Minot State Head BB Coach Finalist
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:58 am
They come down to 3, what's your thoughts?
Minot State narrows coaches list to three
By CHRIS BIERI, Sports Editor cbieri@minotdailynews.com
POSTED: April 20, 2010
The Minot State University men's basketball coach search committee and Athletic Director Rick Hedberg have narrowed their search for the next MSU coach.
On Monday, the university announced three finalists for the position of head men's basketball coach.
Among the final three is Jayden Olson, assistant men's basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at Augustana (S.D.) College; Peter Stewart, head men's basketball coach at Peninsula (Wash.) College and Jon Bishop, head men's basketball coach at the University of Saint Mary (Kan.).
"We are happy with the interest we got in the head men's basketball coaching position and the caliber of the talent in our application pool," Hedberg said. "We conducted phone interviews with our semifinalist group and look forward to meeting our finalists on campus this week. All three finalists bring several outstanding qualities to the position."
The search committee will have the three candidates on campus for interviews this week as Olson is at MSU Wednesday, Stewart Thursday and Bishop Friday. MSU expects to make an announcement on its new head coach early next week.
Hedberg said the school received around 115 total applicants.
"We narrowed it down to six semifinalists and conducted phone interviews last week with those six semifinals and narrowed that group down to three," Hedberg said.
Olson, a native of Beulah, N.D., has been at Augustana for three seasons helping the Vikings to a 67-26 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances during that time. He has recruited the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Freshman of the Year in each of the past two seasons. Olson has also been an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota, Williston State College and New England High School. He played two seasons at Dickinson State and two at Williston State, earning at K-12 Physical Education and 7-12 Business Education degrees at Dickinson State and a Master's Degree in Kinesiology at UND.
"Jayden obviously has things were appealing to us," Hedberg said. "He's a Division II assistant coach in a successful program. Augustana has been to the NCAA playoffs each of the last three years - the three years he's been there. He's their head recruiter. They have one full-time assistant and that's Jayden. He's handled a lot of things within that successful program. Being from the Northern Sun, he has a knowledge of what it takes to be successful in the Northern Sun."
Stewart is a native of Parshall, N.D., and has been the head coach at Peninsula College for seven seasons. He has been named coach of the year two times, won three conference championships and led his team to post season play in six of the past seven seasons. Stewart coached in the Malaysian Professional Basketball League for the Perak Red Eagles and coached three teams in the Australian Professional Basketball League. He was team captain for the University of North Dakota and was named the North Central College Academic Player of the Year at UND. Stewart received his Bachelor of Business Administration at UND.
Stewart was a finalist the last time the MSU men's basketball job was open and was the runner-up for the University of Mary men's basketball job about a year ago.
"Peter's obviously done very well with his experience out in Washington," Hedberg said. "He's been successful and has proven himself there. Obviously, he's familiar with our program and with Minot being through this before."
Bishop earned his Master's Degree in Physical Education and Heath from Northwest Missouri State. He has been the head coach at the University of Saint Mary for the past two seasons turning around a program that was 3-27 before he got there to 19-11. Bishop has been an assistant coach at Pratt Community College, Missouri Western State, Angelo State, Kansas Wesleyan, Kansas Cagerz of the United States Basketball League, Northwest Missouri and Central Methodist.
"(Bishop) has some real good NAIA experience," Hedberg said. "He's been successful in the KCAC (Kansas City Athletic Conference)."
Hedberg said all three of the finalists have different strengths that they would bring to the job.
"All three of them bring something different to the table," Hedberg said. "From Jayden having the Division II assistant experience to Pete having some great junior college experience. The one thing about junior college coaches is they have to recruit. They turn over at least half their team every year. They have to know how to recruit. And obviously the NAIA experience Mr. Bishop has is a plus because he's been successful there and he's had some previous Division II experience. I'm happy with the people we have (as finalists)."
Hedberg said it was no coincidence that two of the finalists are North Dakota natives and that the university is looking for a coach who can develop and maintain a strong program over the long term.
"One of the things we look at is that they want to be at Minot State University," Hedberg said. "Obviously they know what Minot State University is all about. It's obviously not for everybody but we think it's a great opportunity for somebody to build a program here."
