UMC Women’s Basketball Adds Friskop to Coaching Staff

CROOKSTON, Minn.- The University of Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball program announced the addition of Bryant Friskop as assistant coach. Friskop will join a 2015-16 UMC women’s basketball staff led by 2014-15 NSIC Coach of the Year Mike Roysland and returning assistants Nate Mahlen and Kamille Wahlin, who has also taken on duties as Assistant Athletic Director - Senior Woman’s Administrator/Marketing and Promotions.

“We are excited to have Bryant become a part of our coaching staff,” Roysland said. “He is very hard working and very enthusiastic about helping our program continue to grow and build off the success we had last season. He is very quick to learn and will be an asset to our staff.”

Friskop comes to UMC from down the road at University of North Dakota, where he served in various capacities with the women’s basketball program. Friskop most recently worked as a student manager during the 2014-15 season, where he was responsible for taking bench statistics and was in charge of game film and exchange for the team. He also assisted in daily practices, took part in staff meetings, set up the equipment for the team, oversaw the practice squad and scouted opponents on film.

Prior to serving as manager, Friskop was a member of the practice squad for the UND women’s basketball team, playing against UND’s squad in practice, getting them ready for upcoming games. During his time at North Dakota, he worked under legendary UND coach Gene Roebuck, who led North Dakota to three National Championships and over 600 wins. He also worked under Travis Brewster, who led the team to a 2014 Big Sky Championship and an NCAA First Round appearance. In 2014-15, Brewster’s squad went to the Women’s Basketball Invitational. During his four seasons working with the team, UND amassed a 71-54 mark.

Prior to transferring to UND, Friskop played 1.5 years at Concordia College Moorhead where he was coached by another legendary coach, Rich Glas, who prior to coaching at Concordia was head men’s basketball coach at University of North Dakota from 1988-2005, where he was the all-time winningest coach there, posting over 300 wins and leading UND to eight NCAA Division II tournament appearances.

Friskop has also coached on the AAU circuit, coaching the North Dakota Phenom 17U AAU boys’ team from 2013-present. While working with the Phenom, Friskop helped to improve the players’ skills, as well as develop players into college ready adults. He also worked to create an environment of hard-working individuals with an emphasis on being recruited and being able to play basketball at the next level.

The Wahpeton, N.D. native earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from UND in 2014 with a minor in athletic coaching. He is currently working on his master’s degree in Kinesiology from North Dakota. He currently resides in Grand Forks, N.D.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.