the Legend of Bill

Coaching, teaching was his life


Wednesday, 09 June 2010

By Victoria Dahlin

Bill Baumann retired from teaching and as head basketball coach this past school year, but luckily for North Branch saying goodbye is not something the Coach is finding easy to do.

For the past 37 years, teaching and coaching have been Baumann’s life. People have jokingly asked him, “Do you live here, at the school?“

And as he explained, basically he did, since he taught social studies and then coached basketball or football, he was at the school from morning to nighttime.

Coach Baumann with his 2009-10 team. Post Review file photo

But he’s finding he can’t just walk away from North Branch, and plans to stay on as assistant football coach, do some substitute teaching and stay involved in the school sports programs, at least for now.

Coaching is something Baumann always wanted to do. His dad worked hard to give him the opportunity to do things he, himself never got to do, and made sure Baumann had the chance to play football, basketball and baseball at Waseca Sacred Heart and Waseca High School.

Baumann was 16 when his father passed away, and two coaches became roll models. He admired and wanted to be like head basketball coach Manny Beckman, and head baseball and assistant basketball coach Tink Larson.  They inspired him to become the coach he is today.

Baumann then went to St. John’s University with an academic scholarship, and attained his bachelor of science degree in Social Science and Coaching while lettering in baseball.   He played one year of basketball, until he injured his knee. (In 1988 he earned his masters in Special Studies and Athletic Administration from St. Cloud State University.)

After graduating from St. John’s, Baumann worked for a short time at a cable TV company until he got a call from St. John’s about a job at Villard High School (which later merged with Glenwood and Starbuck and is now called Minnewaska).

He taught social studies and was head football, head baseball and assistant basketball coach from 1974-1979.

In the summer of 1979 he was hired by North Branch as the assistant football and assistant basketball coach, but the head basketball coach resigned so he instead took over that position.

Coach Baumann has been the Vikings head basketball coach for 31 years. He has a 414-335 record, with six Conference Championships and two State Tournament appearances (1984 and 2001).  He has also been the assistant football coach for quite a few of those years, assistant baseball coach for one year and assistant softball coach for four of those years.   He was athletic director from 1987-1995 and is the social studies department chairman.

Ah, the memories

Baumann has many good memories from his years of teaching and coaching. One memory that stands out is from 1984, when the North Branch boys basketball team made it to its first State championship.

“Things were really exciting,” said Baumann. “The paper did a great layout, they had all the kids. I remember it was really wild here in school. In fact they had my classes meet in the cafeteria for a long time, because there was a lot of media and people coming in here.

“I remember being given rides in the fire trucks. Actually they met us coming back from Duluth and had a big celebration all the way from Hinckley to down here.

“So that was the one (memory), but there are so many of them that go on and on. The 2001 team that went. One of the greatest memories of that was when the boys and girls both went to the state tournament and we went over to the elementary school. The elementary kids were high fivin’ all the kids and the school was so excited. But, the biggest memory is the kids and the people. I’ll take those more than anything else.”

Another special moment and special remembrance is the get-together his wife, Carol, organized this past season. Athletes from 1979 to last year’s team showed up for the game against Cloquet and held a gathering afterwards.

“I’ve got to thank my assistant coaches,” said Baumann. “It was really fun coming to practice working with those guys all the time. I was fortunate to have one assistant, Larry Brodin, for 20 years. Larry Schlagel left for a while to coach the girls and came back, but I had him for over 20 years. Others included John Gunderson, 15 years, and Jim Van Eerden, 12 years. Gary Dreissig was a Rush City coach I had a good relationship with, who joined the staff. Those guys were so great to work with and we had longevity. They’re friends.”

“And the kids,” said Baumann. “The relationship with the kids is unbelievable. People see me reacting with them on the court, so they see that one thing, but off the scenes they don’t see how the kids and I react together in practices, the different things that we did and the way we talked. I get notes from certain players every once in a while that say thanks for everything and that makes it all worthwhile.”

Baumann wants to stay involved as much as possible by going to the state basketball coaches clinic and if he’s asked maybe even coming in for a while to help with coaching.

“Maybe a year or two down the line I’ll go back to coaching junior high or something,” said Baumann. “Maybe it’ll be moving closer to St. Cloud and help out there and volunteering at the college.”



Although Baumann doesn’t plan to leave North Branch soon, he is especially looking forward to spending Christmas with his sister and family in Florida. She has been wanting him and his wife to come for years, but it was always impossible because of basketball holiday tournaments. Now he can take that trip to see family and get a break from the Minnesota winter.

He also hopes to have more time to go over to Maple River where his oldest son, Brad is a teacher and a ninth grade basketball coach.  “It will be fun to go watch more than one or two of his games every year,” said Baumann. “Now I can go and watch more of his games and watch him work. I find that pride in him and seeing him involved.”

Baumann’s younger son, Britt, is also an athlete and is substitute teaching at North Branch. He has a dream of getting in the NFL as a kicker and is working toward that goal. He was a kicker at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and last year was an assistant coach for his dad.  “Fun to have on the staff,“ said Baumann. “And both sons help with basketball camps.”

Golfing is about the only hobby Baumann has had time for, since coaching took up so much of his life. Even in the summers there were camps, tournaments, running the weight room, etc. But Baumann need not worry about getting bored. He said Carol has given him a “honey do” list already.

“Well she knows, and I do to, that I got to find something else because my life was the school,” he said. “She just says you better find something to do. I’m looking into even maybe doing some college teaching or something along that line. Maybe I’ll do some work around the house. I’m a weekend carpenter and it’s pretty weak. I emphasize the weak,” laughed Baumann. “I’m good at demolition.”

Baumann stressed over and over how much he wanted to thank everyone for the support he’s had. But, this reporter thinks everyone probably appreciates and wants to say thanks to Coach Baumann just as much for all he’s done for the North Branch school, students and athletes over the past 31 years.

“It’s been a great run,” he said. “It’s hard to say goodbye to it, because it’s been me. Coaching has been forever and teaching for 37 years. Now getting out of the teaching and out of everything else, is hard. I got to try something new. I tell the kids in my classes it’s about role exit, just like the kids graduate and move on. It’s time to find something else”

The accolades

Coach Bill Baumann is a life member of the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association (MSHSCA) and Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) and has earned a long list of accolades that include: Region 7AA Athletic Director of the Year (1991), MSHSCA George Haun Award (2001), MBCA All-Star Game Coach (2001), Minnesota Football Coaches Association Butch Nash Award (2004), Section/Region Basketball Coach of the year (1984, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004), RRC Conference Basketball Coach of the year (1997, 1999, 2001, 2004), District Football Coach of the Year (1977), and now this October 31, Coach Baumann will be inducted into the MBCA Hall of Fame.