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Strand new FF girls hoops coach
Published 10:58am Tuesday, June 26, 2012After being hired as the Assistant Principal in the IQ Academy and a math instructor at Fergus Falls, former Pelican Rapids boys’ head basketball coach Brad Strand has been named the new Fergus Falls girls basketball coach.
Strand comes over to Fergus after spending the last 15 seasons as the Vikings boys coach, leading the team to an undefeated season and a Class AA state championship in 2009.
“Brad is a great teacher; that is what we look for first, but his basketball experience speaks for itself,” Fergus Falls Athletic Director Gary Shuler said. “We get a bonus in having a great teacher, an enthusiastic administrator and excellent coach all in one. We are very pleased with the hire on all three fronts.”
The Fergus Falls School Board needs to approve of the move, which should come at the their next meeting on July 16.
“It’s a real exciting time for my family and me,” Strand said. “I have coached boys for over 22 years and this will be a new and exciting challenge.”
Strand would take over for former coach Josh Mohagen, who took the men’s basketball coaching position at M State. The Otters welcome back a core group of players from last season’s squad that captured the Section 8AAA championship and finished third place at the Class AAA state tournament.
Strand has coached the Lakes Elite AAU girls team that his daughter, Bailey, plays on for the past three years. Strand sees coaching the AAU team and having three daughters of his own as great experience in working with girls.
“I see a lot of similarities from girls and boys. They are both competitive and they both want to win.”
Another plus for Otter fans is the addition of Strand’s daughter Bailey to their lineup. Bailey was given honorable mention on the Class AA All-State team last season and is a scoring threat at guard.
Strand wanted to thank the community of Pelican Rapids and the school district for their time there. “It was an extremely hard decision, but we are not going to sever ties to this great community and school,” he said. “One of my basketball players sent me a text saying ‘treasured memories last a lifetime’ and that is how I feel about my experience here.”
