For many of the late Griff Bye's friends, hoops season always returns Hawaiian style

As the high school boys basketball season started the last couple of weeks, some fans attending the games might notice every now and then a head coach on the sidelines wearing a Hawaiin-style shirt. One of those coaches is Havre High boys head man Walynn Burgess who wears the Hawaiian shirt occasionally to honor his late friend and longtime basketball coach Griff Bye.

"He always had his own style," Burgess said. "There's quite a few other coaches around the state that still do it. Just one of those cool things. If you've known Griff, you wear a Hawaiin shirt as the coach."

Burgess first met Bye when they coached the North Star basketball programs several years ago. But North Star was just one stop on Bye's incredible coaching resume. He first started coaching at Rocky Boy before coaching at Sunburst for a while. He then coached the North Star girls basketball team from 2013 to 2016. His last coaching stop came at Power where he got the chance to coach both the boys and girls basketball teams before his sudden passing. Over the course of his career, Bye coached more than 900 high school basketball games in Montana.

Meanwhile, Burgess' first coaching gig came at North Star where he got the experience of learning from Bye, who was the girls coach at the time. As they worked together coaching the Knights' programs over the years, Burgess noticed and learned from Bye's devotion to coaching and getting his teams ready.

"He always had his teams prepared," Burgess said. "It would always be funny walking in the locker room after Griff (used the whiteboard) and trying to find a place on the whiteboard. He used to fill it up more than I can."

Bye joined the North Star program after North Star athletic director Brian Campbell retired from coaching the girls basketball team. Campbell said he was half joking when he asked Bye to come to Rudyard for the job but Bye accepted the opportunity as he was looking to coach again after leaving Sunburst.

Bye demonstrated his commitment to coaching at North Star. While he was coaching the Knights, he still lived in Sunburst - an hour and a half away. During the season, he would often sleep on his friends' couches as nothing would stop Bye from coaching on the court.

"He was just one that loved the kids, loved the competition and loved the camaraderie of being around other coaches. He just loved the game of basketball," Campbell said.

During his time at North Star, Bye became known for his unusual attire during games. Along with the Hawaiian shirts that he usually wore, Bye also wore sneakers with holes in them. Burgess and other coaches from Shelby to North Star now hold Hawaiian nights to wear the lively shirts during games to honor Bye's legacy.

Bye attended North Toole County High School in Sunburst and graduated in 1978. He played basketball in high school and was an All-Conference First team selection in his senior season. His athletic passions extended to baseball and softball as well. In baseball, he was the starting shortstop for the Cut Bank American Legion baseball team. Through the years, he competed in several softball programs. He attended the University of Montana where he earned his degree in elementary education.

Bye passed away at the age of 57 in 2017 due to complications after surgery. While Bye will be remembered for his athletic and coaching achievements, his friends will remember Bye as someone who tried to be friends with everybody.

"He was probably the most genuine person I've ever met," Campbell said. "If he didn't know you when he walked into the room, he would find a way to get to know you. It didn't matter who you were.

"Somebody always knew Griff everywhere you go and never had a bad thing to say about the guy. Just a down to earth guy," Burgess said. "There wasn't a person he ever crossed paths with that he wouldn't say hi to or share a good story or know somebody they're related to. He was just always a good person."