Athlete, teacher, coach: Wes Knutson leaving C-Falls

Wes Knutson is saying good-bye to Columbia Falls High School after an incredible career as both a teacher and a coach.

Knutson was inducted into the Columbia Falls High School Coaches Hall of Fame in January and has taught for 30 years — mostly in Columbia Falls. While he’s best known for his 18-year tenure as the head wrestling coach here, he primarily taught women’s health to all-girl classes.

“It’s been very interesting,” he said last week. “It helped me raise my own daughters. And raising three daughters helped me with the classroom.”

Knutson has three grown daughters who live in the area, Kati, Melissa and Amanda, and five grandchildren he likes to spend time with.

Knutson began his storied career as an athlete wrestling for Polson High School. He was the Pirate’s first-ever state champion wrestler, winning a title as a sophomore at 112 pounds.

He went on to college at North Idaho Community College, Boise State University and the University of Montana, where he graduated.

After teaching and coaching wrestling, track and football at Valier High School, Knutson moved to Columbia Falls in 1987 to teach junior high physical education and coach wrestling and football.

He led the Wildcats to a state wrestling championship in 1990.

Knutson said he didn’t expect to teach or coach as long as he did.

“I told myself, ‘I’ll go 15 years and then I’ll do something else,’” he said. “But I ended up loving it.”

He credits his success to great assistants over the years, particularly Mick Washburn, who he called his best. Washburn did most of the behind-the-scenes work that made the wrestling program run smoothly, Knutson said.

“And I was able to focus on wrestling,” he said.

His greatest rewards?

“Watching the improvement of athletes. It’s so neat to watch them progress throughout the season,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that everyone across the board got better. That was my goal. Then they feel a part of it and take more pride in the program.”

Knutson also was a head coach in track for 10 years, winning two state championships, along with a second and third at state and four divisional titles.

Knutson pole vaulted in high school, and for 30 years he had a streak where he vaulted 11 feet six inches or higher. But a good coach doesn’t need to be a good player, he noted. He knew some good players who were not good coaches.

“You have to know how to motivate different people,” he said.

When he first started coaching in the 1980s, there was more of a “let’s get after it” attitude. But 20 years later, he found he had to explain to athletes the whys and hows of training that led to success.

“We out worked our competition and we always planned for post season,” he said. “That worked out pretty well.”

Knutson was nominated for the Montana Coaches Association Coach of the Year award nine times and received the honor after the 1990 wrestling season.

All told, he coached wrestling 24 years, track 23 years, football nine years and volleyball four years — volleyball came after he had retired from coaching wrestling and track.

Knutson is 53. He said he plans to move back to Polson and possibly work as a pharmacy technician or personal trainer. He also wants to spend time with his grandchildren and hike in Glacier National Park with his wife Dixie.

“I’m going to take my summers off,” he said.