Whitefish hires new girls hoops coach

The reigning coach of the year in Class C girls basketball has been hired to lead the Lady Bulldogs next season.

Ben Johnson comes to Whitefish from Gardiner High School where he led the Lady Bruins to their first state title in March. It was Johnson’s third season leading the team in Gardiner, where he also served as athletic director.

This month, Johnson will be arriving in Whitefish, ready to take on a new challenge in rebuilding the once mighty Lady Bulldog basketball program.

Whitefish Athletic Director Aric Harris believes Johnson is up to the task.

“He’s enthusiastic about coming here,” Harris said. “He knows what he’s stepping into — a program wanting success and building on the foundation that’s been built. I believe his focus and leadership will get this thing to level we all expect.”

Johnson replaces Clint Peters who resigned at the end of the 2015 season after two years leading the program.

Winning has been hard to find in the past half decade for the Lady Dogs. Whitefish finished 3-18 last season, and went 1-19 in the previous two seasons.

“Johnson referenced that and is aware of where we are at as a program,” Harris said. “He has a plan that I felt comfortable with.”

That plan includes tapping into the youth program and getting girls on the hard court long before high school.

“It all starts in the younger grades,” Harris said.

Before coaching at Gardiner, Johnson was the head girls coach at Meadows Valley High in New Meadows, Idaho. He also coached the White Sulphur Springs girls basketball team, and was an assistant girls coach in Whitehall.

Johnson studied industrial technology at the University of Montana Western and has a Montana teaching license, but doesn’t plan to teach in Whitefish. Instead, he’ll pursue work in the construction industry.

“We typically like to hire a teacher if we can, but this fit and I think it will work great.”

Johnson will arrive in Whitefish next week and plans to hold summer basketball camps, Harris said.