Bruce Carpenter has impacted many lives and been a role model to all;  he will be missed in the hallways of Cotter.

On January 22nd he  announced to student body that he was leaving and taking on a new job as the offensive coordinator  for the University of Western Montana.

One of his good friends, whom he worked with at Winona State, recommended him to the former head coach. Carpenter said, “Coaching is like many other professions, it is very important to have good relationships with everyone you come into contact with because knowing someone is always the first step to getting a job.”

He had the opportunity to talk with the head coach, Mick Delaney, about his philosophies on coaching, and what qualities they were looking for, Coach Carpenter had everything Delaney was looking forl. The move will take Carpenter to Dillon, Montana.

Mr. Carpenter has enjoyed the seven years he has been connected with Cotter and the three years that he worked here, but he decided he wanted to take a different path.

Of course he had to take many things into consideration, like his family and their plans. They want to be together as soon as possible but with coaching he needed to report to Montana in February. Mrs. Carpenter and their two kids will be staying in Winona to sell their house and make other preparations.

“It is tough to be a coaches wife but she is great and is always understanding, ” said Mr. Carpenter.

He loved many things about coaching at Cotter.. He loved the people and the relationships and the support of the teachers and administration. The thing he loved the most though was, the athletes that he was able to help in many sorts of ways, and the athletes that were able to change the way they approached things.

“What I will miss most about Coach Carpenter is, his leadership and the fact that he was always there to assure everything was going to be okay,” former player George Weege said.

Seth Haun is someone who has always been close with Mr. Carpenter. They played football together at Winona State and have taught and coached together at Cotter.

“ Mr. Carpenter has  always had a positive attitude and was always willing to do a little bit extra for players or students that asked for the help,” said Mr. Haun, adding “ he was a very well-respected individual and will be hard to replace.”

          Carpenter said he will never forget his experiences and memories here. Some of his favorite are overnights for football, summer work with kids, service work with the football team when he could see the message of service getting to them, and one on one meetings with students and player because he felt like he was making a difference in their lives.

Jason Klug, a former football player who attends Hope Lutheran,  said that he loved how Coach Carpenter gave him the chance to play and build character that he otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance too.

Carpenter said that football was more than just a game. It is a way to bring young men into adulthood with the proper values and perspectives.

We wish Mr. Carpenter the best as he brings this message to the student athletes of Western Montana.