Southern Alberta athletic director leaves legacy after 35 years teaching

It’s the end of an era at Coaldale’s Kate Andrews High School.

Longtime teacher and basketball coach Terry Hanna is calling it quits after three decades as an educator, leaving students, co-workers and faculty feeling a little lost without him.

“You don’t fill those shoes. You just don’t. Somebody like that you just don’t replace,” said Palliser Regional Schools superintendant Kevin Giertz.

Hanna has walked the familiar halls for 23 years, calling the school home for the better part of his 35 years of teaching.

“My wife says the only thing I haven’t done here is sleep in the gym, and I said no, I’ve done that,”said Hanna. “Teaching and being the athletic director, all that I do here has always been a passion.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: <span style="line-height:1.5em;">"My wife says the only thing I haven't done here is sleep in the gym, and I said no, I've done that,"said Hanna. "Teaching and being the athletic director, all that I do here has always been a passion."</span>

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A fixture in the gym, known simply as “T. H.” to decades of students, Hanna followed in his father’s footsteps. Not only pursuing the same career, but excelling at it, too.

“The big one for me was the Routledge award. That’s the ASAA’S highest award for service. Why it means so much to me is my dad won that award,” admits Hanna.

The Hanna legacy goes beyond bringing the prestigious Robert Routledge award home to Coaldale. Hanna’s daughter Nicole, will be taking over the reigns to become the third generation to teach at the school-inspired by her father, just like Terry was by his father, George Hanna.

“Most if not all that I’ve done in terms of setting goals and that is to become the person I thought he would want me to be,” said Hanna. “I hope I made it there.”

Hanna’s reach goes beyond the walls of the gym. He’s been an influence to hundreds of students, co-workers and future educators.

“It happens far too often that I’ll be in a meeting and someone will say what school are you at? I’ll say Kate Andrews High School, and they’ll go ‘oh yes! Terry Hanna’s High School,” said Kate Andrews High School’s current principal, Danny Roberts.

January 31 marks Hanna’s official retirement. Hanna says he’s not sure what his next step is, but whatever it is, he won’t be far.

“I know I’m going to miss the people here, but that’s why I put my name on the sub list,” added Hanna.

Last spring Hanna was inducted to the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame, and was involved in the establishment of the Alberta Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.