Mitchell, SD (KELO AM and KWSN) - Longtime Mitchell basketball coach Gary Munsen died Monday night. Family members say the cause of death is unknown.
The 72-year old Munsen coached boys basketball for 46 years – 42 as a head coach, the last 39 of which were at Mitchell High. His Kernels won nine state titles, including three in a row from 1984 to 1986.
As Mitchell’s girls coach, he won three state titles. No South Dakota basketball coach won more state titles than Munsen.
He began his coaching career at Marion in 1966, then becoming an assistant at Mitchell for four years before becoming head coach in 1973. He retired after the 2011-12 season.
KORN news radio sports director Steve Morgan remembered Munsen as a leader who could not only develop talent, but also brought excitement to the Mitchell community. "You knew that every ballgame that he coached, we had a shot to win. No matter who we were playing, what class, regular season, postseason, it was pretty fun to see those crowds. That's just what Gary Munsen brought to the Corn Palace; excitement, discipline, fundamentals, that's what it was all about."
Morgan said right up to his death, coach Munsen was still active in the basketball community. He made an appearance at the 2015 Mike Miller classic at the Corn Palace, an event which holds a tournament that bears his name. Morgan said he also attended a boy's game between Aberdeen Central and Huron on January 5th at the Huron Arena.
Twice he has been nominated for national boys basketball coach of the year. He is a member of the halls of fame of the state high school coaches association and the state boys basketball coaches association as well as the DSU Hall of Fame.
(Thanks Billy Lurken, KMIT MItchell and Steve Morgan, KORN Mitchell)