A New Wave
Check your pockets for quarters, it’s time to fire up the coaching carousel.
Each offseason carries changes for several team benches, as coaches step down for a variety of reasons.
The retirement of longtime Hermantown head man Bruce Plante opens up the Hawks’ job for the first time in nearly three decades, while southern Minnesota legend Roy Nystrom leaves the Albert Lea post after 44 years and 705 victories.
Nystrom is currently second in all-time victories behind former Rochester Mayo coach Lorne Grosso.
Yet another entrenched coach will be stepping down, as La Crescent’s J.P. Piche has decided to call it a career.
Established coaches aside, the highest-profile job could be at Minnetonka, where the Skippers will be replacing Brian Urick.
The Minnetonka youth program is loaded with talent, and the Skippers have captured two of the past three Bantam AA state championships.
Below is a complete list of coaching openings as of April 21, 2017.
Coach Bruce Plante after winning his third and final state title at Hermantown in March
| Coach | Program | 2016-2017 Record | 2017-18 Coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Urick | Minnetonka | 15-12-0 | Sean Goldsworthy |
| Doug Runke | Mound Westonka | 10-15-1 | Jake Hindermann |
| Scott Brokaw | Mounds View | 13-11-2 | Adam Schmidt |
| Mark Loahr | Totino Grace | 11-14-2 | Brian Murphy |
| Tartan | Steve Romanchuk/Ray Sierakowski | 17-8-2 | Cole Leitch |
| Roy Nystrom | Albert Lea | 13-13-1 | Jason Fornwald |
| J.P. Piche | La Crescent | 15-10-1 | Adam Kimball |
| Pat Griswold | Minnehaha Academy | 17-10-0 | Josh Hoekstra |
| Lee Goren | Farmington | 9-17-1 | John Marsh |
| Steve Larson | Legacy Christian | 1-23-1 | |
| Trent Palm | Holy Angels | 6-17-3 | Pat Griswold |
| Wes Walz | East Ridge | 4-21-2 | Dustin Vogelgesang |
| Josh Spaniol | Rochester Lourdes | 16-11-0 | Joe Knoepke/Bryan Frischmann |
| Wade Chiodo | Bemidji | 14-11-1 | Eric Monsrud |
| Bruce Plante | Hermantown | 29-1-1 | Patrick Andrews |
| Adam Schmidt | Irondale | 7-18-0 | Jerry Hayes |
| Les Larson | Breck | 22-4-2 | Glen Lang |
| Chris Wilson | Chanhassen | 13-12-1 | Jesse Willis |
| Dave Esse | Cloquet | 15-8-2 | Kevin Smalley |
| John Stremcha | Redwood Valley | 13-12-0 | |
| Trent Klatt | Grand Rapids | 17-7-1 | Chris Marinucci |
| Kevin Smalley | Duluth Denfeld | 4-21-0 | Dale Jago |
Pat Griswold, Minnehaha Academy...photo Minnehaha Academy
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