Jeff Kaminsky - Head Coach
Jeff Kaminsky begins his 8th year as Head Men’s Basketball Coach for Valley City State University. Having established the basketball program with an identity of “Where the Defense Never Rests”, Kaminsky led the Vikings in 07-08 to the programs first 20 win season in 20 years going 22-8. He followed it up by leading the Vikings to the DAC Co-Championship in 09-10 finishing 20-10 and once again finished with a 20-10 record in 11-12. His overall record at VCSU is 112-94.
Prior to arriving at VCSU, Kaminsky served 11 seasons as head coach at University of Wisconsin-Superior and has been a head coach for 25 seasons with an overall head coaching record of 381-317.
Highlights include having the WIAC Player of the Year, sweeping 2004 National Champion UW-Stevens Point in conference play, and building a competitive program. He also served as the interim athletic director for an athletic department with 16 sports from 2000-2004.
Prior to his time at UW-Superior, Kaminsky spent seven seasons as the Head Coach of Mid State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids. While there, he guided the Cougars to a 153 70 record, and three consecutive Wisconsin Junior College State Championships. From the 1990 91 season to the 1993 94 season, MSTC had a record of 109-31 and three WTCC Conference Championships. Kaminsky's emphasis on defense and team play established Mid State as a contender on the state and national levels of junior college basketball.
Before taking over the MSTC program, Kaminsky was a graduate assistant at Division I Kent State University. At Kent, Kaminsky earned a master's degree in Sports Psychology and helped the Golden Flashes to a 19-10 record and a second place finish in the Mid American Conference during the 1986 87 season.
As a player, Kaminsky was named to the Junior College All-American Honorable Mention Team in 1982-83, when he led the College of DuPage (IL) to a 28-4 record. After graduating from DuPage, Kaminsky went on to play at Grand Valley State University (MI). In his senior year, he was voted scholar athlete of the year and best defensive player, leading his team to a 21-7 record and a 'Sweet Sixteen' appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament.
Kaminsky graduated with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Grand Valley State and was named the GLIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. As a graduate assistant at Division I Kent State, he received his master's degree in Sport Psychology.
Nathan Stover - Assistant Coach
Nathan Stover is entering his 8th year of assisting Coach Kaminsky and the Viking Men’s Basketball Team. Nathan also serves as the VCSU Intramural Director.
Prior to coming to VCSU, Coach Stover spent three years as the head boys’ basketball coach at Jamestown High School (ND) from 2002-2005 and one year as the head girls’ and head boys’ coach at Harvey High School (ND) during the 2001-2002 school year.
Coach Stover began his coaching career in college as a student assistant coach at NDSU working under Tom Billeter and Ray Giacoletti. He continued his coaching stint with the NDSU men’s basketball team from 1999-2001 as the graduate assistant coach.
Nathan worked extensively with former NDSU and current NCAA Division I coaches Ray Giacoletti (Gonzaga), Ben Jacobson (University of Northern Iowa) and Greg McDermott (Creighton).
A native of Larimore, ND, Stover is a 1999 VCSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Elem. Education. Stover also received his Master’s Degree in Sports Management from NDSU in 2006.
Assistant Coach
Matt Karlgaard is entering his 6th season with the Vikings. Coach Karlgaard spent 3 years as a Student Assistant under Kaminsky at VCSU, and now moves into his third full season as an Assistant Coach with the Vikings.
Originally from Litchville, ND, Karlgaard is a 2006 graduate Litchville-Marion High School. Coach Karlgaard is a 2010 graduate of VCSU with a Bachelor's Degree in Office Management, and a minor in Athletic Coaching. Karlgaard also received his Master's Degree in Recreation and Sports Sciences from Ohio University in June of 2012.
Karl Sorby - Student Assistant Coach
Karl is in his 3rd season as a Student Assistant for the Vikings Men's Basketball Team and is orginially from Valley City, ND, where he graduated from Valley City High School in 2008.
Sorby played basketball for the Valley City Hi-Liners, where he was a 2 year varsity letter winner. Karl is a senior at VCSU, and is a double major in Physical Education and Health Education, with a minor in Athletic Coaching. Karl's career aspiration is to coach college basketball.
