2029 Coaches
2029 BlueStar: Head Coach - Courtney Jones
About
Coach Co grew up in the Minneapolis metro, and graduated from Maple Grove Senior High where she was a part of back to back State tournament appearances in 2010 and 2011. She decided to pursue her career over basketball and attended Iowa State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design. She currently calls Northeast Minneapolis home, and works at a senior living design firm full-time while also running a multidisciplinary design business with her older brother called 4Design.
Playing Experience
- MN Suns Alum
- 2 MN Girls State basketball appearances with Maple Grove Senior High
Coaching Experience
- 5th season with MN Suns (2017-present)
- Roseville Youth Traveling coach (2019-present)
- St. Louis Park Traveling coach (2017-2019)
- All Iowa Attack (2014-2016)
Coach's Thoughts
I coach not only for the love I have for the game, but I also have a passion for people. The relationships I've developed over the years with the players I've coached, and even the parents, has been something that I will cherish forever. I want to help develop players not only in basketball, but also as a teammate, friend, and as a person. The type of coaches I've had over the years have emphasized the importance of all of those, and have influenced my style of coaching. There are so many great aspects and avenues through the game, and I want to make sure those I coach understand that, and want to put their 100% effort and dedication into achieving their goals--not only in basketball, but in life.
2028 Coaches
2028 BlueStar: Head Coach - Rachael Long
About
Rachael grew up playing basketball in the Minneapolis metro area, playing on the inaugural MN Suns team in 2006 and playing high school basketball at Maranatha Christian Academy. She went on to graduate from Gustavus Adolphus College with her bachelor's degree in Education. Rachael is a teacher and basketball coach at Maranatha, and adjunct professor at North Central University. She currently resides in Brooklyn Park with her furbabies Maggie and Phoebe. Rachael also serves as one of our player development directors and Skills Academy trainers for 4th-7th grade.
Playing Experience
- MN Suns Alum
- High school basketball, helped team to win first sub-section championship, and make first section appearance in Class A
Coaching Experience
- 13th season with the MN Suns
- 3 years coaching Maranatha Christian Academy's Junior Varsity (2012-2015)
Coach's Thoughts
Good basketball starts with good communication. As a team I strive to have us communicating plays, subs, picks, and defensive movements, so that we cohesively work together on the floor and bench to achieve success. With this foundation we can work together as a unified front to achieve our team and individual goals throughout the season.
2028 Black: Head Coach - Abigail Lanari
About
Abigail has played basketball since fifth grade at Maranatha Christian Academy. She graduated from MCA in 2020 and is currently attending Anoka-Ramsey Community College while working towards a Kinesiotherapy degree.
Coaching Experience
- 3rd season with the MN Suns
- Maranatha Christian Academy Middle School Girls Basketball Coach
Coach's Thoughts
My goal in coaching is that each athlete can walk away from the season with more than just an improvement of skills, but also an improvement in their leadership, confidence, and passion.
2027 Coaches
2027 BlueStar: Head Coach - Anna Peters
About
Anna is currently in school for Urban Elementary Education. She has always had a passion for working with children. Anna grew up in a gym as part of a basketball family and started playing basketball in 2nd grade. She has a small dog named Buddy that she adopted six years ago.
Playing Experience
- MN Suns Alum
- 5 year varsity basketball letterman
- Played in the MN State Tournament as an 8th grader
Coaching Experience
- 2nd season with the MN Suns
- Eden Prairie Basketball Association 7th Grade Coach (2020-2021)
- Eden Prairie Girls Basketball In-House Coaching Director (2020-2021)
- Eagan Athletic Association 7th Grade Coach (2019-2020)
Coach's Thoughts
My goal as a coach is for a player to come out of their season as a better basketball player, and also as an individual having learned some valuable life lessons that basketball can help teach. I place emphasis on work ethic, sportsmanship, and coachability. I also believe in positive coaching and making the basketball experience for players an enjoyable one.
2027 BlueStar: Assistant Coach - Ray Peters
About
Ray grew up in Fridley, MN and has always been a huge Minnesota Sports fan. He has enjoyed coaching his daughters' teams over the years and has spent thousands of hours in the gym with his daughters and other players working on their games. Ray has worked in the insurance industry for 20+ years. He will be coaching alongside his youngest daughter, Anna.
