After leading Mayville State to historic season, Dennis Hutter joins UND women's basketball staff
Mar. 29—GRAND FORKS — The UND women's basketball program has hired Dennis Hutter as its new associate head coach.
Hutter was the women's basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Mayville State University. Hutter led the women's basketball team to its second Sweet 16 matchup in school history on March 22, where the Comets lost to eventual NAIA champions Dordt University.
Hutter, who coached the Comets for 19 years after stops as an assistant at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn., and as a head girls basketball coach at Centennial High School in Blaine, Minn., was on the sideline in December when
Mayville State beat UND
for the first time. The Comets, who ended the season 26-3, led for 38 minutes in the 75-68 win.
"I am so excited for the opportunity to join the Fighting Hawks women's basketball family," Hutter said. "I am so grateful to the administration and people at Mayville State. The last 19 years have been more then we could have expected for me and my family both on and off the floor."
The Comets' 26 wins this year marked a program record for wins in a season and was Mayville State's seventh 20-plus win season under Hutter. He earned career win No. 300 on Jan. 12, 2024.
Mayville State won three conference championships and four conference tournament championships under Hutter. The Comets won both this season.
"We are very excited to welcome Coach Hutter to our Fighting Hawks family," coach Mallory Bernhard said. "Dennis has been an incredibly successful head coach for many years and brings a great passion and energy which has always been exemplified by his teams. Most importantly, he is a great person and we look forward to his arrival in Grand Forks."
Mayville State had 11 players from North Dakota on the roster, including Grand Forks' Alex Page, Devils Lake's Jes Mertens and Thompson's Mackenzie Hughes. Eighteen of Mayville State's 19 players on the roster this season were from North Dakota or Minnesota.
UND's ability to recruit locally has been a focus after the Fighting Hawks
didn't have a player from North Dakota
on the roster this season for the first time in the Division I era.
Jocelyn Schiller of Grand Forks
and Edgeley's Mataeya Mathern are committed to play at UND this fall.
UND opted to turn one open assistant coach job into an associate head coach position under Bernhard. The Hawks have another assistant job to fill after
Travis Bledsoe and Sabra Wimberley's contracts weren't renewed
following the 2023-2024 season.
Hutter joins Bernhard's staff after the Hawks went 9-21 overall and 5-11 in the Summit League this season. UND loses fifth-years Kacie Borowicz, Sammiyah Hoskin and Destinee Oberg next season. Guard DJ Davis and Mahogany Cottingham
entered the transfer portal
last week.
"With success comes opportunity, and that is what has happened for Coach Hutter," said Mayville State President Dr. Brian Van Horn in a statement. "Dennis Hutter has made a positive impact and built a legacy for Mayville State Women's Basketball. We are grateful and thank him for his service to the university and its students. We wish him all the best in his new venture, and we'll be rooting for his future teams, as long as they're not playing against the Comets."
"I thank Dennis for his commitment to Mayville State," said Mayville State football coach and interim athletic director Rocky Larson. "He has been a great friend and mentor since I arrived in Mayville. I will miss him. Coach Hutter has left the Mayville State's women's basketball program in a great spot, and I look forward to watching him in his next career move."
