Finberg’s Legacy

By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

Ask Cary Finberg when he started playing basketball and the answer is quick.

“When I started walking,” he said. “It’s been part of my life since I can remember.” 

He played with siblings Craig and Cathy, both fantastic ball players in their own right. Craig was a Hall of Famer for Columbia Falls High School and Montana State University and played pro ball briefly for the Portland Trail Blazers and a season in the CBA. Cathy was also an outstanding player and played both at Flathead Valley Community College and Montana State University. Back then, FVCC had a basketball program, and FVCC, with Cathy on the team, would often beat the likes of the University of Montana and Montana State. In a January 1977 game, she led FVCC with 18 points in a drubbing of the Grizzlies, 69-46. 

Following in their footsteps, Cary was an outstanding player. He was a Columbia Falls Hall of Famer, notably scoring 91 points in the ‘84 Western AA Division Tournament, a notable accomplishment, since Columbia Falls was AA back then, playing the likes of Great Falls, Helena, Flathead and other large schools. The Wildcats took fourth for a state AA tourney berth. A state title proved elusive, however, and they went 1-2 at the 1984 tourney. 

The state titles would come later in life, as a coach for the Columbia Falls girls and boys teams. 

Finberg went to the University of Montana Western in Dillon, where he had a Hall of Fame career, primarily as a point guard. He graduated in 1990 and started his coaching career at Dillon High School under his brother Craig, who was the head coach at the time. Cary was student teaching for his degree in education and coached the freshmen team, while now legendary coach Terry Thomas was the junior varsity coach. 

“That was a pretty good staff,” Cary recalled. “To have those two guys mentor me.” 

After college Finberg returned to Columbia Falls and continued to pursue a coaching career, first as a JV coach at Columbia Falls and then as the boys head coach starting in the 1996-97 season. 

Many good players over the years have been unable to translate playing success into coaching. Finberg’s philosophy was simple: Outwork all the other coaches. It took a while, but it worked fabulously. 

In 19 seasons coaching the boys he amassed a record of 298-134 through the 2015 season, when he retired from that position. The boys won their first State A boys championship in 2003, and then four more after that in 2005, 2006, 2011 and 2014. 

But even if they didn’t win, they made it to the state tourney almost every year save for a few, usually taking second or third. 

He also coached the girls from 2011 until this last past season, with a record of 238-67, as his daughters Ciera and Cydney came up through the ranks. (He coached both teams for four years).

The girls won the 2017 state A title over Hardin 73-50 and went 23-1 that season, when Cydney was a senior.

Finberg said it was all about the work ethic of the squad.

“That no one player is bigger than the program,” he said.

Still, that ‘17 team was special, with Cydney, Kiara Burlage, Peyton Kehr, Dani Douglas and Sydney Hovde.  

“We had so much size, so much ability,” Finberg recalled. “But it only worked because these kids put in the time from fourth and fifth grade on.” 

The girls on the ‘17 team all went on to play college sports.

Cydney recalled her father had the knack for balancing fun and work, while developing a player’s strengths.

“He had such a good way of getting us better not only as individuals, but as a team,” she said.

As an All-American volleyball player at Providence College, Cydney also was an assistant basketball coach for the girls under her father for the past few years and  Ciera coached the JV team. Both girls are teachers today at Columbia Falls High School.

Dan Block was an assistant coach under Finberg for 11 seasons with the boys teams. 

He said Finberg had a great vision of the game. 

“He could see the total picture of the game when it was going on,” Block recalled. “He was the best coach I’ve ever seen at understanding the game.” 

The coaching staff were all “gym rats,” Block noted and “really dedicated.” They lived, ate and breathed basketball.  

The players bought into it, too. 

Tyler Jones played on the 2003 championship team, the first ever for Columbia Falls. 

“(Finberg) had a no-nonsense approach,” Jones recalled. “You got what you put into it.” 

Finberg spent countless hours in the gym and surrounded himself with really good coaches, like Block, the late Greg Bauska and Mark Beckwith, just to name a few, Jones recalled. 

The assistants were all really good basketball players and coaches in their own right, so if Finberg was leaning on you a bit, they’d take you aside and give you some tips on how to fix things or get better, Jones recalled. 

“For me, it was the balance of intensity and empathy,” Ciera Finberg said. She noted he could be very passionate about the sport but cared for his players as well. 

“He cared for everyone as people, too,” she said.  

Austin Barth started playing with Finberg in seventh grade. He recalled a summer team was short of players, so he got asked to play with the older guys. 

Barth was big and tall, even at that age. 

“He immediately threw me into the fire,” Barth said with a laugh. “He just knew what was best for his players.” 

When Barth was a freshman, he recalled the slow progression of his own play through the season and the valuable coaching. 

“By the end of the year I was getting decent minutes,” he said. “He saw the path to make me succeed.” 

Barth went on to play in four state tourney appearances, taking second in ‘09, winning in ‘11 and taking second in ‘12. In 2010, they made the big tourney, but did not place.

Today Barth teaches at the junior high and continues to coach basketball and football. When he has a coaching question, he picks up the phone and calls Finberg. 

“I still have a great relationship with him,” he said. 

There were some lighter moments. Barth recalled one tip-off tournament where the Wildcats were shooting horribly.  

At the half, Barth said Finberg told the squad, “You guys might better try kicking the ball in.” 

They lost that game, but the next game they put up more than 90 points against Anaconda, Barth said. 

For J.D. Fields, it was about trust playing for Finberg. 

Fields was a 5-foot-2, 120-pound point guard in high school. 

But could pass, shoot and handle the ball better than anyone on the court. 

He recalled the semifinal game in the ‘05 state tourney against Sidney. Sidney was a physically big team and favored to win — they had a 6-8 kid destined for the Grizzlies. 

But Finberg had a game plan, Fields recalled. 

“We just ran the hell out of them until they couldn’t keep up anymore,” he said. 

There were trying times through the years. Craig Finberg, died of cancer in 2009 at the age of 51. Craig coached Dillon varsity hoops for 18 years and amassed a 281-160 record and two state championships. Bauska died of a stroke in 2021.

Norma Finberg, the Finberg matriarch, died in 2015 at age 84. She was in the stands at every game, cheering on the team. She made meals for the players and fans right up until a few days before her death. The gym wasn’t quite the same without her. 

And that’s what the legacy really boils down to: Family and friendships and hard work along the way. 

Many of Finberg’s former players returned to Flathead Valley to raise families and start their own careers. 

They still keep in touch. 

“They were great kids that bought into the recipe we were cooking,” Finberg said. 

His advice for up-and-coming coaches? 

“Be yourself and trust what you’re doing and work hard,” Finberg said. “You can’t expect players to outwork other players if as a coach you don’t outwork other coaches.” 

Finberg continues to be involved in the game. He’s back coaching again. This time a select summer team of young Columbia Falls players. 

“They’re a fun group to work with,” he said.

    Cary Finberg poses next to the trophy case earlier in the 2024 season.
  

    Cary Finberg in the closing moments of the '14 boys championship.
  

    Cary Finberg (20) celebrates after the Wildcats notched a big win in the regular season against Flathead in 1984. Finberg had 16 points in the win, which ended a 5-year losing streak to the Braves. Columbia Falls was AA school at the time. (Scott Crandell photo)