Coulter Named Among List of Montana's Greatest Athletes

Jerry Coulter, longtime Broadus Coach and Teacher, was recently honored among an elite group, in Jeff Welsch's book Montana Greats: From A (Absarokee) to Z (Zurich), the greatest athletes from 264 Montana communities. In the book, Welsch, the Montana sports editor for Lee Newspapers, details the exploits of top athletes from around the state, and Coulter is named as the top athlete to come out of Brusett, Montana, in Northwestern Garfield County.

Though Brusett is certainly a small community, Coulter's early athletic accomplishments would likely put him in the running as the top athlete to come out of many other communities. Jerry's baseball career began early, playing catch with his dad. After years of little league, Jerry was given the option to play ball at a school in Pennsylvania, where he would be afforded better opportunities than the baseball programs available in the 50s and 60s in Eastern Montana, but Jerry didn't want to leave the ranch so he stayed and continued to play locally. In Coulter's formative years he painted a strike zone on the side of a wooden granary at the family ranch, where he could practice his pitching. Coulter told us that he spent so much time throwing into the strike zone that eventually he pitched a hole into the boards, leaking out enough barley to attract the family milk cow, which promptly ate the barley and keeled over, dead. Jerry no longer needed to milk that cow, much to his father's chagrin.

Coulter would continue his hard throwing in high school at Jordan, where he played baseball with his friends, breaking two picture windows of a nearby house – Jerry's dad thought at that point it might be time to change sports, and indeed he did since Jordan didn't have a baseball program at the time. Jerry excelled in other sports in high school, using his strong throwing arm as a quarterback on the football team, and using his speed to run back two 100 yards interception returns in 1967. Apparently the first was called back on a penalty; Coulter promptly intercepted the next pass, running it back once again for a touchdown. Coulter played on the first Jordan basketball team to ever make the Class C state tourney, in 1966, and averaged over 20 points a game during the 1968 season, including one game where he scored 16 in the first quarter, going 8 for 8 from what now would be 3 point range, which wouldn't be implemented until the 1980s. In 1968, Coulter was the MVP of football, basketball, and track at Jordan, where he would set the district High Jump record of 6 feet, using the "Eastern Roll", a technique that would evolve into the now famous Fosbury Flop used today.

Following graduation Coulter went back to his first love, baseball, and in 1969 Jerry walked-on to the MSU baseball team in Bozeman, eventually earning a scholarship in the process. Working as a relief pitcher, in his first game against Weber State Jerry threw three perfect innings. In his next game against Idaho State, Coulter struck out his first eight batters in three innings of work. Coulter would go on to pitch relief for the Cats for three years, until their baseball program was disbanded in 1971. Jerry had three wins and two losses in each of those years, at one point pitching in two games in one day, both for wins. In 1971, Coulter went 4 for 10 as a batter for a .400 average - excellent hitting for a pitcher, who normally has limited hitting practice, and especially as a relief pitcher with limited at-bats.

In 1972, while stationed at Aberdeen, Maryland with the Army, Coulter continued to play on the field, receiving a certificate of appreciation from his company executive officer and having a "Jerry Coulter Day" named for him after his excellent work on the field.

Coulter would return to Montana, playing on softball teams in Jordan and later in Broadus and Miles City. Jerry was instrumental in getting the Little League Program going in Broadus, and has been a part of that program for 45 years. Coulter built the field by the pool which now bears his name, and which football teams practiced on in the late 1970s, before the current field behind the school was built.

Coulter will reach the 50 year milestone in officiating basketball this fall, beginning during his college days at MSU, officiating games in the Gallatin Valley.

Jerry told us that he has coached over 170 different Junior High and High School teams in Broadus over the years, including 19 years as a head basketball coach, taking two girls teams and two boys teams to state, and placing third in state with the 1976-77 boys team.

Jerry's love for the game of baseball has been conferred on to his children and grandkids; his son Jason was the captain of the baseball team at Dickinson State, and Jerry's step-son, Scott Bischke, excelled at baseball at the University of South Dakota. Jerry's grandkids continue the family's love for the sport.

In recognition of years of service to the athletic community, Jerry and his wife, Barb, were presented with lifetime passes to all high school and college games, in perpetuity, courtesy of the Montana High School Association.

Coulter told us that he couldn't of done all of this without the love and support of his family, as well as the good kids and parents who worked hard and gave their all.

Jerry has no plans on retiring as of yet.

For those interested in Welsch's book, or to see who made the cut from other Montana towns, copies are available from Riverbend Publishing.