Assistant basketball coaches appointed, tryouts held

By JORDAN DAWSON / Bigfork Eagle

As high school basketball season approaches, Bigfork head coaches Lyle Whiteman and Mark Hansen have selected their coaching staffs, and are picking their teams this week pending tryouts.

Whiteman, who coaches the boys varsity team, chose Jason Hall as his junior varsity coach.

"Matt Jensen said he thought we had similar coaching philosophies and so far I've seen that to be true," Whiteman said.

Previously, Hall coached the eighth grade team at Kalispell Junior High.

"I love the game," Hall said. "I've been playing it since the third grade. I like to be there for the kids to help them with basketball and in life."

Whiteman appointed Michael Edwards to the job of coaching the freshman boys team.

"I knew Michael had some experience and I heard he was interested in doing some coaching," Whiteman said.

Edwards is a 2004 BHS graduate and recently graduated from the University of Montana. Prior to returning to Bigfork he coached the junior varsity basketball team at Victor High School for three years.

"I love the game and I want to teach the game right," Edwards said. "I think it's the greatest game in the world."

Whiteman and his new coaching staff watched the boys at tryouts this week to determine who will make the cut. There are about 18 freshmen trying out, and about 35 other boys looking for spots on the varsity and junior varsity teams.

On the girls side, coach Hansen has selected Mandy Williams to coach the junior varsity team. Williams coached the freshman team last year, and prior to that she coached in Missoula.

"I thought Mandy did a really good job with the freshman last year," Hansen said. "She has a good background in fundamentals, which I look for in all of my coaches."

Williams said that she enjoyed coaching the girls last year, and is looking forward to coaching some of the same girls now on the junior varsity team.

"It's nice to have had them as freshmen and to see how they've matured," Williams said. "Freshman year is usually such a transition year. By sophomore year they are a little more settled in and they have a year of experience under their belt."

Prior to coaching Bigfork's freshman girls team last year Williams coached in Missoula.

Hansen chose Jim Epperly as the girls freshman coach. Epperly coaches boys seventh grade basketball this year as well.

"Mark helped me out when I really needed someone to help me with the boys so I didn't mind helping him out," Epperly said. "And I just really like basketball. I don't mind stepping up and helping the girls team. They've had a really successful program."

In the past Epperly has coached the BHS boys and girls basketball teams, as well as other levels of boys and girls basketball.

"Originally I was looking for another female coach because I think it gives the girls a nice balance and it gives them a good female role model," Hansen said. "I wasn't able to find anyone qualified, so I asked Jim if he would be willing to coach with me and he was gracious enough to say he would help us out. I am very happy with the coaches I have ended up with. Jim and I worked together the last two years and we work really well together. He has a really good rapport with the girls and it's nice to have a coach that works at the school since neither Mandy nor I do."

Only about 24 girls are trying out for this year's team. The tryout week was used mostly as a practice time for the girls since cuts will most likely not need to be made.

Practices officially start on Friday. The first games for both teams will be played in the second week of December.