Wagner comes home to Northern

Last Thursday, Jerry Wagner stood before members of the Havre community, emotionally speaking about what it would mean to him to come back home and coach the Montana State University-Northern volleyball program.

Seven days later, it became official.

Thursday afternoon, inside the Armory Gymnasium, Wagner was introduced by Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel and Athletic Director Christian Oberquell as the new head coach of the Skylights. Wagner replaces Rose Obunaga, who was the head coach for the past two seasons.

“This wasn’t a tough decision,” said Wagner, who started a now 35-year coaching career as the head coach of the Skylights back in 1987. “It’s time. I couldn’t be happier to be back here at Northern, I couldn’t be happier to return home after being away for the last 30 years.”

“This is a big day for Northern,” Kegel said. “We are trying to bring the very best people in to fill the positions that we have, and with this position, I was so excited when I found out Jerry applied. I’ve known him since he was a kid. We go way back. This is where he started, and I’ve watched him go on and be successful at all of the bigger schools over the years, so it’s huge to have him back here now. He’s the right fit, and this program will take off, starting today.”

Wagner has indeed been successful at every stop since he left his alma mater in 1988.

He was most recently an assistant coach at the University of Texas El Paso, but before that, he served as the head coach at the University of Montana for nine seasons, 2006-2014. During his tenure with the Grizzlies, Wagner compiled a 102-147 record, including a 74-78 mark in Big Sky Conference action. He coached 46 All-Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections and his teams posted a 3.0 GPA or better every semester. In 13 of the 16 terms he served, his teams managed a GPA of 3.2 or above. With his strong emphasis on education, he guided three of his teams to earn the AVCA Team Academic Award. Griz players earned a dozen All-Big Sky Conference honors under Wagner and his staff, including Capri Richardson, who received second-team honors at the conclusion of the 2014 season.

Prior to Montana, Wagner was an assistant coach at Gonzaga for the 2005 season. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 10-21 record, a six-win improvement from the 2004 season.

Before taking the Gonzaga job, he served as an assistant coach for four years, 1999-2002, and associate head coach for two, 2003-2004, at Montana State. In six seasons at Montana State, Wagner was part of teams that went 117-54. He landed some of the best recruiting classes in the Northwest, including the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year in 2000 and 2001 and the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 2002.

Prior to working at Montana State, Wagner spent eight years, 1991-1999, at Oregon State beginning his stint with the Beavers under former Montana State head coach Dave Gantt in 1991. While at OSU, he helped guide the Beavers to 125 wins, including back-to-back trips to the National Invitational Volleyball Championships in 1993 and 1994.

Wagner joined the OSU staff after serving as assistant coach at the University of Montana from 1988 to 1991. In his three seasons at Montana, the Grizzlies registered a 61-27 record, including a 37-11 mark in the Big Sky Conference.

Under head coach Dick Scott, Wagner helped the Grizzlies to two 20-win seasons and the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance in 1990.

But through all of his travels, Wagner said he’s always kept a close eye on the Skylights, and the Frontier Conference.

“I’ve always been in tune with what’s going on at Northern,” Wagner said. “I’ve always stayed in touch with the program.”

Now, however, it’s his program, and he said Thursday that coming home means the world to him, and he can’t wait to get started.

“I can’t really put into words what this means to me, and how good this opportunity is for me,” Wagner said. “Being here today brings back a lot of great memories, so I can’t wait to get going. I can’t wait to get into the gym and get going. In the gym is where I’m at my best, and I can’t wait to get this started.”

And with how much success Wagner has had in what has been an incredible and storied coaching career, there’s no question, he’ll bring that level of success back to his hometown. Wagner is a graduate of not only Northern, but also Havre High School, where he also served as the head girls volleyball coach from 1984-1987.

So, not only does his volleyball resume have deep ties to Havre, but, his personal roots run even deeper.

“This process has meant a lot to me, and this school, this community and this program have always meant a lot to me,” he said. “This university deserves the best, our players deserve the best, and I am going to work as hard as I possibly can and give them (players), this program and this university my very best.

“And we’re going to do it all the right way,” he continued. “As I told our players, I think the sky is the limit for them and for this program. To be successful, you have to do things the right way, in the classroom, out in the community and on the court, and that’s what we will do here. We’re going to take great pride in everything we do as a team, as a program, and we’re going to work very hard to become a thorn in the side of the rest of the Frontier Conference. So, I’m honored and thankful for this opportunity, and I just can’t wait to get started. I can’t wait to help this program do great things.”