Coaching Experience
- 2nd season with the MN Suns
- Eagan Traveling Basketball Association
- Many years coaching my daughters
Coach's Thoughts
I am a big believer in helping kids develop solid fundamental basketball skills so that they can pursue whatever level of basketball they wish to pursue. I believe basketball and sports in general can help teach children many important life lessons. I strongly believe in teamwork and my goal is to help each player become the best they can be individually can so that each player can play a positive role in helping their team achieve its goals. I believe in positive coaching and helping kids enjoy their basketball playing experience.
2026 Coaches
2026 BlueStar: Head Coach - Derwin George
About
Derwin grew up in Milwaukee, WI. He is a Milwaukee Bucks and Brewers fan and surprisingly, a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Sports, academics and family were the three pillars in his household growing up. Derwin's parents instilled in him the value of education and he was required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in order to play sports. From his sophomore through senior year, Derwin played at the varsity level at West Allis Central High School where he hardened the fundamentals of basketball. Derwin attended and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In 2010, Derwin walked on to play for the Warhawks and in 2012 won the Division III National Championship. He received his bachelor's degree in business, majoring in accounting and IT-security. Derwin works as a real estate agent in the Twin Cities and purchased his first home with his wife in South Minneapolis.
Coaching Experience
- 1st season with the MN Suns
- Varsity Oak Creek High School boys basketball summer league team (2009-2011)
- Facilitated and coached "Junior Bulldogs" grades 6-8 (2008-2009)
- Teaching ball handling, shooting and defensive drills
Playing Experience
- Walked on at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and won the 2012 Division III National Championship
- Varsity level at West Allis Central High School (2007-2009)
Coach's Thoughts
My goal as a coach is to teach the core principals of life through the lens of basketball. Hard work, mental toughness, and dedication are not just words and phrases. These are pillars of success both on and off the court. One of the beautiful things about sports, is that you get out what you put in. I hope my student athletes truly buy in to that mindset. I want my student athletes to leave it all out on the floor and give their best effort to get better and be better everyday.
2026 Black: Head Coach - Quintin "Q" Johnson
About
Coach Q has been working with youth for over 25 years and is currently a student advocate at Bloomington Jefferson High.
Playing Experience
- University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire- won over 80 games in 3 years and played for a national championship.
Coaching Experience
- 25+ years of basketball coaching and training at all levels both girls and boys
- Head Girls Varsity Basketball coach at Bloomington Kennedy High School (8 years)
- Over 100 career wins, 2 state finals appearances, 2 conference championships, 4 section finals
Coach's Thoughts
I take pride in teaching our youth basketball and life skills. I specialize in moving without the ball and shooting. But more importantly, the when, where, what and why- essentially basketball IQ. I look forward to guiding your athlete on their journey in basketball and would love to help them accomplish their goals and go to the next level, whether that is to become a varsity player or a college player.
2026 Orange: Head Coach - Andy Porisch
About
Andrew played varsity basketball at St. Francis High School and continued to play through adulthood as time allowed. His coaching career began in 2003 and has continued to today coaching many at youth camps and traveling/AAU teams in winter, spring and fall seasons. He is the former President of Coon Rapids Girls Traveling Basketball.
Coaching Experience
- 7th season with the MN Suns
- Centennial Traveling (2017-Current)
- Coon Rapids Traveling (2008-2017)
- Midtown Lady Monarchs (AAU) (2014)
- 18 years coaching basketball
Coach's Thoughts
People can very easily get caught up in results but the most important things are not measured on paper or with stats. I always want to push my team to perform at the highest competitive level. I enjoy strong competition and want my teams to embrace challenging themselves to always play at a high level. Win or lose, if they played their best and gave it their all, we can all be proud of that. I try to develop the girls as both players and people. Give them the tools and knowledge to be the best that they can be. I want to maximize their potential on the court while teaching them lessons that can hold true both on and off the court. Additionally, I want them to enjoy the process and even create relationships that can last well after basketball.
2026 Orange: Assistant Coach - Kaylee Porisch
About
Playing Experience
- Anoka-Ramsey Community College (2017-2018)
- 4 seasons at Coon Rapids High School (2012-2017)
- 5 AAU seasons with MN Suns, Midtown Lady Monarchs, 43 Hoops and MN Fury (2012-2016)
- 2 time Northwest Suburban All-Conference
- Breakdown Sports 7AAAA All-Section Team and Super 100 Seniors
- MCAC 1st Team All-Southern Division
- NJCAA National Player of the Week
- NJCAA 3rd Team All-American
Coaching Experience
- Three seasons coaching Hoopology (2014-2016)
-
Helped at various youth camps throughout High School including Cardinal Peeps
Coach's Thoughts
I want to share my passion for basketball with these young girls. I want them to enjoy the game as much as I did when I was playing and as I still do now. My goal as a coach is to help each player discover their strengths and what they need to improve on. The most important thing to me is to make sure these girls know how important education is because if they’re good in academics they will have a lot more opportunities. I also want to prepare them for all things outside of basketball.
