our staff

MEET OUR TEAM

4th Grade: Coach Dave Foss

Coaching Experience

  • 10 years of coaching Champlin Park traveling and AAU

Coach’s Thoughts

I enjoy sharing my knowledge of the game. I like to teach players how to reach their full potential. It is my goal to mentor athletes to play unselfishly and have fun while learning

5th Grade: TBD

5th Grade: TBD

6th Grade: Coach Rachael Long + Communications Director 4th-5th Grade

Playing Experience

  • High school basketball, helped team to win first sub-section championship, as well as make first section appearance in Class A
  • Played for the MN Suns 2005-2008

Coaching Experience

  • 3 years coaching Maranatha Christian Academy's Junior Varsity (2012-2015)
  • 12th year coaching AAU for the MN Suns

 

6th Grade: Coach Andy Porisch

Coaching Experience

  • 18 years coaching basketball
  • 7th year with the MN Suns

7th Grade: Coach Kyrah Fredenburg

Playing Experience

  • Anoka High School (4 year varsity starter, 3 section championships and 3 state tournament appearances)
  • D2 basketball at Concordia University (current captain)

Coaching Experience

  • Assistant coach 7th-8th grade boys traveling basketball (2 years)
  • 5th year with the MN Suns

Accomplishments/Fun Facts

  • All Conference, All Section and All State player (High School)
  • 1,000 point club member for Anoka
  • Record holder for most rebounds in a game at Anoka
  • Leading rebounder in the NSIC (2 years)
  • Played 3 years with the MN Suns

7th Grade: Coach Hannah Silva-Breen

  • Years of coaching: 7 years
  •  Experience: MN Suns Assistant, MN Suns Head Coach, Skyhawks Sport Camps Coach & Site Director
  • Philosophy: Develop skills and have fun!
  • Misc: ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor at the YMCA Twin Cities

8th Grade: Coach Dre Jefferson + Communications Director 9th-11th Grade

Playing Experience

  • Park Center High School
  • University of Wisconsin-Stout (graduate with Business Administration degree)

Coaching Experience

  • Twins Cities Elite basketball training (2010-present)
  • ISM Eden Prairie (2010-2014)
  • Junior Varsity Coach and Assistant Varsity Coach-Hopkins High School (present)
  • MN Suns

8th Grade: Coach Tia Diggins

 

8th Grade: Coach Samantha Cady

I am a former Minnesota Suns player and this will be my second year coaching with the Suns. I coached the 9th grade girls team at Chaska High School for the 2018/2019 season, during 2017/2018 I was the assistant coach for the 7th grade girls traveling team at Minnetonka. I played four years of D3 college basketball, two years at Lake Forest College and then two years at Thomas More College where we won two National Championships. I want to teach players the skills to compete at a high level of basketball. I also want to bring energy and excitement to the players that made me fall in love with basketball back when played AAU.

9th Grade: Coach De’Ante Michaud 

Playing Experience

U of Wisconsin-Stout (2007-2009)

Hampton University (2009-2012)

Coaching Experience

Sophomore coach: Brooklyn Center (2012-2014)

JV Coach: St. Louis Park (2014-2016)

6 years with MN Suns

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 my perfect world, I 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.

 

9th Grade: Coach Ben Fried

10th Grade: Coach James Fassett + Communications Director 6th-8th Grade

Coaching Experience

With the MN Suns program (14 years)

Anoka High School Head Girls basketball coach (3 years)

Minneapolis Community and Technical College Head Women's basketball coach (4 years)

Anoka Ramsey Community College Assistant Women's basketball coach (7 years)

Hamline University recruitment/scouting program (1 year)

St. Bernard's High School

Head football coach (6 years)

Assistant Boys basketball coach (3 years)

Assistant girls basketball coach (2 years)

Robbinsdale Cooper High School-Sophomore Boys basketball coach (3 years)

Minneapolis Lady Lakers AAU (2 years)

Basketball training-individual (12 years)

Accomplishments

2 MN Girls State basketball appearances in 3 years with Anoka High School (first time in school history)

MCAC Southern division Coach of the Year (2008) at Minneapolis Community and Technical College

3 National Tournaments coaching with Anoka Ramsey Community College

Recruited and coached 6 All Americans at the college level

Currently training several collegiate basketball players that play DI, DII., DIII or Junior college basketball

Coach's Thoughts

My coaching philosophy includes education, development, and enjoyment. Basketball should be an educational experience including life lessons can be used everyday. Development is a key component to spring and summer basketball. Enjoyment is also a large part of the spring and summer experience. I have coached many players over the years that regain their love for basketball during the summer.

10th Grade: Coach Courtney Jones

MN Suns alum, I graduated from Maple Grove Senior High in 2011, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design at Iowa State University where I also started my coaching career. After a couple of years coaching in Iowa, I moved back to Minneapolis to start my design career and continued coaching with the MN Suns, where this upcoming season will be my fourth year. I pride myself in developing relationships with the girls I coach, which in turn creates an environment where the girls are eager and passionate about developing their individual skills, working together as a team, and creating lasting friendships. Basketball over the course of 15 years has been an amazing asset in my life, and I want to share the love I have for the game with the girls I have the pleasure of coaching.

11th Grade: Coach Peter Long

11th Grade: Coach Dan Froehlich

Playing Experience

Played basketball and baseball

All-conference in basketball

Played JUCO ball

Coaching Experience

30+ seasons of coaching basketball at numerous levels

Began career as Boys High School assistant coach

6 years as Head Girls basketball coach, Minneapolis Southwest

most wins in history of SW boys or girls basketball in a season (20) and in any two, three, four or five 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 15 girls currently playing college basketball or recruited to play college basketball next year

USA Basketball Youth Basketball coaching certification coursework (completing this year)

7 years with the MN Suns

Additional coaching: youth baseball and soccer

Schools Attended

Golden Valley Lutheran College

University of Minnesota (BA)

William Mitchell College of Law (JD)

University of St. Thomas (finished coursework towards Masters in Teaching)

Personal Information

30 years practicing law, primarily in the area of labor and employment

Consultant with NeuVest

Hobbies: biking, fishing, golfing and reading