Alexandria Girls Basketball Head Coach Wendy Kohler retires after 40 years
After 40 years at the helm of the Alexandria Girls Basketball program, head coach Wendy Kohler retired.
"I probably would have taken my last breath on the court and I didn't want to do that, so I guess it's onward now," Kohler said.
Retirement for Kohler includes cheering on the Timberwolves in the playoffs.
In her time as a head coach at Alexandria, she took the team to the state tournament 13 times. In her last season, she led the Cardinals to third place in Class 3A.
"She just created a culture of excellence and relationships, which I think has been contagious throughout Alexandria activities," said Rick Sansted, superintendent of Alexandria Public Schools.
Rick Sansted and had a front row seat to the impact Kohler's coaching had on student athletes. His wife Katie and his daughter both played for Kohler.
"I came up with seven different mother-daughter connections that Wendy had coached," said Katie Sansted.
Family is what the Alexandria girls basketball program is all about. The most consistent fans in the stands for Kohler's games were her own parents.
"Her mom and dad, Chuck and Marge, from forever were always in the stands, were her biggest supporters and I feel like that was who she was. Family to her was super important," said Katie Sansted.
When the Cardinals won their sole state championship in 1997, David Hartmann was the Alexandria Athletic Director at the time.
It's emotional for him to think of that special season.
"At the time I was on the high school league board and I got to hand out medals, and that was a great memory for me, and I think that really epitomized for Wendy her hard work," Hartmann said.
The opportunities for female athletes has grown so much in Kohler's time coaching, and she's proud to have had her role in it.
"It's awesome to see the women being equal to their male counterparts and I'm really privileged to be able to promote that for the last 40 years," Kohler said.
In Kohler's final season coaching, she banked her 1,000th win with the Alexandria Cardinals.
She ended her career as the second most winning coach for girls basketball in Minnesota, behind the head coach of New London Spicer, Mike Dreier.
