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Wrestling

Jeff Thompson Inducted into Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Flathead coach honored for decades of coaching excellence on the mats

By Micah Drew
Jeff Thompson, head coach of Flathead wrestling. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

The Montana Coaches Association announced that Flathead High School wrestling coach Jeff Thompson would be among a group of five inductees to the MCA hall of fame. 

A three-time state champion at Great Falls High and a collegiate wrestler at the University of Minnesota, Thompson previously coached the Braves from 2000-2008, building a program that produced 107 state placers, 48 state finalists and 13 state champions. Flathead won titles in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and was ranked 10th nationally in 2008. The National Wrestling Coaches Association twice named Thompson the organization’s regional coach of the year.

But the consuming nature of coaching had taken away from his life as a father and husband, and in 2008, Thompson decided to step down. He still helped with youth wrestling programs but his days leading the high school team were over … until they weren’t. 

In 2016, Thompson decided he was missing a piece of his life and after an eight-year hiatus stepped back into the role of a high school wrestling coach. 

Since taking over as the head Braves wrestling coach again, Thompson’s athletes have claimed six state championships, including back-to-back titles for both the boys and girls teams in 2021 and 2022.  

The induction ceremony will be a part of the 2022 MCA Awards Ceremony (in conjunction with the MCA Coaches Clinic) on Thursday, July 28, at 11:30 a.m. in Great Falls at the CM Russell High School Auditorium.