University of Minnesota Athletics
Play Here, Stay Here
7/30/2020 11:20:00 AM | Athletics, Men's Golf, Softball, Women's Basketball, M Club
Eight Former Gophers Lead Minnesota Programs
By Emily Polglaze
Communications Assistant
When Piper Ritter was given the opportunity to take the helm of the Gopher softball program, the answer was easy.
Not only because she had spent the last 13 years coaching in the Maroon and Gold, but she had played in it, too.
"I always think it was this program," Ritter said. "To be honest, I've never thought about leaving and going to coach somewhere else."
Ritter's hire was special, but not uncommon. "Play here, stay here" has become somewhat of a central theme in the University of Minnesota athletic department.
Ritter, who broke nearly every pitching record at the 'U' during her career, became one of eight alumni head coaches at the 'U' in May, a new school record and the most in the Big Ten, along with Nebraska. The softball, baseball, cross country, men's golf, wrestling, women's gymnastics and women's basketball programs all have Gopher letterwinners as the leaders of their programs.
Five of them were all student-athletes at the same time (2000-04): Ritter, Sarah Hopkins, Justin Smith, Jenny Hansen and Lindsay Whalen. They earned a combined nine All-American and All-Big Ten honors, four Big Ten titles and several prestigious academic honors.
"My freshman year was the last that we were separate men's and women's departments, and it's a really interesting era in Gopher Athletics," Hopkins said. "We were becoming one department and that was a super positive move … I think that really allowed Olympic sports and a lot of people to rise to new levels. I remember celebrating the women's [basketball] Final Four, running through Dinkytown, being a superfan just like anybody else."
While they all played for different teams and had varying levels of success as student-athletes, some aspects remained the same. Hopkins and head wrestling coach Brandon Eggum noted that loyalty was a key trait instilled in them as student-athletes.
Several of them spent time in various roles of their respective coaching staffs before landing their "dream jobs."
"It was quite a journey, but it was great to be able to see things really from every angle inside the program," said Eggum, a three-time All-American and Big Ten champion, who spent 16 years on the staff prior to earning the head coach title in 2017. "My experience was phenomenal and I enjoyed every second of it. From all the wins and losses and the ups and downs, and the thing that made that possible was the support of the coaches and the family environment that was created. It made every day extremely fun."
Smith, a key figure on the NCAA championship golf team in 2002 and a multiple-time All-American himself, says the investment that is made as a student-athlete drew him back to coaching at his alma mater.
"I strive to provide an even better experience than I had. I don't even think I am selling Minnesota as a coach," Smith commented. "I am educating on how special it is to be a Gopher. I'm not saying anything I don't believe. Sure, someone else could be the coach. Not every coach has to be an alum. But there's a learning curve, whether it's the community, the Twin Cities, the school. I know everything. This is a destination job for me and the alums. It's not a stepping stone."
The current era of alumni head coaches started in 1981, with John Anderson. While injury cut his playing career with the Gophers short, he joined the baseball staff as a graduate assistant in 1978 and has remained ever since.
Anderson has enjoyed tremendous success in his time at the helm: 11 Big Ten titles, 10 Big Ten Tournament titles, 19 NCAA appearances and the most coaching wins in Big Ten history. Other opportunities could have pulled him away.
But nowhere fit like Minnesota.
"When you think about taking another job, you have to take a look at why you coach, what are your reasons for doing what you're doing, your value system," Anderson said. "At the end of the day, when there were opportunities to leave, I felt like this was the best place for me. This was the place where I could accomplish my philosophy of coaching and make the biggest impact on young people, to help them learn and grow and get them started on their journeys in their lives."
Steve Plasencia was a highly-decorated Gopher runner, a three-time cross country and two-time track All-American and an M Club Hall of Fame member. He also went on to earn U.S. Olympic berths (1988 and 1992) in the 10,000 meters. But he found his way home in 1996, to lead the men's cross country team.
The alumni ties run deep in the cross country and track and field programs. Plasencia and Hopkins hold head coaching roles, but there are also three other former Gophers now serving on staff: assistant coaches Ibrahim Kabia, Peter Miller and Zach Siegmeier.
Hopkins understands the desire to stay part of the program. She served as a volunteer assistant coach for eight years before being promoted in 2013.
"I always talk about my little family, which is my husband and my two kids, and my big family, which is my team, and my coaches and the people who we work with," Hopkins said. "If the coaches feel that way, it trickles down to the athletes. And if the athletes buy into that, I think that's what makes it so hard to leave."