2025 Coaches
2025 BlueStar: Head Coach - Karl Schroeder
About
Karl grew up in Michigan and Wisconsin before coming to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. In college, he earned his BS in Kinesiology with a Minor and Certificate in Coaching before completing his Master’s in Education for Physical Education, Health Education, and Special Education. Karl has been coaching both boys and girls AAU and high school basketball since becoming a full-time resident in Minneapolis. Karl is currently a Physical Education & Health Teacher at Hopkins High School, where he also coaches basketball. In his free time he likes to be physically active, travel, and play basketball myself.
Coaching Experience
- 1st season with the MN Suns
- Hopkins High School Girls Varsity Assistant Coach (7 years)
- North Tartan Head Coach (2 years)
- Minnesota Heat Head Coach (4 years)
Coach's Thoughts
My goal is to use my passions for coaching, athletics, and living a healthy lifestyle as a vehicle to educate others to develop valuable lifelong skills. Athletics is about much more than wins and losses and I teach my players how success is best measured through attitude, effort, determination, and resiliency.
2025 Black: Head Coach - Dan Froehlich
About
Dan has spent 30 years practicing law in the area of labor and employment and is currently a consultant with NeuVest. He is a lifelong learner and has an accomplished education background including stints at Golden Valley Lutheran College, University of Minnesota (BA), William Mitchell College of Law (JD), and University of St. Thomas (finished coursework towards Masters in Teaching). His hobbies include biking, fishing, golfing and reading.
Playing Experience
- Played basketball and baseball
- All-conference in basketball
- Played JUCO ball
Coaching Experience
- 9th season with the MN Suns
- 35+ seasons of coaching basketball at numerous levels
- Began career as Boys High School assistant coach
- 9 years as Head Girls basketball coach at Minneapolis Southwest
- most wins in history of SW boys or girls basketball in a season (20) and in any two through eight year period
- 1st conference championship for SW in 36 years (2016)
- 3 time Coach of the Year (2014 Section 6AAAA, 2015 & 2016 MPLS City Conference)
- Coached over 35 young women who either are currently being recruited to play college basketball, are currently playing college basketball, or have played college basketball
- USA Basketball Youth Basketball Gold Coach Certified
Coach's Thoughts
I have high expectations regarding effort, attendance and showing respect for teammates, opponents, officials and everyone with whom you come in contact with as a member of my team. But, I also promise to every player I coach: I will do everything I can to 1) help you become the best player and teammate you can and 2) help you enjoy the game as much as I do.
2025 Orange: Head Coach - Anna Kavanagh
About
Anna grew up in Forest Lake, MN and graduated from Forest Lake High School in 2014, where during her junior and senior years she received All-Conference honors as well as MVP of her team. After high school, Anna began her college basketball career at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC). Her sophomore year year she was selected as the NJCCA Region XI MVP, leading her team to the NJCAA National Tournament. Anna graduated from NIACC in 2016 with her Associate of Arts degree. After her time at NIACC, Anna transferred to Wayne State College where she played her final two years. Graduating from Wayne State in 2018 with her B.S. in Criminal Justice, Anna currently resides in Forest Lake, MN with her husband Glen and furbaby Ida.
Playing Experience
- North Iowa Area Community College (2 years)
- Wayne State College (2 years)
- Forest Lake Varsity MVP 2013, 2014
- NJCAA Region XI MVP
- Suburban East All-Conference
Coaching Experience
- 1st season with the MN Suns
- Forest Lake Girls Varsity Volunteer 2018-Present
- Forest Lake Skills Camp Director/Head Coach 2015-Present
- Forest Lake Traveling 2018-2020
- MN/WI Force Head Coach 2018-2020
- Forest Lake Middle School Assistant Coach 2018
Coach's Thoughts
My goal as a coach is to create good basketball players, and better people, helping to develop youth on and off the floor.
