FDLTCC Names John Grones Head Womans Basketball Coach

Jan 24, 2011

Wes Vork-NSO

Just three months after needing to cancel the 2010-2011 womens basketball season due to a lack of players, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College athletic director Keith Turner confirmed the hiring of a new head coach who they believe will get the program back on track.

In a conversation with Northland Sports Online, Turner confirmed the hiring of John Grones as the new head womens basketball coach. Grones, a longtime fixture in girls basketball circles, has coached at several different levels for the past 20 years, most recently as the assistant coach of the Cromwell girls program.

Turner talked about the qualities he believed were necessary in a head coach for the program to be successful. “The biggest thing we looked for was someone who was energetic and knew the area. We also wanted someone who would be around for a while. John certainly has all those attributes.” Turner stated they interviewed three applicants and looked at what would be the best fit for the college before selecting Grones.

Although Grones doesn’t have a lot of head coaching experience, Turner does not see that as an issue. “A person who is hard working and enthusiastic will overcome some of those barriers. John knows northern Minnesota girls basketball and will put in the effort needed to recruit. He is the kind of guy who will travel to a game in International Falls when it is 40 below if needed,” explained Turner.

For his part Grones is excited to be part of the FDLTCC staff. “Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is off to a great start with their new sports programs and they have hired quality coaches,” said Grones. “Kerry Rodd (Softball) and Laura Sylvester (Volleyball) are very committed coaches and I feel fortunate to join them on the Thunder Women’s Athletics team. I believe we all have the same vision for Thunder athletics.”

Turner talked about recruiting as the first goal in reviving the program. He stated recruiting local student athletes will be a priority, looking to the twin ports area first, followed by northern Minnesota. If needed, the twin cities area and neighboring states would follow in order of importance. “We can compete with anyone with local athletes.” Turner mentioned.

Grones noted that local talent and coaching is as good as, if not better than any area of the state, commenting. “Section 7 has been well represented at the state level for quite some time. I expect that to be the case again this year. The top-tier teams in the area are noted for playing outstanding defense and executing extremely well on the offensive end,” said Grones. “The players in these programs that choose to come to play for the Thunder will be a perfect fit with the system I hope to implement.”

Turner felt it was important to the revival of the program to hire a new coach before the current basketball season is over, explaining, “We need to make calls and make some road trips while things are still happening.” He also mentioned they are excited about getting student athletes to see what FDLTCC has to offer educationally. “FDLTCC provides a great educational experience. A lower price doesn’t mean less information or less quality. We have instructors here with doctorates and others with two or three masters,” added Turner.

Grones agreed with the need to get going. “We’re not looking back,” said Grones. “This is a fresh start for the program. It’s an exciting opportunity not only for me, but also for the student athletes who will become part of Thunder Basketball. The college has a positive academic and athletic atmosphere that will be fun for all of us.”

The Thunder compete in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference, which is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The conference is comprised of 17 colleges which are divided geographically into Northern and Southern Divisions. More information about the conference is available from the league’s website located at http://www.mcac-sports.com.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com