Many coaches can give advice on how to become a great athlete, but Ryan McDermott, Shelby Coyote girls' basketball coach, believes there are many things you can do as an athlete like sacrifice, hard work, discipline, mental toughness, coachability and intelligence. While McDermott was also an athlete, he spent many years coaching basketball at the high school and college level giving him multiple perspectives and meaningful experiences.
McDermott was recruited to play at Carroll College as a preferred walk-on. He was a non-scholarship player with a guaranteed spot on the team. In the fall of 2001, McDermott’s sophomore year in college, he was offered a choice to be a player or a student-assistant coach with a scholarship, he chose to be a coach to help pay for school.
Coaching at Carroll was just the start of many years of coaching for McDermott. He said, “I have coached many different levels, from young kids and junior high to college and the NCAA tournament.” McDermott coached for 13 years before he came back and started assistant coaching for the Coyotes. He assisted with coaching the boys' team and eventually took the position as the head coach for the Shelby girls.
McDermott said his favorite thing about coaching is the kids. He loves to see kids pushing themselves, growing, learning, and maturing through sports. He is respected by both players and parents. Parent and teacher, Kristi Calvery, said: “I really appreciate Ryan as a coach because he has high expectations, but he also really cares about his players and is very encouraging. He has really helped my daughter and many of the SHS students gain confidence.”
While McDermott has many highlights from his years coaching, his most recent one is when the girls won the District B championship in 2023.
Not only is McDermott a coach but he has recently moved back to Shelby and started a bakery “The Whistle Stop” with his wife, Monique. His father owned the building the bakery is currently in and wanted to turn it into an ice cream shop. McDermott and his wife proposed the idea of the bakery and his father agreed as long as they sell ice cream as well.
As the McDermotts made plans to open the bakery, they wanted to incorporate the train station, as it is a big part of Shelby. They talked about a few but decided they liked the sound of the Whistle Stop. Whistle Stop Bakery and Coffee Shop was the final decision, and it is currently open on the east end of Main Street.
The bakery has become a place where memories are made. There was a night when the bakery was turned into a pizza place and the girls' basketball team got to make pizzas and breadsticks in the oven. Also, recently the Christmas elves took over the kitchen and made a mess baking cookies and peppermint bark that was sold during the Christmas Stroll.
McDermott was born and raised in Shelby, Montana. He did not live too far from the school, so he said he walked to school every day. One of his favorite memories growing up is that no matter the sporting event, everyone went to the games and supported the Coyotes. He graduated from Shelby High School in 2000 and moved to Helena.
Basketball has been a part of McDermott's life since he can remember. His brothers had a lot of influence on him playing basketball. McDermott said, “basketball was always a family activity, until a fight broke out between me and my brothers, and we would get in trouble.”
He still plays basketball as a hobby and competitively, and spring basketball tournaments are still one of his favorite things to do. Another activity McDermott enjoys doing is water skiing. It is more of a hobby now, but he used to compete regionally and nationally. He is still ranked in the top 50 of his age group for slalom skiing.
McDermott is a major part of the community and is an inspiration to students, athletes, and the community.