McCracken, Bestwick inducted into Hall of Fame

Two key figures in Whitefish athletics history were inducted into the Bulldogs Hall of Fame at halftime of the boys basketball game Friday.

Mac McCracken is best known for establishing and coaching the seventh and eighth grade football programs at Whitefish Middle School in 1999, which he coached until 2013. Starting with a portable storage unit as a locker room and no set practice field, he built a solid junior high football program and in the process became the winningest football coach in Whitefish Middle School history.

“Mac dedicated countless hours to making his program a first-class, competitive and smooth transition to the Whitefish high program,” Eric May said when he introduced McCracken. “As instrumental as he was in coaching, he was equally generous in donating funds when any youth programs needed equipment, transportation, et cetera,”

McCracken, who played middle linebacker and catcher for the University of Illinois’ football and baseball teams, also coached grade school, youth and high school football.

In baseball, McCracken coached A League and Babe Ruth league teams, as well as senior Babe Ruth, a program he revived. From 1998 to 2003 he was also a Little Dribbler basketball coach.

McCracken was incredibly involved in local affairs off the field, serving on the Booster Club board, volunteering countless hours to sports programs by helping provide equipment and transportation and sponsoring Bulldog Athletics as the owner of Pin & Cue. He was also Winter Carnival Prime Minister in 2005.

Donnie Bestwick went above and beyond in serving a wide variety of Whitefish sports.

Bestwick spent 12 years as the president of Project Whitefish Kids, four years as president of Whitefish baseball and another four as the president of Glacier Twins baseball. He also coached youth soccer and Little Dribbler basketball for 10 years each and served as an umpire and junior high football referee for 15 years.

“Donnie is so humble, he doesn’t want to take credit for all he’s done,” Kurt Blades said. “He is the epitome of ‘you can accomplish a lot if you don’t care who gets the credit,’ When things needed to get done, Donnie always showed up.”

Bestwick also volunteered as an athletic trainer for the high school and youth sports and worked with North Valley Hospital’s Sports Medicine Clinic to provide physical therapy to high school students. Bestwick also was a Booster Club member and served on its board.