Pending approval by the school board, Zach Traphagen is set to be hired as the new head boys basketball coach at Minnewaska Area High School.  He would replace Hunter Salathe, who recently resigned from the position.

Traphagen is currently a health and physical education instructor at Minnewaska Area High School and head boys track and field coach.

A graduate of Worthington and Minnesota State University, Mankato, Traphagen was hired at Canby High School where he was a volunteer basketball coach before becoming the head boys coach in 2015.  He was also the offensive coordinator in football and assistant track and field coach.

He and his wife, Sarah, along with their children, Tatum (2nd grade), Mackale (kindergarten) and Paisley (pre-school) decided to move north to be closer to family and so, he accepted a position at Brandon-Evansville where he became the Chargers’ head girls basketball and track and field coach. 

Wanting to teach in a bigger school district and coach boys basketball, Traphagen took a job as a health and physical education teacher with Minnewaska Area Schools in the summer of 2022.

He grew up in a family dedicated to education.  His father is a former coach and activities director at Worthington and his two brothers are both educators and coaches in the area.

“I am honored and excited to be the head boys basketball coach at Minnewaska Area.  The opportunity to lead a basketball program is something that requires commitment, responsibility, resilience and passion.  I believe these core values hold true not only for coaches to be successful but also for the entire program, including the players, administration, parents and community.  We will work hard to ensure those values are at the forefront of the program so we can use the game of basketball to build high-character young men.

“I look forward to immediately getting to work on helping this basketball program achieve success and be a sense of pride in our school and community.  Go Lakers!”