Minot State narrows coaches list to three
By CHRIS BIERI, Sports Editor cbieri@minotdailynews.com
POSTED: April 20, 2010
The Minot State University men's basketball coach search committee and Athletic Director Rick Hedberg have narrowed their search for the next MSU coach.
On Monday, the university announced three finalists for the position of head men's basketball coach.
Among the final three is Jayden Olson, assistant men's basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at Augustana (S.D.) College; Peter Stewart, head men's basketball coach at Peninsula (Wash.) College and Jon Bishop, head men's basketball coach at the University of Saint Mary (Kan.).
"We are happy with the interest we got in the head men's basketball coaching position and the caliber of the talent in our application pool," Hedberg said. "We conducted phone interviews with our semifinalist group and look forward to meeting our finalists on campus this week. All three finalists bring several outstanding qualities to the position."
The search committee will have the three candidates on campus for interviews this week as Olson is at MSU Wednesday, Stewart Thursday and Bishop Friday. MSU expects to make an announcement on its new head coach early next week.
Hedberg said the school received around 115 total applicants.
"We narrowed it down to six semifinalists and conducted phone interviews last week with those six semifinals and narrowed that group down to three," Hedberg said.
Olson, a native of Beulah, N.D., has been at Augustana for three seasons helping the Vikings to a 67-26 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances during that time. He has recruited the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Freshman of the Year in each of the past two seasons. Olson has also been an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota, Williston State College and New England High School. He played two seasons at Dickinson State and two at Williston State, earning at K-12 Physical Education and 7-12 Business Education degrees at Dickinson State and a Master's Degree in Kinesiology at UND.
"Jayden obviously has things were appealing to us," Hedberg said. "He's a Division II assistant coach in a successful program. Augustana has been to the NCAA playoffs each of the last three years - the three years he's been there. He's their head recruiter. They have one full-time assistant and that's Jayden. He's handled a lot of things within that successful program. Being from the Northern Sun, he has a knowledge of what it takes to be successful in the Northern Sun."
Stewart is a native of Parshall, N.D., and has been the head coach at Peninsula College for seven seasons. He has been named coach of the year two times, won three conference championships and led his team to post season play in six of the past seven seasons. Stewart coached in the Malaysian Professional Basketball League for the Perak Red Eagles and coached three teams in the Australian Professional Basketball League. He was team captain for the University of North Dakota and was named the North Central College Academic Player of the Year at UND. Stewart received his Bachelor of Business Administration at UND.
Stewart was a finalist the last time the MSU men's basketball job was open and was the runner-up for the University of Mary men's basketball job about a year ago.
"Peter's obviously done very well with his experience out in Washington," Hedberg said. "He's been successful and has proven himself there. Obviously, he's familiar with our program and with Minot being through this before."
Bishop earned his Master's Degree in Physical Education and Heath from Northwest Missouri State. He has been the head coach at the University of Saint Mary for the past two seasons turning around a program that was 3-27 before he got there to 19-11. Bishop has been an assistant coach at Pratt Community College, Missouri Western State, Angelo State, Kansas Wesleyan, Kansas Cagerz of the United States Basketball League, Northwest Missouri and Central Methodist.
"(Bishop) has some real good NAIA experience," Hedberg said. "He's been successful in the KCAC (Kansas City Athletic Conference)."
Hedberg said all three of the finalists have different strengths that they would bring to the job.
"All three of them bring something different to the table," Hedberg said. "From Jayden having the Division II assistant experience to Pete having some great junior college experience. The one thing about junior college coaches is they have to recruit. They turn over at least half their team every year. They have to know how to recruit. And obviously the NAIA experience Mr. Bishop has is a plus because he's been successful there and he's had some previous Division II experience. I'm happy with the people we have (as finalists)."
Hedberg said it was no coincidence that two of the finalists are North Dakota natives and that the university is looking for a coach who can develop and maintain a strong program over the long term.
"One of the things we look at is that they want to be at Minot State University," Hedberg said. "Obviously they know what Minot State University is all about. It's obviously not for everybody but we think it's a great opportunity for somebody to build a program here."