BILLINGS — Collegiately, it's somewhat common to witness the dynamics of fathers coaching sons. But the sight of fathers coaching daughters through those years seems a lot more rare, currently adding a special layer to rodeo here in Montana.
Kyle Whitaker is in charge of Montana State's men and women. His daughter, Jenae, is a junior specializing in goat tying and breakaway roping. These school years may mark the most time they’ve spent together since their days in Nebraska.
"He grew up pro rodeoing (in Nebraska) while I was doing my junior high and high school rodeos, so a lot of times I was with my grandparents. My dad was always the one I called after my runs," Jenae recalled. "Now, it's like I'm calling my grandparents again after my runs."
The father-daughter dynamic offers both advantages and challenges.
"You know how it is — sometimes you just don’t want to listen to a family member. Sometimes she gets mad at me, and that’s why it’s good to have Savannah (Bolich) as my assistant coach," Kyle said with a smile.
"I definitely go to my friends a lot because they’re very accomplished in their own right," Jenae added. "Our women’s coach, Savannah, is mainly how I try to separate that."
Kyle acknowledged the challenges of coaching his daughter: "You also don’t want the other teammates to say, ‘Oh, he’s babying his kid.’ I try to treat her like the other ones for the most part … and probably I’m harder on her."
But despite these challenges, "he knows what to say to get me dialed in sometimes, so it works good," Jenae said.
Conversely, Shawn McGinley is the head coach at Dawson Community College. His daughter Meghan rodeoed for Whitaker at Montana State. Meanwhile, his younger daughter Erin currently competes against Shawn at the University of Montana Western.
"The glory of that is, I think both those girls ended up at programs that fit them really well," Shawn said. "I respect both the coaches there, and that’s been really good."
Both Meghan and Erin were already in college before Shawn began his coaching career at DCC. However, both admit they briefly considered joining him in Glendive.
"I think the one aspect that drew me away from it was, I love having that buddy relationship with my dad, and I don’t always want to be ‘coach’s daughter,’" Erin explained.
"If DCC wasn’t a two-year school, I probably would’ve rodeoed for my dad. But I guess Kyle Whitaker is second best," Meghan said laughing.
Shawn's upbringing adds even more irony to the situation. He grew up in Dillon, rodeoed at UM Western and graduated from Montana State, anchoring him to both of his daughters’ schools.
"They’ve been really gracious to me to work with them, and they allow me a lot of latitude just being Dad," Shawn said of Kyle Whitaker and Western coach JT Robbins.
Occasionally, Shawn can be seen coaching Erin from inside the box before her run.
"My dad knows my horses a little bit better, and if I get nervous, he can talk me down. And then JT, he gives me advice. Obviously, he’s there with me through practice. I really respect him as a coach," Erin said graciously.
The same support was extended to Shawn and Meghan during her time at Montana State.
"He’s still her dad and has coached her all the way up until now," Kyle said. "Sometimes I asked Shawn, ‘Do you want to go in the box with her?’ And usually he had me go in."
"I think once you get to this level — as much as I’ve appreciated my dad and loved everything he’s done for me and taught me — at this point it’s kind of like, you’re on your own," Meghan reflected.
And for Erin, the fire to beat Dad still burns as time fades on her senior season with the Bulldogs.
"I always say, ‘Dawgs on top,’ and we just always have that fun little back and forth," Erin said with a smile. "But it’s awesome."
As for Jenae Whitaker on planting roots with her dad in Bozeman, “This is the best ever, to get to rodeo for Montana State. I love it so much."
