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Mayville State head coach Dan DeWitt watches his team during a game earlier this season. DeWitt, a former NSU guard, will coach against the Wolves tonight at Wachs Arena. Mayville State Athletics Photo (December 18, 2012) |
Dan DeWitt played 125 games for Northern State.
He will coach against the Wolves for the first time tonight.
Dan DeWitt, a former NSU guard, is the head coach of the Mayville State men’s basketball team. DeWitt is in his first season as the Comets’ head coach. The Wolves will host Mayville State at 7 tonight at Wachs Arena in a non-conference men’s college basketball game.
“I love Aberdeen and I love Northern, to come back there as a coach . . . I think it will be exciting,” DeWitt said. “Obviously, I’m going to coach hard and I want our team to come out and compete and play our best, so that should be fun.”
In four years at Northern State playing for legendary Coach Don Meyer, DeWitt helped his team accumulate a record of 98-27. This span includes a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament championship, three NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances, including two trips to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen, and a record of 29-4 his senior year. During his senior season, the Wolves spent the entire season ranked in the Top 25 and 17 weeks in the top 10 ranked as No. 3. DeWitt finished sixth all-time in assists and was a four time NSIC academic All-Conference team member.
Prior to being named the head coach at Mayville State, DeWitt was an assistant coach at St. Cloud State. Before that, he spent two years as a graduate assistant under Tubby Smith at the University of Minnesota from 2009-11. DeWitt graduated from Northern State in 2009.
For DeWitt, 27, becoming a head college basketball was always the goal. He did not think it would happen this fast.
“I’ve been very fortunate to play for a great coach, work with great coaches, and I’m very lucky to have this opportunity at such a young age,” DeWitt said. “That is part of the reason why I chose to go to Northern because I wanted to coach basketball and I knew playing in that type of program was going to prepare me for that.”
Three other members of DeWitt’s senior class are also coaching. Dan Magrino is an assistant at Sheridan College, which is coached by former NSU player Steve Smiley. Craig Nelson is in his first season as the Sioux Falls Washington boys’ basketball coach. Luke Wicks is an assistant at Division I San Francisco. Another former teammate Kyle Schwan, an Aberdeen Roncalli grad, is the director of basketball operations at Division I Santa Clara.
“It is awesome to see so many Wolves coaching,” DeWitt said.
DeWitt comes from a coaching family. He played for his father, Dave, in high school. Dave now coaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and has gathered two national championships, two third place finishes, and six conference titles in six years as the head women’s basketball coach. Sister, Katie, is a former graduate assistant for the NSU women’s basketball program. She is currently the assistant athletic director at the Academy of Holy Angels school in the twin cities. DeWitt’s younger brother, Josh, will play for Dan next season at Mayville State. Josh is currently a senior at Centennial high school. He is teammates with NSU signee Dan Becken.
Meuleners to compete at prestigious event
Matt Meuleners will compete at another premier wrestling event.
The two-time NCAA Division II heavyweight national champion will participate in the 50th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30 on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
The prestigious event will feature more than 30 NCAA Division I teams. Fifteen of the teams in tournament are ranked in the recent top-25 Division I poll. The ranked teams that will be at the Midlands Championships include: Illinois, Central Michigan, Northwestern, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, Maryland, Edinboro, Purdue, Penn, Wisconsin and Lehigh.
“It is a tough Division I tournament,” NSU wrestling coach Pat Timm said. “We are excited about having an opportunity to be invited to it and we are hoping that we can have some good things out of that.”
Meuleners, the top ranked heavyweight in Division II, has competed in other top wrestling events recently. He competed at the 47th annual NWCA All-Star Classic Nov. 3 at American University in Washington, D.C. Meuleners finished sixth at the University Freestyle Nationals in May and third at the University World Team Trials in August.
The finals of the Midlands Championships will air live on the Big Ten Network on Dec. 30.
Sportswriter Ryan Deal
Quickly
Two South Dakota State men’s basketball players posted double-doubles in the Jackrabbits thrilling 68-67 win over Montana on Saturday in Missoula, Mont., earning them both weekly accolades. The Summit League named Tony Fiegen its player of the week, while College Sports Madness tabbed Jordan Dykstra for its weekly league honor.
Minnesota State, Mankato and Minnesota-Duluth are ranked third and 12th respectively in the final NCAA Division II football poll.
College Plus is a weekly feature on Tuesdays in the American News during the college sports season. If you have news tips or suggestions, email jpapendick@aberdeennews.com or call 605-622-2323.
