MISSOULA — The coaching carousel in the Missoula high school basketball scene continues with two more moves from Class AA programs.
Tyler Hobbs, the Missoula Big Sky girls head basketball coach in 2021-22, has accepted the head coaching job of the Missoula Sentinel girls program. Hobbs confirmed the news with MTN Sports on Saturday morning.
Big Sky boys coach Ryan Hansen has also stepped down from the Eagles program, he also confirmed with MTN Sports.
Hobbs spent one year as the head coach at Big Sky where the Eagles went 6-12. He was Big Sky's fourth head girls basketball coach in as many years. He takes over for Sarah Pfeifer
who spent one year as the head coach at Sentinel as the replacement for longtime coach Karen Deden. Pfeifer recently stepped down from the job.
Hansen steps down from the Big Sky program after leading it to its best season in recent memory. The Eagles went 14-11 in 2021-22, advanced to the State AA basketball tournament for the first time since 2016 and took third at state after beating Billings Senior 52-41.
Hansen spent three years at Big Sky where he amassed a 23-38 record as the Eagles improved each year under his coaching. Hansen, who teaches in Stevensville, is stepping down to spend more time with his family.
"When I took the job I wanted to change the culture and make Big Sky the school kids wanted to not only stay at but wanted to be a part of and I feel like we made some big strides in doing that," Hansen told MTN Sports. "I was very blessed to coach the kids that I did and will truly miss the relationships that I developed with players and coaches in my time at Big Sky."
Big Sky is now looking to fill both of its coaching vacancies. Hobbs' move and Hansen's departure means four of the six Class AA basketball programs in Missoula will have new coaches patrolling the benches in 2022-23.
