Legendary golf coach steps down
<p>Terry Nelson at his home in Whitefish. Nelson is stepping down from his post as coach of the Whitefish High School golf team.</p>
After more than two decades of leading
the Bulldog golf team, legendary coach Terry Nelson has announced
he is stepping down from his post.
“It’s just time,” Nelson told the Pilot
on Monday. “It’s been a long run, and it’s just a good time to
retire.”
He had considered retiring last year,
but gave it one more go around this past fall. The Bulldogs boys
team finished in second-place this year at the Class A state golf
tournament, and the girls took fourth.
“There’s a great group of kids coming
back,” he said. “There’s nothing negative about retiring.”
Whitefish athletic director Jackie
Fuller said Nelson was a “class act” throughout his tenure.
“He’s been an outstanding role model,”
Fuller said. “I’m blessed to have been able to work with him as a
coach. He built a tradition and there’s a lot of pride in that
program.”
Nelson began coaching the Bulldogs in
1985 along side coach Mike Dowaliby. A few players on the 1985 boys
team included Matt and Jeremy Nelson, Todd and Tim Olson, Doug
Reed, Greg Newton, Glenn Gustafson, Jeff Pennecard, Frank Lamb and
Rocky Waterbury.
Over the course of Nelson’s career he
amassed 23 state championships, including 15 for the Lady Bulldogs
which is the third most in the U.S. He was recently inducted into
the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame,
he won National Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007, he has been
Montana Coach of the Year 18 times and is also in the Montana
Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2007, Golf Digest magazine recognized
Nelson with an individual award.
Nelson told the Pilot in a July
interview that his tenure as coach has never been about winning —
although it has always followed him.
“As a coach, we never talk about wins
or losses,” Nelson he said. “It’s not about winning championships.
It’s about getting kids involved and becoming life-long
golfers.”
No decision has been made about who
will fill Nelson’s shoes as coach but Nelson says there are many
good candidates.
“We’ve had some discussions about
that,” he said “There are several candidates. I probably wouldn’t
have retired if I didn’t think there was a good replacement.”
Fuller said Nelson will help her with
finding a replacement.
“We’re losing a legend,” she said.
“He’ll be tough to replace.”