I just completed my 29th year of teaching and coaching and to be honest, I love it just as much today as I did back when I first started. My current position is I teach special education at Indy and am the Head Boys Basketball Coach of the Hornets. I love the fact that my job allows me to work with kids of all ages and being a high school coach and elementary teacher is a great mix.
My wife is also in education and is the middle school principal in St. Francis. I am a girl dad and we have 4 daughters that we are extremely proud of: Madison (29) a middle school English teacher in Roseville, Brooke (26) who is the technology field in Salt Lake City, UT, Rae (22) who just graduated from Jamestown University and hopes to be a doctor someday, and Allie (21) a senior at Valley City State who plays basketball and will be a special education teacher and coach like her dad.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Cambo Flare, the food is amazing and I love their story from how they moved from a food truck to a brick and mortar restaurant. The cheeseburger pizza from Pizza Factory is another personal favorite and we love to bring our high school basketball team to Lake Cafe for breakfast on big game days.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I have just completed my second year of coaching and teaching.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Sam Dokkebakken, he is a lifelong resident who was an incredible athlete at Big Lake who wants to give back to his community and school by being a high school basketball coach. He is someone who can relate to our kids, and many of the kids remember watching him play when he was their age.
Q: Do you have any pets? If so, what are they and what are their names?
Daisy – a muppet, I mean GoldenDoodle and Curry- a 100 pound golden lab/retriever mix.
Q: What advice would you give to people living in Big Lake?
To make sure they sign up their children to play basketball through our school and the Big Lake Youth Basketball Association! Seriously there are many opportunities for kids to take advantage of in our community from the arts to activities. There is a program or activity for everyone, so find your passion and get involved.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
To travel to Europe with my wife.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
My favorite thing about Big Lake are the students at Indy. They make me smile everyday. And the players and coaches that I am lucky enough to work with on the basketball court.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Doing the exact same thing I am doing right now. I love what I do.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
That if I was not going to be a teacher/coach my other interest was becoming a pastor. I actually gave two sermons while in high school, when our youth group ran the complete service.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My father, he was my high school basketball coach and everyone’s very favorite teacher growing up. Whenever I go home or am around fellow coaches they always share with them that my dad is one of the best individuals they know.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of Big Lake?
Great kids, civic pride, and Lakeside Park. Before I moved here, I remember traveling down highway 10 and I always wanted to pull over and take my kids swimming there.
