Glacier Coach Wins National Spirit Award
May 17, 2018
By HILARY MATHESON Daily Inter Lake
Glacier High School football coach Grady Bennett has been named the Most Spirited Coach by Varsity Brands.
The announcement was made Saturday during the Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards. Glacier High School will receive $3,000 as part of the award.
The award recognizes a successful coach who makes the connection between athletic involvement, academic achievement and good character while prioritizing sportsmanship according to Varsity Brands. Glacier Assistant Principal and Activities Director Mark Dennehy nominated Bennett for the award. Bennett was among 12 finalists from around the country up for the award.
Bennett’s winning traits are described by Varsity Brands:
“Grady Bennett took a football team that was defeated in their season, and implemented an outstanding regimen of preparation, academic achievement and character development education to completely turn the program around. Coach Bennett’s greatest gift, however, was to provide his team with a purposeful character education program called Pack Strength. Teaching the proper way to treat women and the use of social media are a small sampling of specific lessons that his players receive. His philosophy towards the game has helped countless young boys grow into productive young men.”
This will is Bennett’s 15th year as head football coach. On the field, Bennett guided Glacier to its first Class AA football championship in 2014, finishing with a 13-0 record. The Wolfpack were state runners-up in 2013 and 2016. In the classroom, he teaches business classes.