State B titles, in 1993 and 2005-06. They also reached the title game in 1989, 1998 and 2000.
Beddow began his career in Wibaux (1972-75), then spent 1975-76 at Miles City before coaching 35 years at Hellgate. He guided the Knights to the 1994 State AA girls basketball championship; they were runners-up in 1992, 1995 and 2003.
Thompson was Capital’s girls soccer coach for 23 seasons from 1997-2020, and was a Bruins assistant coach for the five years prior. His girls won eight State AA chmpionships, and four more trophies besides.
The 2025 MCA Awards Ceremoney is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on July 31 at the C.M. Rusell High School auxiliary gym, as part of the annual MCA Coaches Clinic.