Leaving the pool deck: HHS's Inman retires

There is always somewhat of an adjustment period when a coach chooses to change programs or retire. But some cases are a little more special than others, and the Havre Community Swimming Pool is going to look a lot different next winter.

Veteran Havre High swim coach Chris Inman has been a staple in Havre Swimming for 25 years, and staple in Havre High Blue Pony swimming for 14 seaons. But every coach has to hang up their clipboard sometime, and after a very long, and successful career, that time is now for coach Inman.

“I have done it for so long,” Inman said. “The program can only go so far under one person, and I finally decided that it is time for somebody else to take over and move it in a different direction. I am kind of old and burnt out to be completely honest, but it is time for somebody else to coach.

“I have enjoyed every single kid that I have coached over the years,” Inman added. “I watched them grow over the years, ... however many years they swam in high school, and then I got to watch them go off to college and be successful in other areas of their life. And different kids always return to Havre, and come by the pool to see how the program is doing, so it has always been like a family atmosphere, and it has been a great ride, and a lot of fun.”

Inman is as decorated as any coach in swimming after her long career.

Inman began coaching the Lions swim team in 1988, and then took over the Havre High program in 1999. Overall, she has earned 19 team state championships, including 16 with the Ponies. And in the midst of her great reign, the Ponies had a couple of very impressive streaks. From 1999 to 2010, the HHS girls won 10 consecutive Class A team titles. And from 1999 to 2003, the HHS boys also won four consecutive team titles. To top it all off, Inman was also nominated as the Montana Coaches Association Specialties Coach of the Year every year she coached, and won the coveted award six times. Inman has also been in the running for National Swim Coach of the year twice, including this year.

When coach Inman first took over the lead role at HHS, it is hard to say anybody knew just how much success she and the Blue Ponies would find. But Inman can look back at her career and appreciate her past swimmers and great streak of titles.

“I coached a lot of kids from the time they were five or six,” Inman said. “And swimming for the Lions swim team. I knew that we had a good group of kids when I took over, and they just blossomed in high school. We found a lot of success, and the kids always represented Havre very well. But I have to say that the first four state championships we won were awesome. Both the boys and girls won, and I don’t know of any other sports in Montana that can say they had both the boys and girls teams win four consecutive like that. Every single championship we won was awesome, and every kid was awesome, but that run sticks out to me. And we come together for alumni day, we all sit down and talk about the good times, and it was a lot of fun.”

Inman, who is the Havre Parks and Recreation director, isn’t leaving much room in the trophy case for her replacement. She is, however, leaving big shoes to fill. And after her 25 years of coaching, Inman is ready to sit back and see what level the Blue Pony program moves to next.