Coaching changes at UMC

Friskop Named Head Men's and Women's Golf Coach

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston athletic department has announced Bryant Friskop as head golf coach. Friskop will take over leadership of both the men’s and women’s golf programs and will continue his duties as assistant women’s basketball coach, a position he has held for the past two seasons.

“We are very excited to name Bryant Friskop as head men’s and women’s golf coach at Minnesota Crookston,” said Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson. “We are very appreciative of the work that Jason Tangquist and Bryan Beamish did for both programs, but due to recent NCAA legislation changes we had to make shifts in our department. I have been very impressed with the work Bryant has done for our women’s basketball program and know that we will see the same work ethic and leadership put toward our golf programs."

Friskop started his role as assistant coach for the U of M Crookston women’s basketball team prior to the 2015-16 season. In his two seasons, Friskop has helped the Golden Eagles to a pair of NSIC/Sanford Health Quarterfinal appearances. During the 2015-16 season, Minnesota Crookston reached a school-record 18 wins, which included a school-record 14 conference wins. In his time with U of M Crookston, the Golden Eagles have had three players earn All-NSIC honors, including All-NSIC First Team selections Alexa Thielman and Katrina Nordick.

“I would like to thank Stephanie Helgeson, Mike Roysland, and the search committee for giving me this opportunity to be the head men’s and women’s golf coach as well as remain a part of the women’s basketball staff,” Friskop said. “I’ve had an incredible two years at U of M Crookston and I’m more than excited to have the opportunity to continue to work with the wonderful student-athletes that we have at our university.”

Friskop came to U of M Crookston from down the road at University of North Dakota, where he served in various capacities with the women's basketball program over four years. Friskop worked as a student manager during the 2014-15 season, where he was responsible for taking bench statistics and also helped with game film and exchange for the team where he filmed all home games for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. He also assisted in daily practices, took part in staff meetings, set up the equipment for the team, helped with the practice squad, and opponent scouting.

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.

Prior to transferring to UND, Friskop played college basketball for one year at Concordia College Moorhead.

The Wahpeton, N.D. native earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from UND in 2014 with a minor in athletic coaching. He earned his Master of Science degree in Kinesiology from North Dakota in 2017. He currently resides in Grand Forks, N.D. 

Tangquist will continue his role as associate athletic director/compliance coordinator. Tangquist’s move from men’s golf after 18 seasons comes due to NCAA legislation that passed in 2015 requiring schools to have a full-time compliance administrator without coaching duties. The legislation has an effective date of fall 2018. Tangquist’s time as head men’s golf coach was highlighted by an NSIC Championship in 2002 and two NCAA Division II Super Regional appearances as a team in 2003 and 2006. In addition, Tangquist helped Branden Schwartz to an individual NSIC title in 2002 and to a seventh-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Super Regional. 

Bryan Beamish will continue in his role as assistant men’s basketball coach. In addition, Beamish will assist Friskop with the golf programs. 

Minnesota Crookston Announces Krayton Nash as Head Tennis Coach and Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston athletic department announced Krayton Nash as head women’s tennis coach and assistant men’s basketball coach. Nash has been a coach at the high school, prep school and collegiate level for the last 14 years.

“We are excited to welcome Krayton Nash to the University of Minnesota Crookston,” said Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson. “We believe Krayton will bring great stability and energy to the U of M Crookston tennis program and will be a great addition to Coach Weisse’s coaching staff for the men’s basketball team.”

Nash comes to U of M Crookston from St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy, where he was most recently the associate director and head basketball coach of the Post Graduate Leadership Program for the last five seasons. During his time at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy, Nash recruited and placed 31 players into colleges to play basketball with 15 playing at the NCAA Division I level.

“I want to thank Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson and Coach Weisse for this amazing opportunity,” Nash said. “I look forward to becoming a part of the Crookston community and having the privilege of working with the Golden Eagles tennis program and men’s basketball team every day.”

“We are excited to welcome Krayton to our men’s basketball family,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach Dan Weisse. “I have known Krayton for over 15 years. We have the same basketball family tree and we have very similar basketball minds. I believe Krayton will be able to come in and hit the ground running from day one. He already knows and understands our system because he ran it when he was a player and ran it as a coach. Above all, he is a loyal and trustworthy person that our players will be able to relate to and enjoy being around. I can’t wait to introduce him to our players and am excited to get started working with him.”

Prior to arriving at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy, Nash spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at the collegiate level instrumental in amassing an overall record of 163-79. His most recent stop was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Cardinal Stritch University, a NAIA school in Milwaukee, Wis. During his time with the Wolves the team went 78-25 overall. He helped the team to a pair of top 10 national rankings and three-straight NAIA Division II Tournaments, with the team reaching the NAIA Elite 8 during the 2011-12 season. He had a significant role in recruiting and developing the team that would later go on to win the 2013 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship.

From 2007-2009, Nash was an assistant at Concordia University-Chicago, an NCAA Division III school.  Upon his arrival, Nash helped increase the teams win totals each year, doubling the Cougar’s win total in his last year there. In addition, his team finished first in the conference in rebounding that season.

In the 2004-07 seasons, Nash served as an assistant varsity and head junior varsity coach at Carroll College (now Carroll University). He helped guide to the most successful period of competition in the history of the men’s basketball program. During his tenure, the team went 54-23. They achieved the program’s first ever national rankings, while winning the 2006-2007 Midwest Conference Championship. They made Carroll’s first two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and reached the Sweet 16 in the 2006-2007 tournament.

His first college coaching job came at his alma mater University of Wisconsin-Platteville during the 2003-04 season. Nash helped the Pioneers to a runner-up finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament.

Nash played at the college level at Wisconsin-Platteville, where he was a member of former University of Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan’s 1999 NCAA Division III National Championship squad. Nash earned his Bachelor of Science in industrial technology management from Wisconsin-Platteville in 2004. He obtained his Master of Education in health education from Carroll University in 2012. Nash was enshrined in the Wisconsin-Platteville Athletic Hall of Fame in May of 2015 along with the entire 1999 championship team.

Nash, a native of Mequon, Wis., has also held a variety of administrative positions in education including as a transfer counselor at Cardinal Stritch and Concordia-Chicago. He also worked for the Mequon/Thiensville School District in a variety of roles. He plans to reside in Crookston.

Nash joins a men’s basketball staff that includes Coach Weisse and Assistant Coach Bryan Beamish, both of whom are entering their fourth season with the U of M Crookston.

“I put a lot of trust and responsibility on our coaches and I am very fortunate to have two great coach in Krayton and Bryan that will give all they can to help our players become better on and off of the basketball floor,” Weisse said.