BHS hires volleyball coach, bring back 9 coaches

The Bigfork Public Schools Board of Trustees approved the hiring of a new head volleyball coach, Tammi McDaniel, for the high school at last Wednesday's meeting.

"She has a wealth of experience both playing volleyball and coaching the sport," said new BHS activities director Matt Porrovecchio. "She's well established in the community and she seemed like a good fit for the position."

McDaniel played volleyball her senior year at Butte High School, which was the first year the sport was offered in that area. In that year she showed enough promise to earn herself a full ride to play volleyball at Montana Tech. McDaniel went on to coach the freshman volleyball team at her high school alma mater for two years and then coached at East Junior High School in Butte for six years. After moving to Bigfork she began coaching volleyball at the middle school, a position she held for six years up until last year. She has also been a volleyball official for 10 years and has earned the title of Master Official.

"I'm excited about being Bigfork's high school coach," McDaniel said. "It's natural to be somewhat nervous when you're going into something new, and I definitely have that. But I know I've got good kids because I had them at the middle school. I'm familiar with most of them, not all of them, though. I know they have a great work ethic and I'm looking forward to coaching them."

McDaniel is replacing last year's coach, Yvonne Peck, and is the third head volleyball coach the high school has had in three years. The head boys basketball coach position is also facing the same fate as administrators search to fill the position for the third year in a row.

"I don't think it ever helps in the development of the players to continually put new coaches in," Porrovecchio said. "If the kids are seeing a new coach each year they are having to sort of start over. There have been a number of reasons why we've had so much turnover for these positions and it is unfortunate, but it is just the way it goes."

The school was hoping to have the opening filled for the boys basketball coach at last week's meeting. They selected someone to recommend to the school board, but he withdrew his name and took another offer just hours before the meeting.

As the search to fill that position continues, another recent BHS coaching hire, Todd Emslie, is getting his football team ready for the upcoming season. Emslie is the third football coach the school has had in four years.

"Our goal is always to get people in these positions that can do it for awhile," Porrovecchio said. "That's why we're so excited to bring Todd Emslie back to the football program. He coached for us before and he stayed with the program for many years. When a coach is with a team for a long time, they bring consistency to the players. A coach that's been around for a while also knows about the competition, knows the players and the league and has an insight to the strategy that it takes to be successful."

Porrovecchio acknowledged that a new coach can gain these traits as well, but said that it just takes more time and effort on their part to do so. The ones that really suffer, however, are the kids, he said.

"Every time a kid sees a new coach it takes time for them to get used to it, and that's time they could be using to work on the actual sport," Porrovecchio said. "It's tough on the kids, but it makes them stronger and teaches them something. It's difficult, but in the long run we are going to get the kids a quality coach and make it worth everyone's while."

Although a few positions are seeing rapid turnover in the Bigfork schools, nine coaches have been confirmed to return next year. They are:

¥ Mark Hansen, BHS Head Girls Basketball Coach

¥ Keith Koslosky, BHS Head Boys Soccer Coach

¥ Hauna Trenerry, BHS Head Girls Soccer Coach

¥ Sue Loeffler, BHS Head Cross Country and Track Coach

¥ Paul Wallin, BHS Head Tennis Coach

¥ Steve Hullett, BHS Head Golf Coach

¥ Heather Epperly, BHS Head Cheerleading Coach

¥ Chad Oster, BMS Head Football Coach

¥ Charlie Appleby, Speech and Debate