Erickson Named Montana Coach Of The Year

On behalf of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), Amber Erickson, girls basketball coach for the North Country Mavericks, was selected to receive the 2022-23 Montana Coach of the Year Award.

In addition to coaching the girls basketball team, Erickson is also the assistant coach for the North Country Mavericks volleyball team, who clinched the third place trophy, for the second year in a row, for Class C in the All-Class Volleyball Tournament this past November in Bozeman.

During the 2022-23 basketball season, Erickson brought home the first co-op State Basketball title with the Mavericks winning all games at State by double digits in Billings. In her 22 seasons of coaching, she has been to the State tournament seven times and has only had one one losing season in all of her coaching years.

As she told the Phillips County News, "This season, our motto is to Enjoy the Journey!" Mavericks Head Coach Amber Erickson said. "Although we lost some big pieces from our State Championship team last year, we bring back a lot of talent in our upperclassmen and solid underclassmen as well. We are focused and locked in on making another solid run at another State Championship but want to make sure we enjoy every part of that journey along the way."

When she is not coaching, she teaches a little bit of everything at Saco School from physical education to history and also serves as the school counselor.

Erickson was one of 19 coaches specifically nominated by the Montana High School Association as the most deserving recipients for this honor. The NFHS relies on its member state associations to recognize those who are leading their sport, shaping their students and contributing in a positive way to their community.

Honorees were selected based upon their coaching performance in the 2022-23 school year, community involvement, school involvement and philosophy of coaching.

Montana Coaches

Of The Year

Amber Erickson – Girls Basketball

Tyson Anderson – Softball

Pat Duchien – Football

Jesse Zentz - Girls Track & Field

Casey Jermyn – Boys Cross Country

Jim O'Neil - Boys Golf

Nolan Trafton – Girls Soccer

Cindy Farmer – Girls Cross Country

Anita Foster – Girls Volleyball

Tim Kaczmarek – Wrestling

Robyn O'Nan – Girls Swimming and Diving

Spencer Huls – Boys Track and Field

Brad Fisher – Baseball

Scott Sparks – Boys Basketball

Jay Anderson – Boys Soccer

Brady Baughman – Boys Swimming and Diving

Patti Danforth – Boys Tennis

Mark Torney – Girls Golf

Molly Pasma – Girls Tennis