RUPERT — For more than a quarter century, two men have occupied Minico’s corner of the wrestling mat. That will change starting this winter.
Head wrestling coach Brad Cooper and longtime assistant Steve Barnes have each resigned.
“It’s bittersweet,” Cooper said. “It’s been my life for several years and it’s a tough thing to give up. I’m getting old and decrepit, and I’ve got some things I want to do.”
Cooper, who started coaching at Minico in 1983, led the Spartans to 16 district team championships and a state title in 2006. Minico finished in the state’s top four on nine occasions in Cooper’s tenure. In addition, Cooper coached 22 individual state champions and 98 top four state placers.
Along the way, Barnes has been Cooper’s right-hand man.
“They’re like Batman and Robin,” said former Minico athletic director Tim Perrigot. “Between the two of them, the program has to be one of the best-ran programs in the nation. You can’t say enough great things about them and the program they built. They have great respect in this community and across the state.”
After so many years, Cooper and Barnes said it was simply time to step down.
“Brad and I coached for 24 years together, and had nothing but fun doing it,” said Barnes. “We have talked long and hard about this for the last couple years and we’re going to miss it. We both still love it.”
Both men will continue their teaching duties at the school, and Barnes will remain as the football team’s offensive coordinator.
Cooper said he has been thinking about walking away for a few years, but waited until the right replacement came along. Justin Gardner has been hired to take over the program.
“Wrestling has been in my blood since the day I was born,” Gardner said. “I’ve always known I wanted to coach and I’m excited to coach at Minico.”
Gardner is the son of Dale Gardner, who coached at Bonneville High for 23 years and is now the school’s athletic director. Perrigot said Dale Gardner is highly respected in the sport, and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
“We weren’t just looking for a coach, we want a teacher, too,” Perrigot said. “The kids love him. We’re getting the whole package with a guy like him.”
Gardner was an academic all-American wrestler at the University of Great Falls. He will teach biology, human anatomy and physiology at Minico.
“He’s an outstanding young man,” Cooper said of Gardner. “He’s very knowledgeable about the sport and he’s been around wrestling his whole life. I think he’ll do an outstanding job. The reason I stuck around another year or two is because I wanted to make sure it was in good hands.”
Cooper and Barnes each said they would remain involved in wrestling to a certain degree.
“We’re going to help Justin when and where he needs a little help — if he needs help at all,” Barnes said. “It’s his program now. He’s going to come in and take off running with it. … Physically we couldn’t get on the mat with the kids like we used to. The neat thing with Justin coming in is he’ll be able to get on the mat and work with the kids on the mat like we used to.”
Gardner said he would gladly accept the help.
“Being a first-year coach, there’s some nerves there, but Brad Cooper is a great guy, he’s built a great program and he’s going to help me out,” Gardner said. “I have confidence that we’re going to continue the winning tradition at Minico.”
