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Good Read: Vikes, Wolves have hope, Twins not so much (a blog by Tim Bouvine, published at BlackWoodsSports.com)

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Matt Bowen and Jeff Rutter are finalists for new head men's basketball coach at Minnesota Duluth.

Bowen, the head men's basketball coach at Bemidji State University, and Rutter, Iowa State University's director of basketball operations, will be on campus this week to interview with UMD administrators.

Bowen recently completed his seventh year at Bemidji State and directed the Beavers to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season championship and their second-ever NCAA Division II Tournament berth while setting a school single-season record for wins (22). For his efforts, Bowen was named the NSIC Coach of the Year.

Prior to arrival in Bemidji, Bowen served a four-year stint as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Valparaiso University from 2002-06. He also spent seven seasons (1995-2002) in the same capacity at University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Rutter has been a member of the Iowa State basketball staff for seven years, the last two as Cyclone's director of operations. His assistant coaching resume also includes stops at the University of Northern Iowa (2003-06), Stetson University (1995-96) and North Dakota University (1992-95).

From 1996 to 2003, Rutter was employed as the head basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where his Rangers qualified for both the 2002 and 2003 Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. -- Bulldogs Athletics