Next weekend, the late, great Greg Salo will finally take his rightful place among Butte’s greatest sports legends when he is inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame.

To say that this induction is bittersweet is a major understatement.

The Butte Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was officially announced during a press conference at the Butte Civic Center on Feb. 11. That was one day before the one-year anniversary of Salo’s passing at the age of 72.

It is sad because the man I always called “Coach” will not be there to enjoy his long-overdue moment in the sun. If the Butte Sports Hall of Fame selection process was more like the Baseball Hall of Fame or the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he would have been inducted decades ago.

The Butte Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1987, and it has been playing catchup ever since. Salo was one of those guys who kind of got stuck in the middle.

When the Hall of Fame began, he was competing against the likes of Bob O’Billovich, “Jumpin’” Joe Kelly, Sweed Dahlberg and Milt Popovich.

As the years went on, he found himself competing against people like Josh Paffhausen, Don Douglas, Randy Street and Gary Kane.

Salo is not alone when it comes to these great men and women who were stuck in the middle. The Class of 2026 has several as we try to fill these major voids in the shrine. But again, it is heartbreaking that he will not be there to don his Green Jacket.

However, I will try not to dwell on the fact that Salo will not be there for the Green Jacket Ceremony and the Induction Banquet next week. Instead, I am going to celebrate the great athlete and coach. I’m going to celebrate the Butte legend. I’m going to celebrate a great man who treated every person he ever encountered like he or she was something special.

Salo’s star shined bright from a young age in the Mining City. He earned All-American honors as a football player at Butte High.

Not just all-conference or All-State. He was an All-American.

Salo eared that honor while playing for the Bulldogs in 1969. That was his third straight year as an All-State inside linebacker for the Bulldogs. He also started at quarterback during that senior season, tossing nine touchdown passes.

He was a key member of Butte High’s back-to-back State championship teams in 1967 and 1968.

Salo, who also played three years on the varsity basketball team at Butte High, went to UCLA to play football. According to a newspaper story announcing his signing at UCLA, Salo said he picked the Bruins over about 30 other schools that recruited him.

After one season in Los Angeles, Salo transferred to the University of Montana, where he played linebacker for the Grizzlies.

Of course, more people probably know Salo as a coach. His long coaching run included almost a decade at Montana State, where he served as the defensive coordinator for the Bobcats. Then he became head coach at Butte High School, where he led the Bulldogs from 2002 through 2007.

Salo was known as a bit of a no-nonsense coach who got the most out of his players. He knew when to chew a player out and when to give him a pat on the back.

In September of 2024, I met with Coach Salo at the Butte Country Club for this podcast. Today, I am brining it back so we can hear his voice one more time now that he is about to become a member of the Butte Sports Hall of Fame.