2021 Hoops Awards--Coach of the Year

Again, it was a  fairly dismal year in Minnesota basketball. I've always said that the great thing about Minnesota high school basketball is that Minnesota teams actually win. Well, it's also true that Minnesota teams win among the smaller colleges, D2 and D3. The MIAC is of course all Minnesota teams, so, duh. Yeah, Minnesota teams get to win. And, Minnesota teams have done quite well in the Northern Sun where there are no guarantees, especially the women. So, who are the brains behind the successful teams?

1. Mandy Pearson, UMD women--I've said for many years that Mandy Pearson is the best coach in Minnesota at St. Mary's and now at UMD, but I don't think she's ever been coach of the year. Well, this is her year with a 9-1 regular season record and 14-2 overall, and conference titles in both the regular seasons and the playoffs. They also won one D2 tournament game before being ousted by Nebraska-Kearney.

This is the 20th time that a girls or women's coach was coach of the year.

2. Tara Seifert, Chaska girls--they used to cal her "TGunny," short for Tara Gunderson, when she played at Iowa State. Well, she beat Hopkins and she beat Rosemount in the state finals, so you can just call her state champion, against all odds.

3. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx--that playoff loss was a shock but Cheryl Reeve is still one of the best coaches in the world. Period.

4. Seth Anderson, Waseca boys--state AA champions beat Caledonia in a great final 51-49 to finish 23-1.

5. Lori Fish, St. Cloud State women--2nd in the Northern Sun every step of the way, and I mean that as a complement.

6. Bryan Schnettler, Wayzata boys--class AAAA champions lost to Minnehaha but beat Cretin easily for the state title. More to the point, they've been to the state tournament 3 times now in recent years in a section that includes their long-time nemesis Hopkins.

7. Chris Finch, Timberwolves--the Wolves improvement after Finch took over, along with the emergence of Anthony Edwards, gives some hope.

8 (tie). Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women, and John Tauer, St. Thomas men--13-1 between them, 2 of the best in the business, stymied by a short season in 2021.

10 (tie). Dan Baird, Becker girls; Aaron Boyum, Albany girls; and Chad Johnston, Minneota girls--coaches of the rest of the girls champions.