FORT SHAW — The Montana Coaches Association announced four new inductees for its hall of fame on Friday.
The latest inductees are Lon Carter of Helena Capital, Steve Komac of Browning, Great Falls High and the University of Providence, Ed McNamee of Great Falls CMR and Great Falls High, and Derek Schulz of Whitefish.
Carter spent 50 of his 62 years in coaching at Capital, serving boys basketball, football, track and field and leading the Bruins strength and conditioning program. He is considered one of the top hurdle coaches in Montana. He spent five years as head boys basketball coach and 21 seasons as head boys track coach, where he won 10 state trophies.
Komac led Great Falls High to three state wrestling championships and nine trophies and had 39 individual state champions and 143 state placers. Komac posted a dual record of 244-85 with the Bison. He has served at the MCA Clinic as the wrestling chairman for 19 years, and was a coach for Team Montana at the national USA wrestling tournament in Fargo, N.D. He has served as Providence's head wrestling coach for the past four years.
McNamee has spent 26 years coaching at both of Great Falls' public schools. As the head swimming coach for both at CMR and Great Falls High since 2003, his teams have won 28 state trophies, including state titles for the Bison girls (2022 and 2023) and and Rustler girls (2008 through 2012). McNamee is a three-time finalist for the NHSACA national swimming coach of the year honor.
Schulz spent his 27-year career at Whitefish, 24 of which were as head coach of the Bulldogs' track and field team. Under his direction, the Whitefish girls won the state title in 2019 while the boys did so eight times — 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2013. Schulz was nominated for MCA coach of the year awards 13 times, and in 2017 was named the NHSACA national boys track and field coach of the year.
The 2023 hall of fame induction will be a part of the MCA awards ceremony in conjunction with the MCA Coaches Clinic on July 27 at 11:30 a.m. in Great Falls at the CM Russell High School Auxiliary Gym.
