Dan attended schools in Oregon and Alaska, graduating from Ninilchik High in 1975. After odd jobs here and there as a merchant marine, he married his high school sweetheart, Jamie, and settled down in Ninilchik, where he worked as a setnet fisherman, and began his coaching career at Ninilchik. He started off coaching elementary boys and girls from 1982 - 1987. Then he was asked to coach the junior high boys and girls as well and did that from 1984-1990. He continued to coach jr. high girls beginning in 1997 and aside from just a few years when he took a break from junior high, is still coaching them. Before long, he signed on as J.V./assistant Varsity coach, and did that from 1987-1990. When the girls' varsity coach (Bob Jones) retired for health reasons, Dan was asked if to take over the girls' head coach position and has been doing that since school year 1990/91. After a rough start his first year and nearly giving up the idea of coaching, his wife talked him into sticking with it and it's a good thing he agreed, because as you can see, he has had a very successful run, bringing teams to State every year since 1992 and placing no lower than 3rd since 1993. Dan has been an influential figure in the lives of many players throughout his career and especially during his many years as coach of the Ninilchik Lady Wolverines.
Whitney was a State champion in the Elks Hoop Shoot when she was ten and traveled to Washington to compete for All Northwest title, bringing home 3rd place. Graduating from high school in May 2003, she accumulated many awards and honors during her h.s. career, including four District and State championships. She was the first girl in Alaska to earn 1A/2A Female Small Schools Player of the Year three years in a row. She was MVP of every tourney her sophomore through senior years. She played for Division II University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2003/2004 and earned "Player of the Game" her freshman year, in the Great Alaska Shootout game against Mt. St. Mary's Division I team. UAA won the Shootout that year. She now plays for Eastern OR University who has won the Cascade Collegiate Conference many years in a row to earn a trip to NAIA Div. II Nationals. Whitney broke the single game EOU assist record w/ 14 in a game and was ranked nationally in both assists/turnover ratio and assists. She was first in the Cascade Collegiate Conference in 2007 and was an Honorable Mention to the All Conference Team. She earned Most Outstanding Player in 2007 and Honorable Mention to All Conference Team. During a preseason practice her senior year, she ruptured her achilles tendon and was out for the season, but traveled with her team as an injured player after surgery. Whitney will graduate in June 2008 with a degree in Media Arts and plans to return to Alaska.
The youngest, Krista, graduated from high school in 2007 and is a college freshman. She honed her skills for Wolverine basketball for many years, including being the only girl in an all boys Boys and Girls Club League her 8th grade year and before that, both Boys and Girls Club bball and school ball since grade 3. She was Alaska State Runner Up in the National Elks Hoop Shoot when she was 8. She was diagnosed with Graves Disease as a high school sophomore and couldn't participate in the State tourney that year. Her junior and senior years were stellar. She won many 3 point contests and was named to nearly every All Tourney Team. In her senior year she was MVP of 3 tournaments, including the Region III Tournament. She helped lead her team to a 2006 State Championship and a 2007 3rd place finish at State. Two years in a row she was named to the State All Tourney Team and First Team All State team. In 2006 and 2007, in 6 state games, she was selected as Player of the Game for 4 of those games. Krista was 2nd in scoring in the 2007 State tourney. Krista red shirted for University of Alaska Anchorage (2007/2008).
Dan's wife Jamie teaches all subjects to special ed. students, grades 7-12 at Ninilchik School, mentors students in online classes, and is the senior class Guidance/Career teacher. She is a class sponsor and has been National Honor Society advisor for many years. She maintains the school website and Wolverine website.
Dan and Jamie have three daughters, all of whom have excelled in basketball. Tasha, the eldest, was a Ninilchik High School star who graduated in 2000 with an impressive record and played NAIA basketball at Southwestern Oregon Community College during her sophomore year there. Tasha graduated from the Arizona School of Massage Therapy and worked for several years as a therapist before switching gears to Human Resources after getting married.
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