Wolf Point Board Rehires High School Varsity Coaches
Despite hearing some complaints from community members, the Wolf Point School Board voted by a 4-2 margin to renew the contracts of coaches for the 2025-2026 school year.
The list of head coaches approved included Nicole Paulson for volleyball, Stacey Summers for cross country, Anthony Red Cloud for football, Cody Larson for girls’ basketball and flag football, Maestro Martinez for wrestling, Jacob Boysun for speech and drama, Cole Hanks for boys’ basketball and Traci West for cheerleading.
Community members Imogene Lilley and Patricia Payne expressed that they feel the boys’ basketball program is heading in the wrong direction.
“They don’t seem to be having fun out there,” Lilley said.
She points out the team hasn’t been competitive or not even in the middle of the league standings. She has expressed her feelings to the board in the past that her husband Perry should be a basketball coach within the school system.
Lilley asked if coaching evaluations are being conducted and which school officials see the information.
She added that she sees a greater amount of improvement in other programs.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perkins explained the activities director and a principal conduct the evaluations. In the case of Cole Hanks, high school principal Kim Hanks (Cole’s wife) doesn’t take part in the process. Perkins added that a revised evaluation form was approved by trustees last June.
Trustee Sarah Copenhaver expressed her feeling that high school sports isn’t only about winning. She said sports are able having fun, learning teamwork and sportsmanship. Copenhaver remarked that when coaches yell at referees, players soon are also complaining at referees. If parents are saying that players’ coaches are doing things wrong, then it’s not productive for the program. She feels it’s important to have continuity with coaches to keep building relationships.
Board chair Roxanne Gourneau pointed out that trustees are spending millions of dollars on athletics through a new weight room, buses and track improvements. She asked how the school district can get more than 30 students to go out for a high school sport. She urged the community and parents to provide the support to get kids out for activities.
Payne said that basketball is the reason that some kids come to school. She feels students receive better instruction from volunteer coaches than the current school coaches.
Curriculum director Dan Horsmon expressed frustration with the meeting. He wishes community members would display as much energy on academics as they do for athletics. He said children struggle when they enter school because they aren’t ready to learn.
Gourneau said there are 700 students in the school system and the school board can’t concentrate on the starting five on the basketball team.
“This whole school can’t fall apart because we’re looking at the starting five.” Gourneau said individuals shouldn’t place blame but need to work together.
The motion to renew the coaches passed by a 4-2 margin. Gourneau and trustee Michael Turcotte voted against the motion.
