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Posts about Minnesota high school coaches

Ricky Foggie takes head football job at Park Center

Posted by: Jim Paulsen Updated: April 3, 2011 - 8:45 PM

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Ricky Foggie, the option quarterback who helped bring respectability back to the University of Minnesota football program under Lou Holtz and then John Gutekunst, has been named at the head football coach at Park Center High School.

Foggie, 44, quarterbacked the Gophers from 1984 to 1987, leading them to an upset victory over Michigan in 1986 and two bowl appearances. He played for five different teams in 10 years in the Canadian Football League, then played for eight seasons in the Arena Football League. After retiring as a player, Foggie coached for four seasons in the AFL's developmental league, AF2. 

His only high school coaching experience has been as an offensive coordinator at Burnsville.

Foggie replaces former Minnesota Viking defensive back Rufus Bess, who was the Park Center head coach for four years from 2007 through 2010.

 

Former Braves pitcher Kerry Ligtenberg hired at Park

Posted by: Brian Stensaas Updated: November 23, 2010 - 2:56 PM

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Big news from Park (Cottage Grove) High School: The Wolfpack have hired former Major League pitcher Kerry Ligtenberg as their head baseball coach. Ligtenberg, a 1989 graduate of the school, takes over for longtime coach Reid Tschumperlin, who resigned.

Ligtenberg was a three-time letterwinner at Park before pitching for the Gophers in college. He then was a relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves from 1997-2002, finishing fourth in the 1998 American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Ligtenberg tried a comeback with the St. Paul Saints in 2009, but retired later that summer. Here's a story I did on Ligtenberg from his Saints "tryout" day April 30 of last year:

 

The ability to throw strikes is still there, and so are those
razor blade-style sideburns from a decade ago. His arm is good
enough for the St. Paul Saints to give a local guy the possibility
of another summer under the sun.

The optimistic side of Kerry Ligtenberg calls it a comeback. The
realist knows it's probably his last shot at competitive baseball.

Regardless, the truth is that 10 days shy of his 38th birthday,
the one-time Gophers pitcher and Atlanta Braves closer continues to
have the desire to pitch.

After watching Ligtenberg throw a 10-minute live session from the
Midway Stadium mound Thursday afternoon, Saints manager George
Tsamis invited Ligtenberg to this year's team camp.

"He threw well with his movement and hitting his spots," Tsamis
said. "You don't have to throw 95 miles per hour, you just have to
throw strikes, hit your spots, change speeds."

Ligtenberg is scheduled to throw in the Saints' first exhibition
game Sunday against the Cannon Valley League All-Stars in Miesville.

The Saints are still looking for a ninth-inning pitcher this
season, and for now Ligtenberg might be it.

"We're going to find out," Tsamis said. "He mentioned the
possibility of starting, but I don't think that's the right thing.
We'll take it day by day, an inning at a time, and see how it works
out."

Ligtenberg has a degree in chemical engineering from the
University of Minnesota, but he recently has gotten into the
financial planning field.

Before jumping on the job offers that have come his way,
Ligtenberg -- a 1989 graduate of Park of Cottage Grove now living
in Eagan -- had to give pitching one more chance.

Ligtenberg last threw to live competition while in spring
training with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007. However, a knee injury
shortened that stint and it wasn't until last July during a game of
catch that Ligtenberg decided he might give playing another chance.

"I might be old and gray," Ligtenbeg said. "But I still love to
play."

That much was evident to the batters Ligtenberg faced Thursday --
players also hoping for an invite to Saints camp, who showed up for
open tryouts.

Mike Merrill, a 26-year-old former Macalester baseball player,
said he was aware he was facing a former major leaguer.

"I remember him with the Braves, but I guess I didn't put the
timeline together," Merrill said.

A walk-on player for the Gophers in the early 1990s, Ligtenberg
caught on with the independent Minneapolis Loons of the now-defunct
Prairie League in 1994. Despite throwing a no-hitter in August of
1995, he came close to calling it a career before he hooked up with
Atlanta's organization and soon rose to the major leagues.

