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Havre High graduate Eric Peterson has had a highly-successful career coaching girls basketball at Helena High. Earlier this week, Peterson announced he was stepping down so that he can spend more time with his family.
The Havre High coaching tree is long and distinguished. But for now, one former Blue Pony with an impeccable girls basketball coaching record is stepping away.
Former Pony Eric Peterson announced, via a Helena Public Schools press release earlier this week, that he is stepping down as the head girls basketball coach at Helena High. Peterson is a graduate of Havre High and Carroll College.
In seven seasons in charge of the Helena girls basketball program, Peterson posted a record of 97-55, and during that time, he led the Bengals to Class AA state championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
"Coach Peterson has had an incredible career at Helena High. Three consecutive state championships speak for themselves, but just as important has been the way that success has been achieved. Coach Peterson has overseen a quality program whose participants learned so much more than basketball. He has served as a mentor to his players as well as other coaches. He is a true supporter of all programs and all participants in activities at Helena High. It has been a pleasure to work with him and the girls basketball program will miss his leadership," Helena activities director Tim McMahon said in the press release.
"I love everything about it," Peterson said to the Helena IR's Chris Peterson. "I love the relationships we have built as coaches and with the girls. Everyone says it's about family these days but for me that's the reason. I have a son who is going to be in eighth grade next year and then he will be on to high school.
"I always told myself, I am never going to miss his stuff for my stuff," he added. "And that's what it comes down to. Coaching takes a lot out of you. It takes a lot of time and dedication and I feel like I have missed enough already of my kids' things, so I just need to take a step back and be there for them."
Coach Peterson's team finished the 2019-2020 season with a 9-12 overall record, but said he feels he is leaving the HHS program in good shape, and while he knows how much success he's had, he'll miss much more than just what happens on the court.
"I didn't want to leave when the cupboard was bare," He said to the Helena IR. "And the cupboard is far from bare. We have some great kids coming back and some solid eighthgraders coming in. Helena High will compete for years.
"It's not the win or the losses, and I have had plenty of both, that I will remember," Peterson said. "The memories that have been created through my 11 years at Helena High, my two years in Boulder and three years in Idaho coaching will stick with me. I have been around a lot of great people who have impacted my life in a positive way so that's the No. 1 thing I will remember."
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