Mark Bagaason

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Hiring Release: Aug. 17, 2011

Bemidji State University Director of Athletics Dr. Rick Goeb, today announced the hiring of Mark Bagaason as the Beavers’ new head women’s golf and assistant women’s basketball coach.

“Mark comes in with experience in coaching at a variety of levels and a background in both basketball and golf,” said Goeb. “This is a unique position in that he will be involved with both golf and basketball, but Mark fits that role.  He will fill a need we have coaching women’s golf and I think he is a nice compliment to Mike Curfman and the direction he is taking the women’s basketball program.”

Bagaason, a 25-year veteran of the coaching profession has spent the last 19 years teaching and coaching in the Clearbrook-Gonvick Public School system, while focusing on individual skill development for boy’s and girl’s basketball players.

“I am really excited to come here to Bemidji State University,” commented Bagaason. “Besides my family, basketball and golf are my two passions in life so this just seemed like a really good fit.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to coach at the collegiate level. Both of my girls are graduated from college and out of the house now so the timing was perfect for me to try something like this.”  Bagaason continued, “I am really looking forward to getting started.”
 
During his tenure at Clearbrook-Gonvick, Bagaason served as a junior or senior high school coach in basketball, football and track and field.  In addition he has spent summers coaching little league, has been a community education golf instructor and has specialized in boys’ and girl’s individual skill development over the last 10 years.

Bagaason has also been active within the Minnesota State High School League serving on the Section 8 Leadership Council a program that teaches more than 200 10th grade students from 40 area high schools how to be good, positive leaders through speakers and other program activities.

“I’ve taught and coached for 25 years.  I’ve got a lot of background in individual skill workouts with parents bringing kids to me and working in that fashion. Also, just having a daughter go through a Division I program and paying attention to the little things on the basketball side.  On the golf side, I am an avid golfer.  I love golf.”

Prior to his time at Clearbrook-Gonvick, he spent time at Red Lake County Central School in Oklee, Minn.

A 1986 graduate of Jamestown College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education, Bagaason earned his associate of arts degree from University of Minnesota Crookston.  As a collegiate athlete, Bagaason played basketball and has been inducted in to each institution’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Bagaason and his wife Pam have two grown daughters, Cassie and Kayla.  Kayla completed her collegiate playing career at the University of North Dakota in 2010 where she was named the 2010 Great West Player of the Year as a senior and ranks 21st on the UND all-time scoring list with 1,425 points.