MCA Clinic will feature local coaches speaking

The annual Montana Coaches Association clinic will get under way on this morning in Great Falls, and several area coaches, or coaches with ties to Havre and the Hi-Line, will be speaking at the prestigious event.

One of those coaches is current Montana State University-Northern men's basketball coach Shawn Huse. Huse will be part of a special group of basketball clinicians that also includes former Purdue great Gene Keady and former NCAA and NBA coach Kelvin Sampson. Huse has been a speaker at the clinic before and always considers it an honor to be asked to speak and teach in front of many of his Montana peers and colleagues.

Huse is about to begin his 10th season at MSU-Northern, where he's led the Lights to two NAIA national tournament appearances and last year's Frontier Conference regular season and tournament championships. Heading into his 10th season at Northern, Huse has an overall record of 183-105.

Also speaking this week in Great Falls is former Havre High and current Bozeman head football coach Troy Purcell. Purcell led the Blue Ponies to the 2004 Class A state championship before taking the job in Bozeman the following year. Purcell's most recent triumph came last fall when he led the Hawks to the 2010 Class AA state championship. With stops in four different schools, the former Carroll College standout has compiled a record of 127-76 on the gridiron.

Two more current Bozeman coaches with ties to the area will also be speaking in Great Falls.

Former Montana State University-Northern wrestler Nate Laslovich, who led the Hawks to the Class AA state championship this past February, will be speaking at the wrestling clinic, while current Bozeman boys basketball head coach Wes Holmquist will also be speaking. Holmquist started his prep career at Big Sandy High School before moving to Bozeman. Holmquist has been the head coach at Bozeman for the past three years, and this past season, like Purcell and Laslovich, he led the Hawks to a coveted state championship. Bozeman captured the boys basketball title back in February.

The MHSA Coaches Association Clinic begins this morning and runs through Friday afternoon. The annual MCA Awards Ceremony, which is open to the public at Great Falls High will be held at 11:30 a. m. on Thursday.