The list of coaching accolades for the group of eight is becoming just as impressive as the ones they earned as student-athletes. Hansen is a three-time Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Coach of the Year, Smith led the men's golf team to its first individual Big Ten title in five years and first All-American honor in six in his first season, Whalen has coached one WNBA draft pick and seven All-Big Ten honorees and Eggum saw his first Big Ten Champion as a head coach in Gable Steveson last season, among many other successes.
To Anderson, the alumni also provide a perspective outside of competition that is unmatched.
"Any opportunity that we have to bring our alumni back and hire them and have them work in our athletic department is a real plus, because they're people that went through the experience here, they understand the University of Minnesota," he said. "Many of those people are here because they care about the place and they want to make a difference, and they want to see the programs thrive."
While not all of them hail from Minnesota, the U has been an easy place to call home over the years.
Eggum said that the bonds formed here, from student-athletes to fans, are very unique, and one of the main reasons that make sticking around so appealing.
"There's nine or 10 former Gopher wrestlers that live within five or six miles from each other. That's unique, other programs don't allow that like the Twin Cities do," Eggum said. "And all of us have gotten a chance to get to know the alumni and boosters and it really continues to keep that strong community around the programs."
Beyond the awards or records, one of the greatest gifts that the group has to give are the Minnesota values that stand the test of time.
"I'm sure as a student-athlete I got sick of hearing these things, but now as a coach I realize why we were told them as often as we were," Hopkins said. "When you get to be 40, you can make up your PRs and anyone will believe you. The facts you can't make up are that you're a great human, a great friend and those life lessons that you learned."
And these eight head coaches carry a lot of pride in coaching at their alma mater.
"We have eight of our 21 head coaches that are alums. I'm not sure how many other schools can say that. That's all you need to know how special it is," Smith said. "You know the impact that the school and community made on us. We want to give back. You have a group that are in it for the bigger picture. We want the entire department to do well, not just our programs. We want to be a powerhouse overall. I dare you to tell me that Minnesota isn't good enough. We will see you at the end of the race. We will find a way."
Communications Assistant
When Piper Ritter was given the opportunity to take the helm of the Gopher softball program, the answer was easy.
Not only because she had spent the last 13 years coaching in the Maroon and Gold, but she had played in it, too.
"I always think it was this program," Ritter said. "To be honest, I've never thought about leaving and going to coach somewhere else."
Ritter's hire was special, but not uncommon. "Play here, stay here" has become somewhat of a central theme in the University of Minnesota athletic department.
Ritter, who broke nearly every pitching record at the 'U' during her career, became one of eight alumni head coaches at the 'U' in May, a new school record and the most in the Big Ten, along with Nebraska. The softball, baseball, cross country, men's golf, wrestling, women's gymnastics and women's basketball programs all have Gopher letterwinners as the leaders of their programs.
Five of them were all student-athletes at the same time (2000-04): Ritter, Sarah Hopkins, Justin Smith, Jenny Hansen and Lindsay Whalen. They earned a combined nine All-American and All-Big Ten honors, four Big Ten titles and several prestigious academic honors.
"My freshman year was the last that we were separate men's and women's departments, and it's a really interesting era in Gopher Athletics," Hopkins said. "We were becoming one department and that was a super positive move … I think that really allowed Olympic sports and a lot of people to rise to new levels. I remember celebrating the women's [basketball] Final Four, running through Dinkytown, being a superfan just like anybody else."
While they all played for different teams and had varying levels of success as student-athletes, some aspects remained the same. Hopkins and head wrestling coach Brandon Eggum noted that loyalty was a key trait instilled in them as student-athletes.
Several of them spent time in various roles of their respective coaching staffs before landing their "dream jobs."
"It was quite a journey, but it was great to be able to see things really from every angle inside the program," said Eggum, a three-time All-American and Big Ten champion, who spent 16 years on the staff prior to earning the head coach title in 2017. "My experience was phenomenal and I enjoyed every second of it. From all the wins and losses and the ups and downs, and the thing that made that possible was the support of the coaches and the family environment that was created. It made every day extremely fun."
Smith, a key figure on the NCAA championship golf team in 2002 and a multiple-time All-American himself, says the investment that is made as a student-athlete drew him back to coaching at his alma mater.
"I strive to provide an even better experience than I had. I don't even think I am selling Minnesota as a coach," Smith commented. "I am educating on how special it is to be a Gopher. I'm not saying anything I don't believe. Sure, someone else could be the coach. Not every coach has to be an alum. But there's a learning curve, whether it's the community, the Twin Cities, the school. I know everything. This is a destination job for me and the alums. It's not a stepping stone."
