The Montana Coaches Association (MCA) is pleased to announce that 5 Montana coaches will be inducted into the MCA Hall of Fame.  The induction ceremony will be a part of the 2021 MCA Awards Ceremony (in conjunction with the MCA Coaches Clinic), on Thursday, July 29, 2020 at 11:30 am in Great Falls at the CM Russell High School Auditorium.  Family and friends are invited.  All attendees are invited to a complimentary luncheon in the CMR cafeteria immediately following the ceremony. Congratulations to these five long-serving, outstanding coaches, and their families!

2021 MCA Hall of Fame Inductees

Cindy Farmer

• Coach Farmer has served in the Montana coaching ranks for 35 years, including assignments in Poplar for 3 years, Belfry for 9 years, and the last 23 years in Hardin.
• Cindy has displayed an amazing coaching versatility at all 3 schools coaching middle school and high school boys’ and girls’ basketball, track & field, volleyball, and cross country.
• At Hardin High School she has continued as head cross country coach for the past 15 years and head basketball coach for 12 years.
• At the competitive Eastern A Division Cross Country meet the Hardin, her teams have won 8 division championships, 4 each for the girls and boys.
• Coach Farmer’s boys’ cross country teams have trophied at the state meet 4 times including 1 third place finish and 3 runners-up. The Lady Bulldogs cross country teams have captured 5 state trophies including 4 state championships in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
• Her girls’ basketball teams have earned 6 state trophies including 5 trips to the State Class A Championship game, winning the championship in 2020. 
• Cindy has twice coached in the Radisson Senior Basketball Classic.
• Coach Farmer has been nominated for MCA Coach of the Year honors on 16 occasions. She has been named Class A Girls Cross Country COY 4 times and was recognized as Class A Girls Basketball COY in 2020.
• Coach Farmer contributes to the MHSA as a member of the basketball rules committee.
• A 35-year member of the MCA, Cindy currently serves on the MCA Executive Board as the Class A Director.

Larry Henderson

• A 40-year veteran of Montana high school coaching including coaching stints at Billings Senior, Peerless, Scobey, Plentywood, and back to Scobey. All totaled, Larry has served 6 years as a head boys’ basketball coach, 9 years as head girls’ basketball coach, 23 years as a head football coach, and 26 years as a head girls’ and boys’ track & field coach.
• Scobey High School is where Coach Henderson made his mark. His track & field teams captured 26 district championships, 13 each for the girls and boys: 14 division championships, 5 with the girls and 9 for the boys. The Spartan boys earned 4 state trophies including state championships in 1996 and 2019.
• As a head football mentor Larry tallied an overall record of 153 wins against 62 loses. His football teams captured 12 district or division championships. 6 of Coach Henderson’s teams advanced to the Class C 8-man semifinals with 4 of those teams playing for the state championship. His teams won back-to-back state championships in 1995 and 1996.
• Five times Coach Henderson has been named the MCA’s Coach of the Year. Twice in football and 3 times for boys’ track & field.
• He has had the good fortune to coach in 5 different all-star football games. 10 Eight-Man games, 2 Class B games, 1 Shrine game, 1 Montana/North Dakota All-star game and once in the Australia Down Under All-star game.
• Larry has served both Scobey and Plentywood High Schools as Activities Director. He was honored by the Northeast MIAAA as AD of the Year in 1996 and 2006.
• Coach Henderson has served the MHSA as Class C Representative, served on the Track & Field Committee and managed 9 MHSA district and divisional track and field meets.

Dell Meuchel

• 37 years of Coach Dell Meuchel’s 39 years in Montana high school coaching were spent coaching student athletes Cut Bank High School.
• As a valued assistant coach, Dell played a major role in the success of the Wolves football and wrestling programs. As assistant wrestling coach for 11 years, he was a part of 6 division championships and 2 state championships. For 28 years he serving as defensive coordinator for the Wolves football team, winning 12 conference championships and 3 state championships.
• For Cut Bank High School the success continued as Coach Meuchel coached 34 years with the Cut Bank track & field program. For 15 years Dell was an assistant boys’ coach as they captured 3 district or divisional championships and 1 state championship. As a girls’ assistant his Wolves won 11 district or division championships and 2 state championships.
• Coach Meuchel was the head girls track & field coach from 1991 until he retired in 2013.  In 2002 he added head boys’ track & field coach to his resume.
• As head girls’ track & field coach Dell’s teams tallied 10 district or division championships.  4 times they earned a trophy at the state track meet and in 2010 the Wolves won the Class B Girls State Championship.
• A 44-year member of the MCA, Dell has been honored with nominations for the Class B Girls Track & Field COY 5 times and was selected Coach of the Year by his peers in 1995 and 2010.
• Coach Meuchel served 6 years as the Class B Representative on the MHSA Track Rules Committee.

Les Meyer

• Coach Les Meyer’s high school coaching was spent at Fairfield High School. During that time, he served as head track & field coach 4 years, activities director 4 years and head football coach for 23 years.
• As head football coach for the Eagles, his teams recorded 181 victories and 58 loses, for a 76% winning percentage.
• Coach Meyer’s head football coaching tenure with Fairfield High School accounted for 11 district or division championships in the always rugged Northern B Division.
• Under Coach Meyer’s direction Fairfield played in 12 semi-final play-off games, advancing to the state championship 8 times.  3 times the Eagles were crowned state champions, in 2011, 2015, and 2018.
• Nominated 12 times for the MCA Class B Football Coach of the Year, Coach Meyer was honored in 2011, 2015, and 2018 as Class B Football Coach of the Year.
• Les was twice nominated for NHSACA national Football Coach of the Year.
• In 2004 Les was chosen as the Montana delegate to the annual NFL Youth Leadership Summit in Canton, Ohio.
• As a member of the MCA, Les has been a speaker 4 times at the MCA Summer Coaches Clinic.  He also presented at the 2017 NHSACA Annual Convention.
• Les held the position as Class B Representative on the MHSA Resolution Committee for 16 years and has also managed 21 district or divisional track meets for the MHSA.

George Nelson

• 40 years marks the coaching tenure for Coach George Nelson, all of those years at Roberts High School. All totaled, he served Roberts Junior High and High School in all seasons, coaching all levels of football, cross country, boys’ and girls’ basketball, track& field, and serving 8 years as activities director.
• As the head boys’ basketball coach for 8 years, Coach Nelson led the Rockets to 2 district championships and 2 divisional championships. They advanced to the Class C State Basketball Tournament in 2002 and 2003, seizing a state championship in 2003.
• In 10 years as the Roberts High School cross country coach his teams brought home hardware from the State Class C Cross Country Meet 7 times; the boys 3 times, including a state championship in 1989 and the girls 4 times, resulting in state championships in 1992 and 1996.
• Coach Nelson was nominated for MCA Coach of the Year honors 9 times. George was selected Coach of the Year 4 times in 3 different categories: once as the 1989 Class C Boys Cross Country COY, twice as the Class C Girls Cross Country COY in 1992 and 1996, and as the 2002 Class C Boys Basketball COY.
• Coach Nelson has had opportunity to coach 5 times in the Girls’ Basketball Treasure State Classic and 3 times in the Radisson Boys’ Basketball Tournament.