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RIP Steve Hackney

Proud Griz Man said:
I just heard today that Hack has passed away. Condolences to the family Larae and Meghan. Hack was a great guy and huge asset to the A.D.
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So many great Hack stories come to mind - this was one published that I did not know all about.

What a great man, and a fantastic Mother-in-law to help him keep our team's Equipment functioning.

Betty Yorton has a story about the coach’s pants, and judging by the grin on her face, it’s a doozy.
But Yorton won’t share it – at least on the record. The seamstress for the University of Montana Grizzlies, who repairs every hole, tear and faltering seam in every Griz athletic uniform, has sewn her mouth shut on that topic.
“Yes, I also do the coach’s pants,” said Yorton, whose sewing room is currently stacked with Griz football gear. “And there’s a joke in there that I just can’t tell you.”
It’s a rare occasion that a pair of coach’s pants shows up at Yorton’s doorstep. Instead, the retired Missoula woman’s yearly workload is almost entirely made up of torn and unraveled practice and game jerseys, gloves, shorts and pants – about “90 percent” of it from the football team. For nearly a decade, Yorton has kept Griz athletics in stitches. And it was all her son-in-law’s idea. UM athletic equipment manager Steve Hackney has gone through many seamstresses over the years, and was having trouble finding a good one in 2000. Then he remembered all those blankets and toys mom had sewn for his children over the years. “She’s from an era where you had to do that kind of stuff,” said Hackney. “In this day and age, it’s kind of a lost art.”
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The conversation happened over dinner during the holidays.
“He asked me, ‘Can you fill in?’ ” Yorton recalled. “I’m still filling in.”
Every week during football season, usually on Monday evening or Tuesday morning, a load of freshly laundered but injured Griz wear arrives at Yorton’s Orchard Homes doorstep.
Jerseys – especially the more cheaply made $10 practice jerseys – suffer the bulk of the damage. But there is always a small showing of pants and gloves as well. On average, there are a couple dozen casualties that need mending every week during football season.
“Very little from other sports,” said Yorton. “If they’re from other sports, it’s usually a hem that’s loose. But no tears.”
The Nike game jerseys are $85 to $100 each, and the budget-minded Hackney wants each one to last three years.
“We’re spending the people’s money, so we watch it really closely,” he said.
Fans watching from the stands or on TV can’t see – and may not appreciate – how much damage those uniforms take over their lifetime, and how much TLC goes into sustaining them.
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GrizSpartan said:
Hack was a great guy. He helped guide a lot of Griz players as they moved through their years at UM. He had a heart and knew the difference between good and bad. He could be strong and honest, but at the same time respectful.
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Great post Spartan.

I noted immediately that you mentioned strong and honest, and those descriptors are perfectly accurate. This story is one example of his personality strength and honesty.

Hack had been diagnosed with "Parkinsons" and had tremors in his hands. It seemed like he retired to spend time with his family, as he still seemed very productive and effective in his duties. I saw him at WA Griz stadium, on the Griz sideline and caught his attention, and he walked over to greet me. He spoke cheerfully and gave me a friendly handshake. And then Steve said that he was doing pretty well, and he was especially valuable if anyone needed a Milkshake. I quietly laughed at his honesty and directness, hearing Steve openly joke about his situation. I already held Steve in high regard, but that moment surprised me that Steve could be almost Jim Valvano-like in keeping a good demeanor in the face of the illness. The last few years could not have been easy, but it seemed that Steve inventoried his good days/ great days and counted his blessings. GB you and RIP Hack.
 
A Montana native, "Hack" took over the equipment room in 1981, and after a 30-year career in Grizzly Athletics retired following the 2010 football season.

Montana's equipment complex was named the Hackney Athletic Equipment Center in his honor following his retirement. He also became UM's first ever recipient of the Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award in 2018.

Hackney was beloved and respected by everyone he worked with, especially by the student-athletes who displayed their affection for him by yelling "Haaaaaack" whenever he talked to them as a team or was introduced to them by a coach or administrator – their way of showing how much they cared.

He graduated from Hamilton High School in 1962 and then joined the Navy serving as a Spanish linguist. After he left the military he worked in a lumber mill, mining, then chose to attend UM in 1968. He graduated from Montana in 1972 with a B.S. degree in HPE, with emphasis in Athletic Training and Physical Therapy.

He then attended Indiana State where he earned a graduate degree in Athletic Training before returning to his native Bitterroot Valley to become a logger before starting his career as UM's long-time equipment manager.

Hackney is survived by his wife Larae, a longtime employee of UM's School of Business, have two children: Tyler and Meghan.
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Great guy. UM did honor him with the titled "Hackney Athletic Equipment Center"
 
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