By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The accolades keep piling up for the state champion NRHEG girls’ basketball team.
A week after Carlie Wagner was featured on the pages of Sports Illustrated, Panthers head coach John Schultz learned he was voted Minnesota Class AA Coach of the Year.
In humble fashion, Schultz defelected much of the credit for the award.
“It's a great honor being voted in by my peers,” he said. “Of course most of the credit goes to my assistant coaches and players. If they don't buy into my crazy ideas, nothing works!”
Schultz has coached for 24 years at all levels, from third grade to varsity girls and from seventh grade to varsity boys. He said his biggest influence was Corwin Schmidt.“He was my high school coach and then I coached five years with him at Ceylon High School as his B-squad boys’ coach,” said Schultz.
Schmidt had 17 conference championship teams and a fourth-place finish in the state tournament in 1985. He had well over 400 wins as a head coach.
“I also would like to credit our awesome fans!” added Schultz.