Nieskens named new Lady Trojans head coach

A newly hired head coach will bring a wealth of experience and a history of success to the Whitehall High School Girls Basketball team.

Kelly Nieskens was recently hired to take over for Herman Gerving, who resigned at the end of the 2016-17 season. Nieskens was the head coach at Wolf Point High School for five years, and during this time won the 2011 MHSA Class B State Championship. He was named the 2011 Montana Coaches Association Boys Basketball Coach of the Year, and his 2011 team finished the season undefeated. His Wolf Point squad finished second in the state in 2013, and his squads also won numerous Northern B Divisional and District 2B Championships. During the 2016-17 season, he was an assistant coach for the Whitehall High School Boys Basketball and football teams. He has also served as an assistant football coach in Mesquite, Nev., and at Wolf Point Junior High School.

When applying for the job, Nieskens thought he could bring experience to building a program that can complete at all levels, adding this includes having a unified coaching team and program from middle school to high school. The new coaching staff includes assistant Julie Kieckbusch at the high school, and Kerry Sacry and Malcolm Neal at the middle school.

Nieskens also had a personal reason to apply for the job.

"I have two girls myself in fifth and sixth grades next year, so I am personally invested in the success of the girls program for years to come," he said.

During his time in Wolf Point, Nieskens said he learned to develop the unique skill sets of each player and work toward maximizing their potential.

"Then you have to take your individuals and build them into a cohesive team. This is probably the most challenging part of coaching. Having talent does not necessarily make a good team or mean you will have a successful season. You have to have a group of players willing to sacrifice for each other," he said.

The biggest thing Nieskens took away from his prior head-coaching job was that integrity comes before everything else.

"Doing what is right for the team doesn't always please everyone," he said.

After serving as an assistant at Whitehall High School, Nieskens feels there are good kids here and parents who are willing to support their kid's efforts.

"The coaching staffs are a fun group willing to put in countless hours to improve Whitehall athletics," he said.

When his teams take the court, Nieskens is a defensive focused coach that believes in being fundamentally sound and able to adapt the style of play to the kid's abilities and potential.

This summer there will be an open gym five times a week for two hours at a time.

"The opportunity is there for middle and high school girls to attend and put in the time to improve. The coaching staff will be on hand ready and willing to work with the girls that show up," he said.

Nieskens is also a heavily decorated combat veteran. In 2005, he was awarded a Purple Heart with five of his fellow soldiers in the Army National Guard 116th Bridge Combat Team. Nieskens survived five significant IED explosions and a gun shot wound sustained in Hawijah, Iraq in May of 2005. Nieskens also was awarded a Combat Infantry Badge, Army Commendation Medal, and numerous other medals for service during Operation Iraqi Freedom.