He converted 30 of 34 save opportunities and had a 2.71 ERA as a
rookie with the 1998 Braves -- a team that won 106 regular-season
games before losing to the Padres in the National League
Championship Series.

But from there, an elbow injury suffered in spring training the
next season ultimately led to Tommy John surgery. It was the
beginning of the end of his career in the big leagues.

Ligtenberg recorded only 17 saves from 2000-04. He last appeared
in the majors in seven games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005.

And now: one more try.

"I'm just going and seeing what happens," he said. "I still feel
I can get people out. But I'm realistic; half these kids probably
watched me when they were in junior high. I'm just going to go out
and give it all I have. It's just a matter of going out and trying
one last time."

No. 2 Lakeville North sweeps No. 1 Wayzata in volleyball

Posted by: Brian Stensaas Updated: September 29, 2010 - 9:38 PM

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Wayzata’s hold on the top spot in Class 3A volleyball has likely lasted a whopping four days.
Flashes of Saturday’s brilliance that brought the Trojans a 2-1 come-from-behind win over then-top-ranked Lakeville North in the championship match of the Apple Valley Eagle Invitational showed early Wednesday night in Lakeville. The rematch, though, went to the Panthers. And how.
Lakeville North treated its fans to a 3-0 domination, winning 27-25, 25-12, 25-15.
“I didn’t expect 3-0,” Panthers assistant coach Doug Bergman said.
Who would? Even the PA announcer declared "Tonight should be a dandy!" just before first serve.
The teams entered Wednesday’s match with two losses on the season combined: to each other. Lakeville North won the first meeting in the Southwest Minnesota Challenge tournament on Sept 11. Then came Wayzata’s win on Saturday.
Wednesday, Wayzata (16-2) jumped out to a 6-2 game-one lead, then went up 10-6 before Panthers coach Milan Mader elected to take a timeout.
“We just talked about a couple of minor things,” said Bergman, Mader’s right-hand man. “It really came down to players doing their jobs. A little more effort.”
Funny how those simple words changed so much.
Lakeville North (15-1) tied the first game 11-11 on a point initially given to Wayzata, and staved off a furious effort by the Trojans en route to the 1-0 match lead.
From there, it was the freshman show.
Outside hitters Alyssa Goehner and Taylr McNeil, who along with libero Abby Monson start as freshmen for the Panthers, combined for 33 kills in the match to lead the winning attack, which was rarely in doubt as the night went on.
“That’s been their modus operandi all year with those two,” Bergman said. “We kept finding the right matchup for them. We like to run a balanced offense, but you know what? When they’re getting the ball and hitting that well, we like going to them.”
McNeil, like her sister, senior setter Kellie, has already committed to playing for the Gophers in college.
The raucous Lakeville North student section – complete early with an 11-member drum line – let everyone know the McNeil’s future by chanting “She-s a Go-pher” every time either of them made a play.
“We really wanted to come out here and play our best game,” Taylr McNeil said. “We knew this was a big one for everybody on both sides.”
Just one more of what will no doubt be many to come for McNeil and her two teammates with three whole years of eligibility remaining.
“Our senior year,” Taylr McNeil said. “It’s going to be crazy.”

Dan Jameson to be new softball coach at Visitation

Posted by: Michael Rand Updated: May 19, 2010 - 2:52 PM

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Via a press release from Visitation school:

Dan Jameson has been named as head softball coach at Visitation School, to commence at the start of the 2011 season. Dan comes to Visitation with 14 years of coaching experience, including three state championship appearances during his time at St. Bernard’s School, from 2001-2010, with state championships in 2002 (as an assistant) and 2004 (as head coach).

St. Bernard's, a Catholic school in St. Paul that has 16 state tournament appearances and seven state titles, is closing at the end of the year.

Schultz to fill AD position at Minnetonka

Posted by: David LaVaque Updated: May 7, 2010 - 2:21 PM

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Ted Schultz, currently the activities director at Bloomington Jefferson, will take the same job at Minnetonka effective July 1. Schultz will take a position vacated when John Hedstrom was placed on administrative leave in January. Click here to read the full news release.

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