The current era of alumni head coaches started in 1981, with John Anderson. While injury cut his playing career with the Gophers short, he joined the baseball staff as a graduate assistant in 1978 and has remained ever since.
Anderson has enjoyed tremendous success in his time at the helm: 11 Big Ten titles, 10 Big Ten Tournament titles, 19 NCAA appearances and the most coaching wins in Big Ten history. Other opportunities could have pulled him away.
But nowhere fit like Minnesota.
"When you think about taking another job, you have to take a look at why you coach, what are your reasons for doing what you're doing, your value system," Anderson said. "At the end of the day, when there were opportunities to leave, I felt like this was the best place for me. This was the place where I could accomplish my philosophy of coaching and make the biggest impact on young people, to help them learn and grow and get them started on their journeys in their lives."
Steve Plasencia was a highly-decorated Gopher runner, a three-time cross country and two-time track All-American and an M Club Hall of Fame member. He also went on to earn U.S. Olympic berths (1988 and 1992) in the 10,000 meters. But he found his way home in 1996, to lead the men's cross country team.
The alumni ties run deep in the cross country and track and field programs. Plasencia and Hopkins hold head coaching roles, but there are also three other former Gophers now serving on staff: assistant coaches Ibrahim Kabia, Peter Miller and Zach Siegmeier.
Hopkins understands the desire to stay part of the program. She served as a volunteer assistant coach for eight years before being promoted in 2013.
"I always talk about my little family, which is my husband and my two kids, and my big family, which is my team, and my coaches and the people who we work with," Hopkins said. "If the coaches feel that way, it trickles down to the athletes. And if the athletes buy into that, I think that's what makes it so hard to leave."
The list of coaching accolades for the group of eight is becoming just as impressive as the ones they earned as student-athletes. Hansen is a three-time Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Coach of the Year, Smith led the men's golf team to its first individual Big Ten title in five years and first All-American honor in six in his first season, Whalen has coached one WNBA draft pick and seven All-Big Ten honorees and Eggum saw his first Big Ten Champion as a head coach in Gable Steveson last season, among many other successes.
To Anderson, the alumni also provide a perspective outside of competition that is unmatched.
"Any opportunity that we have to bring our alumni back and hire them and have them work in our athletic department is a real plus, because they're people that went through the experience here, they understand the University of Minnesota," he said. "Many of those people are here because they care about the place and they want to make a difference, and they want to see the programs thrive."
While not all of them hail from Minnesota, the U has been an easy place to call home over the years.
Eggum said that the bonds formed here, from student-athletes to fans, are very unique, and one of the main reasons that make sticking around so appealing.
"There's nine or 10 former Gopher wrestlers that live within five or six miles from each other. That's unique, other programs don't allow that like the Twin Cities do," Eggum said. "And all of us have gotten a chance to get to know the alumni and boosters and it really continues to keep that strong community around the programs."
Beyond the awards or records, one of the greatest gifts that the group has to give are the Minnesota values that stand the test of time.
"I'm sure as a student-athlete I got sick of hearing these things, but now as a coach I realize why we were told them as often as we were," Hopkins said. "When you get to be 40, you can make up your PRs and anyone will believe you. The facts you can't make up are that you're a great human, a great friend and those life lessons that you learned."
And these eight head coaches carry a lot of pride in coaching at their alma mater.
"We have eight of our 21 head coaches that are alums. I'm not sure how many other schools can say that. That's all you need to know how special it is," Smith said. "You know the impact that the school and community made on us. We want to give back. You have a group that are in it for the bigger picture. We want the entire department to do well, not just our programs. We want to be a powerhouse overall. I dare you to tell me that Minnesota isn't good enough. We will see you at the end of the race. We will find a way."
| GOPHER ALUMS Baseball John Anderson, head coach Ty McDevitt, assistant coach Women's Basketball Lindsay Whalen, head coach Kelly Curry, assistant coach Cross Country / Track and Field Steve Plasencia, men's cross country head coach / track assistant coach Sarah Hopkins, women's cross country head coach / track assistant coach Ibrahim Kabia, track & field assistant coach Peter Miller, track & field assistant coach Zach Siegmeier, track & field assistant coach Men's Golf Justin Smith, head coach Matt Rachey, assistant coach Women's Hockey Bethany Brausen, assistant coach Men's Hockey Ben Gordon, assistant coach Women's Swimming Terry Ganley, senior associate head coach Soccer Sara Johnson, director of ops Softball Piper Ritter, head coach Katie Richardson, assistant coach Wrestling Brandon Eggum, head coach Luke Becker, associate head coach Jordan Kingsley, director of ops |
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