2025 Orange: Assistant Coach - Evelyn Knox
About
Evelyn grew up in Plymouth, MN and graduated from Hopkins High School in 2016. She played on three Class 4A State Championship teams under coach Brian Cosgriff and shot 52% from the 3-point line during her high school career. Evelyn played AAU for North Tartan and switched over to Minnesota Metro Stars her senior year before committing to Wayne State College. She competed for three seasons at Wayne State with one year as a medical redshirt after a season ending Injury. Evelyn graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Mass Communications and Journalism and is planning on pursing her master's degree in Public Relations Management in Fall 2021. She recently accepted a Marketing Coordinator position at Sicora Consulting located in the Twin Cities. Evelyn will be coaching alongside former Wayne State teammate, Anna Kavanagh.
Playing Experience
- Wayne State College (4 years)
- Hopkins High School varsity (5 Years)
- All Lake Conference Honorable Mention (2 years)
- 3 time Class 4A Minnesota State Champion
- Minnesota State 3-point champion (2016)
Coaching Experience
- 1st season with the MN Suns
Coach's Thoughts
My goal is to coach these young basketball stars to their highest potential. It is important to me that every member of my team sees improvement in their basketball skills, betters themselves as people on and off the court, and has FUN while doing it.
2024 Coaches
2024 BlueStar: Head Coach - Dre Jefferson
About
A graduate of Park Center High School, Dre went on to play college basketball, completing his career at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and jumped right into skills training in 2009. Since 2010, Dre has been coaching high school basketball and has worked as the junior varsity boys coach at the International School of Minnesota, an assistant coach with St. Louis Park Girls Basketball team and most recently as the Associate Head Coach at Hopkins High School. In 2012, Dre joined the MN Suns family as a skills trainer and head coach and has now taken on the role of the MN Suns Club Director. With numerous players from his teams going on to play collegiate basketball, Coach Jefferson has implemented a development process that works for kids and is now being applied to the entire Suns program. High expectations, commitment to excellence and a work ethic that matches the goals set will be core components to the Suns under Dre Jefferson's leadership.
Playing Experience
- Park Center High School
- University of Wisconsin-Stout
Coaching Experience
- 10th season with the MN Suns (2012- Present)
- Twins Cities Elite basketball training (2010-present)
- Junior Varsity Coach and Associate Head Varsity Coach-Hopkins High School (2015-2020)
- ISM Eden Prairie (2010-2014)
Coach's Thoughts
Basketball has been my passion since I was 5 years old, now to be able to help kids chase their goals and achieve their basketball dreams is an amazing opportunity.
2024 BlueStar: Assistant Coach - Hannah Silva-Breen
About
Hannah grew up playing basketball, softball, and soccer. In high school, she focused only on basketball playing at Prior Lake High School and with the MN Suns. Hannah earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and exercise physiology at Gustavus Adolphus College in 2018. Hannah currently is an Eating Disorder Technician at the Emily Program in St Paul and a group fitness instructor through the YMCA of Greater Twin Cities.
Playing Experience
- Gustavus Adolphus College (1 year)
- MN Suns Alum
- Prior Lake High School
Coaching Experience
- 8th season with the MN Suns
Coach’s Thoughts
I strongly believe that basketball at the 7th grade level is about refining the basics, learning new skills, fostering positive teamwork, and having FUN! After retiring from playing myself, I knew I wanted to stay involved in the sport I love and pass on my knowledge and passion to others.
2024 Black: Head Coach - Tia Diggins
About
Tia grew up in Montevideo, MN but played AAU for a North Minneapolis Metro team. She played basketball at Hamline University while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. Tia currently lives in Minneapolis, and works for an Environmental Law Firm.
Playing Experience
- Hamline University (4 years)
- North Metro (2 years)
Coaching Experience
- 4th season with the MN Suns (2018-Current)
- Saint Louis Park Youth Traveling 6th Grade Coach (2018-2019)
- North Metro Aftershock 16U/17U Coach (2015-2017)
Coach’s Thoughts
I coach to share my knowledge and love of basketball. My style of coaching is encouraging, and I focus on developing skills and comprehension of the game. My goal is to create an environment where each players feels comfortable reaching their season goals. My philosophy is that a happy team naturally becomes a successful team.
2023 Coaches
2023 BlueStar: Head Coach - DeAnte Michaud
Playing Experience
- U of Wisconsin-Stout (2007-2009)
Coaching Experience
- 7th season with the MN Suns (2015 - Present)
- DeLaSalle High School (2020 - Present)
- St. Louis Park High School (2015-2020)
- Brooklyn Center High School (2012-2015)
Coach’s Thoughts
My goal is to prepare kids for the real world by helping them to develop a successful work ethic and an understanding of what they want in life. In a perfect world, I would want every player that comes across my path to develop to the point where he or she has an academic and athletic scholarship to the school of his or her choice.
