By Meredith Stanton Vaselaar
Review Staff Writer
For thirty-nine years, Randy Strand has been a familiar site on the football field as well as the basketball court. Strand retired from teaching last year, but opted to stay on as coach for the Adrian Dragon Football team, as well as the Adrian Dragon Girls’ Basketball team.
“I felt that it was time to let someone else take over,” says Strand, adding with a smile, “someone younger.” It is not surprising that he is ready to turn in his coaches’ cap, as it were, after coaching 1,098 games during his career. Strand coached 340 Varsity football games, and 479 Girls Varsity basketball games.
In March 2015, Strand was recognized at the Minnesota High School Football Coaches 51st Hall of Fame reception. He had coached AHS Varsity football teams to nine Conference Championships, ten Conference second place finishes, and six football state appearances, advancing to the finals four times. He received recognition in 2007 for 25 years of service by the Minnesota Coaches Association (although the actual number of years was 28). In September of 2004, Strand was named the first “Vikings’ High School Coach of the Week” for the year. Under his coaching, there were 236 wins, and 104 losses in Varsity Football at AHS.
Coach Strand brought the girls Varsity Basketball teams to a total of 479 wins, and only 279 losses. The girls Varsity Basketball team played in eight Conference games, three Section 3A finals games, and a state tournament game in 2009. In 2002, the AHS Varsity girls’ basketball team was named “Minnesota Academic Champion of Class A,” under the coaching of Strand and Kevin Nowotny. In 2006, the Freshmen girls’ basketball team, under the coaching of Strand and Rod Scheidt, placed third at the Pacesetter Minnesota State Championship.” Earlier that same year, Strand achieved 300 wins in his then 20 years as coach. There were a dozen games in which a player reached 1,000 points career points. In 2013, Strand was named to the Minnesota Girls Basketball Hall of Fame.
Strand is quick to point out that none of the successes were accomplished alone. “I have had a lot of good people – good coaches – to work with. I didn’t do any of this all by myself.” He says he is leaving both the football and girls basketball programs in good hands. “I know for the Varsity Football program that Randy Schettler, Joe Kruger, and Cody Henrichs, will do well.” Assistant coaches for girls Varsity Basketball this year were Patrice Peters and Amanda Hermeling, “they did well this year,” said Strand. For both programs, Strand added, “there are a lot of good players coming back.”
Strand not only enjoyed working with the young men and young women players, but he mentions the other teams and coaches as well: “When you first start coaching, one is very competitive and one thinks of the other coaches as ‘the enemy.’ After a few years, though, the competition becomes a friendship.” Another important working relationship is that of the sports writers. “Sports writer in this area always give good coverage,” he says, “they were fun to work with.”
Coach Strand says that an integral part of his success is his supportive family. “Behind every successful man there is a good woman, and I got that with my family,” says Strand, and points out that his wife, Lisa, has always been supportive. “She has done the bookkeeping (for the team) for many years.” There were times when it was hard, missing activities in which his children participated. “I sometimes missed the family things – I would be out coaching, and my children would be competing elsewhere,” he says, “but, the upside is that there were times I was able to coach my own children.”
Strand and his wife, Lisa, have three children: daughter, Brittni, is a third grade teacher in Huron, South Dakota, where she is working for Heather Rozell, a former counselor at AHS; Brittni is married and has a daughter. Son, Dru, is teaching second grade in Huron, South Dakota. Strand’s other son, Reid, works for Honermann Construction and is living in Worthington, married and has a daughter.
What will Strand do with all of this time on his hands? “I will be farming – and have more time to pick rocks,” Strand says with humor, “Dru is an assistant coach for Football, Wrestling, Basketball and Baseball, in Huron, so Lisa and I might catch a few games/matches.” Strand and his wife have no plans to leave Adrian, and some of their time will definitely be spent with their two granddaughters.
Coach Strand says, “Coaching was a lot of fun. I have a lot of good memories.” He has plans to continue to attend some local games, and admits, “It might be a little hard sitting on the sidelines,” he adds, with a smile and a shake of the head, “it’ll certainly be different!”
