Through 100 teams, camaraderie stands out for Coach Dryden

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon last week, coach Patrick Dryden is out by the Riverside tennis courts shouting out encouragement as the Whitefish High School girls tennis team runs matches against the Columbia Falls Wildcats.  

“Smart point, Dogs,” Dryden shouts, before turning and commenting, “It’s a beautiful day. One of those where I think I could do this another 10 years.” 

When this spring sports season ends, Dryden will have helped lead 100 different teams over his 40-year coaching tenure.  

“It’s a roller coaster ride,” he said.  

Dryden got his start in coaching in Havre as a varsity football assistant and freshman boys basketball coach. Having attended Sentinel High School in Missoula, it was interesting when he ended up coaching football for rival team Hellgate after that, before heading to Salmon, Idaho for a head football coaching position.  

Dryden came to Whitefish from Salmon over 25 years ago to teach history, and coach football and tennis. He stepped back from football after about four years, with the added demand of parenting.  

He taught only history, bouncing between seventh grade and high school seniors, sticking with mostly eighth grade, before retiring from teaching last year.  

“But I’d been saying for years – I didn’t want to give up tennis,” he said.  

AT FIRST, it was “quite strange going from football to girls tennis,” Dryden said.  

“I remember going over and saying OK, ‘grab a knee,’ and that’s not something you do in tennis skirts.”  

25 seasons later and it’s fair to say he’s got it down.  

Over the years, he’s seen the demand on kids change, and technology has had a big impact on how teams and parents communicate. 

“You used to have three-sport athletes more, and now I wouldn’t really advise it,” he said. “Although there is a good connection, and I like the work ethic kids get from soccer, basketball.”  

His favorite part of his coaching journey has been the camaraderie, he said.  

“Having a team was fun when I was a kid and it’s fun as an old man,” he said.  

Since retiring from his teaching tenure, he’s been picking up more tennis and pickleball playing himself. He’s also doing more traveling with his wife.  

“I hit 25 states last fall,” he said. “We do a 19-foot camper van.”  

He hit 20 of the state’s highest points last year, which he said is fun regardless of whether it’s a difficult climb or a parking lot in the middle of nowhere. A blistering trip up Mt. Washington, sharing one pair of gloves with his wife, and a high-altitude trip to Hawaii’s top point, were memorable.  

As for when he’ll leave coaching, he says he’ll take it year by year. 

“I love working with Aric Harris [athletic director]. He’s a former player of mine, 25 years ago.”  

Dryden said he’d like to see through the current team of tennis freshman, at least.  

“Every coach has extreme difficulty walking away,” he said.