2023 BlueStar: Assistant Coach - Lexi Long
About
Lexi grew up playing basketball in the Minneapolis metro, playing on the inaugural MN Suns team in 2005 and winning two high school state championships at Maranatha. She played basketball at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (NCAA D2) where she finished career as #9 and #11 all time in career 3-pointers made and assists respectively while earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil & Environmental Engineering. Lexi got her start coaching in 2012 while still in high school and coached teams at all levels while in South Dakota including coaching the the Rapid City Christian High School girls junior varsity and assisting with varsity. Currently, she coaches with DeLaSalle High School and Roseville Youth Traveling Association. Lexi works for a civil engineering consulting firm and currently resides in Brooklyn Park with her furbabies Gracie, Stella, Duchess, and Bernie. This season Lexi will be assisting the 2023 BlueStar team while also fulfilling responsibilities as the Director of Operations.
Playing Experience
- MN Suns Alum
- High School- Maranatha Christian Academy, 5x All-Conference, 2x All-State, 2x State Champion
- College- South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, finished career as #9 and #11 all time in career 3-pointers made and assists respectively.
Coaching Experience
- 8th season with the MN Suns
- Roseville Youth Traveling 6th Grade Coach (2019-Current)
- Rapid City Christian Middle School (2018-2019)
- Rapid City Christian High School JV Head Coach & Varsity Assistant Coach (2018-2019)
Coach's Thoughts
I was blessed with so many great coaches growing up through traveling, AAU, high school, & college and I want to turn around be that coach for those behind me. I love the game of basketball and all of the important life lessons that can be learned through the vehicle of sport. The highs and lows of a basketball game parallel the highs and lows of life and it's important to learn how to work hard and make yourself better each day despite the circumstance. As a coach, I want my athletes to have fun competing while getting better at the same time. As a former point guard, a big part of my coaching philosophy is developing court awareness & basketball IQ in addition to individual skills.
2023 Black: Head Coach - Ben Fried
About
Ben grew up in Champlin, MN with his parents and 2 younger brothers. He attended the University of Minnesota where he earned a BA in History with a coaching certificate and his Master's in Education and social studies teaching degree. It was in college where he began his coaching career, coaching his brother's youth soccer and baseball teams and then starting his basketball coaching career at Hopkins High School. Ben lives in Minneapolis and is a middle school teacher in the Edina School District.
Coaching Experience
- 2nd season with the MN Suns
- Hopkins High School Girls Varsity Assistant Coach (7 years)
- Hopkins 10th Grade Head Coach (1 year)
- Hopkins 9th Grade Head Coach (1 year)
- Hopkins 6th Grade Travel Team Head Coach (2 years)
- MN Thunder 6th/7th Grade Head Coach (2 years)
Accomplishments
- 2 MN State Tournament Titles coaching with Hopkins High School
- 3 MN State Tournament 2nd Place finishes coaching with Hopkins High School
- Coached many players that currently play DI basketball
Coach's Thoughts
My goal in coaching is the same as my goal in teaching: to have a positive impact on every player or student and to prepare them to succeed in whatever their next step is. For coaching that means instilling the importance of hard work, attention to detail, and having a growth mindset. I want every player on my team to leave feeling that they have grown both on the court and off of it, and that they are ready to take on whatever challenges they may face.
2023 Orange: Head Coach - Ameh Ogbemudia
About
Ameh grew up in East Bethel, MN and graduated from St. Francis High School. She started playing basketball in 4th grade and never stopped, playing year round on various teams at different levels. She also played at Waldorf University in Forest City IA where she finished her career with 1013 points and 517 rebounds. In 2018, she graduated from Waldorf with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology. She currently works at The Lab Athletic as a basketball trainer and trains players at all levels including collegiate NCAA and NAIA basketball players. Ameh also serves as one of our player development directors and Skills Academy trainers.
Playing Experience
- MN Suns alum
- Waldorf University (NAIA D2, 4 years) - 2nd Team All-Conference, amassed 1000+ points and 500+ rebounds.
Coaching Experience
- 2nd season with the MN Suns
- Basketball trainer at the Lab Athletic 2019-current
- St. Francis high school JV assistant 2019- current
- Andover 4th grade traveling boys 2019-2020
Coach's Thoughts
Playing at an elite level requires a well-rounded athlete. Pressures to be at the highest levels can take a toll on your self-esteem so taking care of yourself is number one.
