Cindy Farmer, Larry Henderson, Dell Meuchel, Les Meyer and George Nelson have been selected to be inducted into the Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the MCA announced this week.
The induction ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 29, at CM Russell High School in Great Falls in conjunction with the MCA Coaches Clinic.
Farmer has served in the Montana coaching ranks for 35 years, including stops at Poplar, Belfry and Hardin. She's been at Hardin the past 23 years, spending the past 15 as the head cross country coach and past 12 as the head girls basketball coach. In cross country, Farmer has led the Bulldogs to four boys state trophies (one third and three runner-up finishes) and five girls state trophies, including championships in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. On the basketball floor, Farmer has led the Bulldogs to six state trophies. They've advanced to five Class A state championship games, sharing the state title in 2020.
Henderson is a 40-year Montana coaching veteran and has had stints at Billings Senior, Peerless, Scobey (twice) and Plentywood. He's coach boys and girls basketball, football and boys and girls track and field. At Scobey, his teams captured 26 track and field district championships (13 each for boys and girls) and 14 division championships (nine boys, five girls). The Spartan boys have earned four state trophies, including championships in 1996 and 2019. Henderson also coached four teams in 8-Man football state championship games, winning state titles in 1995 and 1996.
Muechel has coached in Montana for 39 years, with 37 of those coming at Cut Bank, where he's mentored athletes in football, wrestling and track and field. Muechel was part of two state championship wrestling teams, three state championship football teams and three state championship track and field teams (one boys, two girls) as an assistant coach. Meuchel was Cut Bank's head girls track and field coach from 1991-2013 and the head boys track and field coach from 2002-2013.
Meyer made his name as the Fairfield football coach, where he guided the Eagles for 23 years. His teams recorded 181 wins and 58 losses for a 76% winning percentage and won 11 district or division championships. The Eagles advanced to the Class B state championship game eight times during Meyer's tenure, winning titles in 2011, 2015 and 2018. Meyer also coached the Fairfield track and field program for four years.
Nelson coached at Roberts for 40 years, coaching junior high and high school teams at all levels in all seasons: football, cross country, boys and girls basketball and track and field. He was the head boys basketball coach for eight years, leading the Rockets to two district championships, two division titles and a state championship in 2003. In 10 years as Roberts' cross country coach, Nelson helped the Rockets bring home seven state trophies, including a boys championship in 1989 and girls championships in 1992 and 1996.
