Bio

Career Highlights:

Stu Engen was named the head coach and the director of athletics at North Dakota State College of Science on May 30, 2012. Since then, the Wildcats have seen success across all six NJCAA athletic programs with Engen's basketball teams leading the charge. He's accumulated a 292-58 record in his eleven seasons, including six Region 13 titles, six Mon-Dak Conference championships and a National Tournament appearance in 2016. The Wildcats have won at least 25 games in all of Engen's seasons, including a school-record 31 wins in 2016-17.

In addition to team success, Engen's players have earned many individual honors, including seven Region 13 player of the year awards, nine NJCAA All-Americans, and ten NCAA Division One signees.

Engen has complied 598 head coaching victories at various collegiate levels, and has been inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame of two different institutions (Augsburg University, 2011; Upper Iowa University, 2018). Eight of Engen’s former assistants have now become head collegiate basketball coaches, and seven of his former players have signed professional contracts. 

Before serving for a short time as the Assistant Director of Athletics at Northland College, Engen previously held head coaching positions at the Minnesota State University - Moorhead (MSUM) (2002-2010); University of Wisconsin - La Crosse (UWL) (2000-2002); Upper Iowa University (UIU) (1992-2000); and Western Wisconsin Technical College (WWTC) (1990-1992). He also served as an assistant coach at both the University of South Dakota and Augsburg College.

During his time at MSUM, Engen’s 2003 team achieved the best record for the Dragon’s basketball team in 28 years, just missing a trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. They finished second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament. Engen’s team also experienced great regional success going 1-1 against North Dakota State University, 3-2 against the University of North Dakota, and 7-1 against Concordia College.

While at UW-La Crosse, Engen was men’s head basketball coach for two seasons. It was here that Engen was named the 2002 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after his team finished runner-up in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Engen also achieved great success during his tenure at Upper Iowa University, a NCAA Division III school. With Engen’s guidance, UIU won three Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Championships and also captured the first annual (IIAC) Conference Tournament Championship.  He was also presented with the IIAC Coach of the Year Award on three separate occasions.

In 1994 Engen’s team achieved the largest turnaround in the history of the IIAC, last to first. His teams also made two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and compiled the best season record in school history, twice. In eight seasons, Engen amassed an overall record of 135-70.
 
Engen also coached at the NJCAA level where in 1992 he led Western Wisconsin Tech to a school record 25 victories capturing the NJCAA Regional Championship and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament in Delhi, NY.

Engen, 57, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Adapted Physical Education from Augsburg College in 1986, where he was a two-time First-Team All MIAC selection leading his team to the 1985 MIAC Championship, while advancing to the NCAA National Tournament. Engen also attended Normandale Community College where he was also a First-Team All MCCC selection, leading his team to 24 victories in his sophomore season. He earned his Master of Arts at the University of South Dakota in 1990. Engen and his wife, Mary, have three daughters, Mikkel, Alyse and Tierza, and a son, Everett.