Dan McLaughlin is a long-time football coach who spent 15 years as the head coach at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska.

The Sheridan, Montana native retired from the NCAA Division II school as the program’s leader in wins. That career came after a long run as a high school coach and several stops as a college assistant. That includes a short stop as an assistant at the University of Nebraska, where he says winning was a “relief” instead of a joy.

Before serving in the Air Force in the mid 1970s and playing basketball at an NAIA school in Nebraska, Coach was a three-sport athlete for the Sheridan Panthers. He was on the 1972 Panther team that fell to Westby in the Class C State championship game.

About 15 years ago, I wrote a column in The Montana Standard trying to prod the activities directors of the Montana Class AA schools into adding divisional basketball tournaments. In that column, I listed the phone numbers of all the ADs in the Class AA, asking people to call them and tell them they wanted divisionals.

At the end of the column, as a goof, I included my number. That is when the head football coach at Wayne State called me out of the blue to tell me a couple of things. One, he said he called because I was silly enough to give my number. Also, he said he read my columns.

Coach and I have been friends ever since. We text each other every Sunday to either complain about the Chicago Bears’ latest loss or to revel in their victory

Coach is in town for a few days to visit his father, who is staying in an assisted living facility in Butte. So, earlier today, I met Coach inside the Metals Sports Bar and Grill for a fun conversation.

Listen in as Coach talks about growing up in Sheridan and playing against the rival Twin Bridges Falcons. Listen as he talks about his decision to join the Air Force and how he got into coaching.

Listen in to hear that he is still coaching today, serving as a high school offensive line coach for a team led by his son.

Listen in to hear why Coach became a Bears fan and I why I like him so much. I think you will, too.

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