MILES CITY -- Barely two months removed from leading the Custer County Cowboys of Miles City to the Class A football state championship, Jeff Regan will continue his coaching duties this summer in the 2020 Knights of Columbus Montana-North Dakota Badlands Bowl in Dickinson, N.D. The game is scheduled for June 20 on the campus of Dickinson State University.
Regan led Miles City to the 2019 State A title with an undefeated record, defeating Laurel 35-7 in the championship game on Nov. 23. Regan is a 1995 graduate of Miles City and played in the Badlands Bowl before continuing his college football career at Carroll College. He has been on the Cowboys' staff since 2008, coaching under the late Dan Stanton before taking the reins in January of 2016.
Regan's Miles City colleague John Tooke will join him on the Badlands Bowl staff. The former University of Montana and Montana Western player has been with the Cowboys for the past 15 seasons.
Regan will also be joined by longtime offensive line coach Jim Hogan of Helena Capital. The former Carroll College strength and conditioning coach helped the Fighting Saints to six NAIA national championships before his retirement following the 2017 season. He joined the Helena Capital coaching staff for the 2019 season, helping the Bruins to the second round of the Class AA playoffs. Hogan coached at Billings Central from 1991-98 before joining Mike Van Diest's staff at Carroll the following year.
Fellow former Carroll College assistant Nick Howlett will also be on the Montana staff this summer. The former running back served as offensive coordinator for the Fighting Saints and was also part of the six NAIA national titles. Howlett, the 2004 NAIA assistant coach of the year, now works at First Interstate Bank in Helena.
Red Lodge coach John Fitzgerald joins the staff after leading the Rams to the Class B state semifinals this fall. The 1997 graduate of Columbus High School played at the University of Montana and was a member of the 2001 national championship team. His coaching career began in Cut Bank as an assistant before moving to Red Lodge. Fitzgerald was also named a head coach for the 2020 Montana East-West Shrine Game this summer.
Fairview head coach Levi Seitz is the final member of the Montana staff, bringing with him the experience of an undefeated season and 8-Man state championship. The Warriors won their first 8-Man state championship in convincing fashion, defeating Alberton-Superior 70-8 at Herb Klindt Field on the campus of Rocky Mountain College. Seitz played his high school football at Billings Senior and graduated from the University of Montana in 2013.
The 27th annual Badlands Bowl will see Montana aim for a sixth consecutive win in the series, in which the Treasure State owns a 20-6 record. Montana won eight of the Badlands Bowl games last decade, including last year's 41-14 victory in Miles City.
