Seeley-Swan High School Boys Track and Field Head Coach Mike Haines (left) received Montana Coaches Association's Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his coaching career. Also pictured with him following the state meet last spring are SSHS Track Coaches (L-R) Zelda Haines, David Cahoon and Kal Kovatch.
SEELEY LAKE – Fourth time Coach of the Year recipient Mike Haines, Seeley-Swan High School Track and Field Coach, said "This one is special." Haines was nominated as Montana Coaches Association's Coach of the Year for both Boy's and Girl's Track and Field Coach of the Year and received the Boy's Track and Field award for 2022.
The SSHS Boy's Track and Field team won the Class C state title for only the second time in school history. Haines's son Chase was a senior on the team. The first win was in 2000.
"For me, it was fun winning with those senior boys who lost out on a year in their high school career," Haines said explaining the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. In addition to Haines's son, Sawyer Shelmerdine and Walker McDonald were also seniors on the team.
Haines is looking forward to a strong 2022-23 season with several young returning athletes who had strong showings for the past season.
Haines received the Coach of the Year award in 2014, 2019 and 2021 for Girl's Track and Field. He has been nominated numerous times. Haines said typically the head coaches of the top four top teams to place in the Class C state tournament are nominated for the award which is presented by the Montana Coaches Association. The award generally goes to the coach of the first-place team.
Haines enjoys carrying on the family tradition of coaching started by his father Kim. He appreciates the camaraderie with other coaches on the track team including assistant coaches David Cahoon, Kal Kovatch and mother Zelda Haines.
Haines began coaching in Hamilton in 1986 and has coached basketball and track ever since. He started coaching at SSHS in 2007.
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