Mr. Tom Salmen is starting his 8th year teaching in the Hitchcock-Tulare School District as the k-12 Physical Education, 7-9th Wellness Education, and 9th-12th Weightlifting teacher. Mr. Salmen is also four years into being the Head Coach of the Patriots Football team. Mr. Salmen lead his team to winning the 2022 9B State Championship in his 2nd year of coaching. Mr. Salmen is into his third year as the Head Coach of the Patriots Track and Field team where a handful of athletes have made it to state and earned spots in the 10 of B level State. Mr. Salmen is into his first year as Head Coach of the Patriots Boys Basketball team. Also, Mr. Salmen is an assistant Athletic Director, drives bus when asked and assists our custodial engineer taking care of the school during the summer.
Before coming to Hitchcock-Tulare Mr. Salmen was a Police Officer in Fargo North Dakota for 12 1/2 years. Mr. Salmen mainly worked in patrol, but was also a Police Training Officer, bike officer, child safety seat technician, and School Resource Officer. He worked on all three shifts, but for most of his career he was on the night shift.
Mr. Salmen's teaching career began in 1999, where he began teaching 8th grade Physical Science and coaching junior high football and basketball. A year after he was hired as the Head Football coach at the High School, began as a weightlifting coach, and ended up teaching numerous science classes like Physical Science and Physics. Also, he was the Head Junior High Boys Basketball coach and Special Olympics Track and Field coach. Mr. Salmen spent four years in the Holbrook Unified School District in Arizona right off the Navajo Reservation.
Mr. Salmen's most important role is Husband to his wife, Mrs. JoEllen Salmen who is also part of the Hitchcock-Tulare School District working at Glendale and Spink Colony; and a dad to five children: Elizabeth Hulbert married, living in North Dakota, and a 4th Grade Teacher at Lisbon North Dakota; TJ Salmen starting his 2nd year at Black Hills State University studying to be a Physical Education teacher and is a tight end on the football team; Erik Salmen starting his first year at BHSU and also playing running back on the football team; Matthew Salmen is a Sophomore, and Neil Salmen is an 8th Grader.