Hansen, Epperly pull double duty

By FAITH MOLDAN / Bigfork Eagle

Bigfork High School's varsity and junior varsity boys' basketball coaches are pulling double duty this winter.

The two coaches, Jim Epperly and Mark Hansen, will coach their respective teams as well as work together to man the position of freshman boys' basketball coach.

"We talked to a few people," Epperly said. "But never connected with a coach. It's not a big deal."

Both Epperly and Hansen coached last year with freshman coach Aaron Stiegeler, who resigned and moved away.

"It's a big-time commitment," Hansen said. He estimated that during tryouts the coaches spent seven-and-a-half hours in the gym each day.

Though this is the first time in years that the basketball program has been short a coach, Epperly and Hansen both seemed hopeful and excited about sharing the responsibilities.

"It will be fun to get back to the fundamentals," Hansen said. "We've got a good group of kids."

There are 13 freshmen out for basketball this year. Hansen also coaches the JV team. Epperly coaches the varsity team. Their teams combined total is 16 players.

"They'll split the duties," Bigfork High School Activities Director Shannon Smith said. "It will be a collaboration of efforts."

Both coaches, as well as Smith, said the players would benefit from the coaching situation, as a few of the freshman players would eventually be moved up to the JV team to play a quarter here and there.

"They're very excited about doing it," Smith said of Epperly and Hansen coaching the freshman team together. "It will be a great transition when the kids move on."

He added that the players that do move up would do so because of their skills and talent, and with help from the rapport they build with Hansen.

"We all have to be on the same page," Hansen said. Epperly said Hansen has run the majority of the freshman practices, and that plans about who will do what on game days hasn't been finalized just yet. "We'll talk about it," Epperly said.

Hansen agreed that they hadn't worked everything out yet, but that they would use the first few games to find out what works. Either Hansen or Epperly will begin coaching the freshman games, while the other begins to prepare the JV team halfway through that game.

The freshman team begins its season against Eureka December 13 in Bigfork at 4:15 p.m.