Nick Danielson hired as new girls basketball coach
Sports | Published on June 17, 2024 at 1:21pm CDT
Minnewaska Area High School is excited to announce the hiring of Nick Danielson as the new head coach of the Minnewaska girls basketball program.
Nick was hired to fill the head coaching vacancy recently held by Sidney Barker who accepted a new teaching job in the Monticello School District. In making the decision, Minnewaska Area Schools interviewed a number of candidates through a process that included members of school administration, staff, and school board.
Nick is a 1987 graduate of Glenwood High School where he was key contributor to several GHS activities; most notably, the Laker boys basketball program where Nick was coached and mentored by Minnesota Coaches Hall of Fame member, Jon Holsten.
A graduate of Willmar Community College, Nick was a two year member of the Warrior men’s basketball program. Upon graduation from college, Nick took over the Danielson family farm in 2000 where he and his wife Micala raised their five children, Mason (16), Olivia (16), Luke (16), Noah (20) and Ellie (22). All of Nick and Micala’s children are proud Laker students and have been involved in a variety of Laker activities over the years.
Nick has been an integral part of Laker basketball coaching staff for both Laker girls and boys basketball since 2013. Most recently, Nick was the JV boys basketball coach under Laker head boys coach Zach Traphagen.
Prior to that, Nick was an assistant coach in the Laker girls basketball program beginning in 2013 and moved to the boys program in 2021.
Nick also has been a fixture coaching Laker youth boys and girls programs for many years as well as coaching girls in the West Central Wildcats AAU basketball program for the past seven years.
Minnewaska Area Schools is excited for Nick to lead our Laker girls’ basketball program and share his leadership and mentoring skills with Laker girls K-12. Upon accepting the head coaching positon, Nick stated, “I look forward to working with all levels of the Minnewaska girls basketball program beginning this summer and years to come.”
Since being hired, Nick has been busy assembling his 7-12 coaching staff and preparing for summer practices and camps.
The Laker girls basketball team played in the sub-section finals last year and lost only one player to graduation. Among the key players returning for the Lakers this year is one of Nick’s daughters, Olivia.
