George Ferguson Column: We need more coaches to follow in Cody's footsteps

When it comes to coaching, there’s certainly no substitute for experience. And yet, coaches can’t gain experience unless they’re actually coaching.

So, when an experienced coach moves on, it can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, the program he or she just left will certainly feel the void left behind, but at the same time, it can also open a spot up for a young coach to cut his or her teeth, to get his or her feet wet.

Indeed,. It works both ways. And so, I’m sure after the announcement that, North Star head coach Cody Donoven had decided to step away from the boys basketball program, someone will certainly end up rising to the occasion, and possibly, a young coach will get that position. In my opinion, there’s no better place than the District 9C to get started coaching basketball.

Yet, because North Star is such a tight-knit community, or actually four communities, and because basketball is so important to the culture of the school, Donoven’s void will be felt.

And there will be a void there for multiple reasons.

First and foremost, Cody is a really good basketball coach. He’s knowledgeable, intelligent, and he truly has a passion for the game. He also has a passion for the 9C. In fact, it’s all Cody’s ever known. He played basketball in the 9C, and he’s a veteran of the 9C coaching ranks. So again, his experience will be sorely missed.

Donoven also had something else that made his time as North Star’s head coach unique — he was coaching at his alma mater. Yes, Donoven played for the program that he eventually became the head coach of, and, speaking from experience, it doesn’t get much better than that.

I have been blessed to coach the sport I love, for the school I graduated from, for going on 19 years now. And, honestly, I couldn’t imagine coaching tennis anywhere else. It wouldn’t matter how much money I could have made somewhere else, or no matter how nice the facilities were, or how good the athletes are, coaching at Havre High is special. It’s in my heart, and because I have been a Blue Pony all my life, I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere but HHS.

I know Cody Donoven feels that way about North Star, and about the Hi-Line. He grew up there, he played basketball there, and he’s been coaching there. I know that means a lot to him. I know it matters to him, because I know Cody well, and I know how proud he is of his school. And I know how proud he is of his boys basketball program.

And because of all that, I know how hard it probably was for him to step away from coaching the Knights, for the second time in his career, too. I know it was hard, and I know next winter, when he’s not taking bus trips to Turner, and Chinook, or Havre for the 9C tourney, I know it will be tough, because he loves it.

I know Cody will miss it. And guess what? We’ll miss Cody, too. We’ll miss him on the bench, and in the gym, and the hospitality room at the 9C tournament. North Star, and the rest of us who know Cody as well as we do, we’ll miss him just as much as hell miss all of this.

We’ll miss Cody because he’s a darn good basketball coach, his players will miss him because they look up to him, and I’ll miss him coaching because he’s my friend and I admire him and respect him.

At the same time, we can also know that, because of coaches like Cody, North Star, and the 9C are in a better place, and because of how he’s left things, he’s also giving an opportunity to a young coach to step up and possibly become, the next Cody Donoven.