Area star Bellach to coach boys basketball at Manhattan

DAN CHESNET

Belgrade News Sports Editor

Caleb Bellach had a decorated prep and collegiate basketball career and briefly played professionally overseas. Now he’s adding head coach to a growing resume.

Monday night, the Manhattan School Board approved Bellach as the new head coach for the boys basketball program at the high school. He replaces Mike Deming, who stepped away earlier this spring after three seasons at the helm in his second stint with the Tigers.

“Caleb was an exceptional player, and many of our current athletes can recall his success in high school and college,” Manhattan Athletic Director Nate Parseghian said in a statement. “As he transitions into coaching, I am confident he will bring the same drive and work ethic to lead our program while also serving as a role model to our students who have a desire to achieve their goals.”

Bellach, 24, led Manhattan Christian to three state Class C championship games, winning the last appearance in 2019 to cap a perfect 26-0 campaign. He graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,553 points before playing two seasons at Montana State and then transferring to Montana Tech in Butte.

In his three years with the Orediggers, Bellach tallied 1,344 points and 357 rebounds and earned NAIA All-American honors. Montana Tech won three conference titles, three conference tournament titles and boasted an 83-17 record.

In addition, Bellach was named the Frontier Conference Player of the Year as a junior and is among just 12 players in program history to score more than 1,000 points.

Bellach earned an opportunity to play professionally in Germany this past fall but left the team and returned to the United States after about two months. With no real plan in place, he wasn’t sure what the next step would be, although basketball was still at the forefront.

That’s when Elizabeth Gosar reached out about coaching the C-squad at Pinedale High School in Pinedale, Wyo. Gosar is the school’s head boys basketball coach, and Bellach played with her eldest son in AAU basketball.

“I’ve been friends with that family for a long time,” Bellach said. “They’re really good people and she gave me an opportunity, and I fell in love with it down there. I came back and I was like, ‘I think I want to keep doing this,’ and here we are.”

When Bellach learned of the opening at Manhattan, he applied for the position. While his coaching experience is limited, Bellach feels he has a lot to offer to the program.

“I think I was a decent enough player to at least warrant an interview. I feel like I just put my best foot forward,” he said. “Obviously, there’s going to be some growing pains because I’ve never been in this position. But I feel like I’m at a point in my life and basketball career where I’m still kind of fresh out of playing and I feel like I can relate to the boys. I just feel like I can relate to the guys and just bring that energy and enthusiasm back to Manhattan.”

Bellach can also draw from his experiences as player under his previous head coaches. His father, Jeff, coached Manhattan Christian while he was in high school and Bellach noted the influence of former MSU head coach Danny Sprinkle and current Montana Tech head coach Adam Hiatt.

“Playing for him in high school I saw more than maybe most kids see in high school from the coaching side because I would go home and he’s my dad at home, but in high school he pretty much was just coach all the time,” said Bellach. “I know it can be challenging for kids. But for me, getting coached by my dad and then going and getting coached by Sprinkle and then getting Hiatt obviously at Tech, I feel like I was blessed to play for three really incredible coaches.”

Bellach said he plans to take a different mindset into the program than previous coaches, beginning with building up the younger classes. He noted there has not been a K-8 basketball camp in recent years — something Bellach hopes to change — and he wants to instill strong values and a positive culture within those younger players.

“I hope that the culture of Manhattan basketball is a strong one and we can sustain success for years to come,” Bellach added.

It’s a similar approach to what his father took when taking over the reins at Manhattan Christian in 2013. He laid the foundation in the elementary and middle schools, and since then the Eagles have been a perennial state tournament team, won three state championships and competed in seven title games.

“Those kids that are competing for state championships now, they were in fifth, sixth grade when I was in high school,” said Bellach. “So it’s just cool to see and that’s something that I want to bring to Manhattan.”

Manhattan has had plenty of success of late, reaching the state Class B championship game in 2021 under former head coach Wes Kragt and competing in the state tournament in four of the past five years. The Tigers were 49-24 over the past three with Deming (including a 22-4 campaign in 2024) with two state appearances.

Manhattan and Manhattan Christian typically play a non-conference home and away series — the Eagles won both games this past season — and Bellach acknowledged it will be a weird experience when the first matchup comes around.

“It’s going to be a weird feeling for sure being on the other bench. Manhattan versus Manhattan Christian, the games were always such a blast. I always looked forward to them. Thankfully I was on the winning side most of the time in my high school career,” he said. “Yeah, I don’t even know if I’m going to be thinking about it. Hopefully I’m just involved with my guys and have them ready to play so we can compete. But I know there’s some of my friends that probably are not going to be able to wear some orange and black, but that’s OK.”

With it now official, Bellach said the next step is to meet with returning players and parents, start assembling a coaching staff and getting a summer schedule in place.

“It’s going to be a crazy next month or so for me,” he said. “But it will be good, I’m excited for the challenge.”

Bellach added: “I just want to say thank you to Nate and the hiring committee. I’m excited to get working with all the kids there and get the new chapter of Manhattan basketball started.”