Happy Hour with John Gaskins

"They can't kill us."   That bold and true remark came from Sioux Falls Stampede coach Ryan Cruthers after the Herd beat Fargo 3-2 in a thrilling winner-take-all Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals in Sioux Falls on Tuesday night.   At the same time, the San Antonio Spurs put the Minnesota Timberwolves on life support in a 126-97 romp in Game 5 of that Western Conference Finals series in the NBA.   How and why did both results happen?   Well, that's what our little show called "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" is for.   Cruthers joined the Happy Host for a look back on Tuesday's epic victory in front of 5,791 howling fans in the PREMIER Center. The second-year head coach also described the team identity that allowed it to finish with the second-best record in the USHL and come back from 2-1 deficits to capture both must-win Game 4's and Game 5's in each of its two playoff series.   As for the post mortem on the T'Wolves nightmare in San Antonio, our motley crew of the Happy Hour host, USF basketball coach Chris Johnson, and fellow Wolves die-hard Jon Oppold — owner of Wolves watch bar Orion Pub — slice and dice the ugly Game 4 and how the Wolves can turn around and take Game 6 and Game 7, like they did against the Denver Nuggets to reach the conference final two years ago.   In between all the playoff hoopla and puckla, South Dakota softball coach Robert Wagner looked back on the Coyotes' run through the Summit League Tournament, including two wins over No. 1 seed Omaha capped by a 2-1 nailbiting championship round clincher. Not bad for the No. 4 seed out of six.   Wagner also tells the story of his decade at the helm in Vermillion. Before, he had spent his life and softball career in Pac 12 territory — Washington, Utah, and Arizona. What kind of challenges has he faced in his 10 seasons at USD and how has he and his program overcome them?   The Coyotes will be the biggest underdogs in the NCAA Tournament when they play No. 1 Nebraska — not just the region's top seed, but the top-ranked team in the entire country — in front of over 3,000 fans in Lincoln on Friday night.   But, hey. Already, one team from Nebraska seeded No. 1 couldn't kill the Coyotes in the postseason. Perhaps the Huskers will struggle to do it, too.    

Our motley crew slices and dices the ugly Game 5 and how the Wolves can turn around and take Game 6 and Game 7, like they did against the Denver Nuggets to reach the conference final two years ago.   Near the top of the list: Julius Randle needs to play about a billion times better. Should this season be his last in Minnesota? 

The Coyotes twice upset No. 1 seed Omaha, capped by a 2-1 nailbiting championship round clincher. Not bad for the No. 4 seed out of six. How did they do it? Why is it not as much of a surprise to the coach as it may be to others?   Wagner also tells the story of his decade at the helm in Vermillion. Before, he had spent his life and softball career in Pac 12 territory — Washington, Utah, and Arizona. What kind of challenges has he faced in his 10 seasons at USD and how has he and his program overcome them?   The Coyotes will be the biggest underdogs in the NCAA Tournament when they play No. 1 Nebraska — not just the region's top seed, but the top-ranked team in the entire country — in front of over 3,000 fans in Lincoln on Friday night.  

"They can't kill us."   That bold and true remark came from Sioux Falls Stampede coach Ryan Cruthers after the Herd beat Fargo 3-2 in a thrilling winner-take-all Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals in Sioux Falls on Tuesday night.   Cruthers joined the Happy Host for a look back on Tuesday's epic victory in front of 5,791 howling fans in the PREMIER Center. The second-year head coach also described the team identity that allowed it to finish with the second-best record in the USHL and come back from 2-1 deficits to capture both must-win Game 4's and Game 5's in each of its two playoff series.   Also, a preview of Muskegon, the Clark Cup Finals opponent.

\ That dream house you drive by every once in a while might bring you a smile when you allow yourself a couple seconds to imagine yourself living in it.   Then, reality smacks you when you look up how much it would cost to buy.   SDSU and USD football leaders and fans perhaps felt that on Monday when reading reports of North Dakota State football coach Tim Polasek's new seven-year deal, which was finalized on Monday and reported by the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.   Polasek will make $815,000 this season and over $1,000,000 every year starting in 2027. Incentives include $50,000 for a Mountain West title and $200,000 if the Bison reach the College Football Playoff, which former FCS rival James Madison accomplished last season.     This is the price of poker NDSU leaders feel it takes to compete at the FBS level and in the Mountain West, a move the school and conference announced in late January. NDSU paid $12.5 million to enter the league and $5 million to the NCAA to move up from FCS.   The Jackrabbits and Coyotes athletic directors and head football coaches have repeatedly told Happy Hour and Sioux Falls Live in recent months that both programs are making strides financially and competitively to be ready should there be an opportunity to move up to the FBS.   But are they truly ready financially? When might they be?   Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer, who has covered SDSU football extensively for over 10 years, weighed in on the topic to lead off this week's "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast with John Gaskins from Gateway Lounge's Happy Hour.   The two NLA hosts analyzed the FCS and Missouri Valley Football Conference landscape and how SDSU and USD should perform while they are still there.    Meanwhile, how does last week's news of the NCAA Div. I men's basketball tournament field expanding to 76 teams affect programs like the Jacks and Yotes? Is it an exciting new opportunity or fool's gold for mid-majors?   Other topics covered in the 70-minute session over (late) morning beers:   * How have Augustana baseball coach Tim Huber and Augie softball skipper Gretta Melsted built and maintained their programs at the top of the NSIC for the last several years? The Happy Hour host wrote a column about the Vikings' dominance on Monday, and Zimmer explained both leaders' strengths.   * The University of South Dakota softball team came from seemingly out of nowhere to win the Summit League softball tournament and reach the NCAA Div. I Tournament for the first time. How big of a deal is this?   * The Minnesota Twins are only three games back of the American Central lead despite an 18-23 record (as of this show and article's publishing date). Is this any cause for excitement? What are Zim's biggest takeaways from the first quarter of the season?   * Why is this Minnesota Timberwolves playoff series with San Antonio so captivating?   * Adrian Peterson will be the latest Minnesota Viking in the team's Ring of Honor, a no-brainer for the squad's all-time leading rusher and No. 5 rushing yards gainer in NFL history. So, does this make A.P. a shoo-in for the all-time Minnesota Vikings Mount Rushmore? Who else should take the spot of the four heads?   But the show begins with Zim's delight in his new electric mower and the Happy Hour host's preference of gasoline mowers and golf carts.   Gentlemen, start your engines.

Adrian Peterson was named to the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor on Monday. He is the NFL's No. 5 all-time leading rusher and tops the Vikings' list. This begs the question — who joins A.P. on the Vikings' all-time Mount Rushmore? The Happy Hour host gives his after a word about two amazing athletic programs in the heart of Sioux Falls.     Death. Taxes. Augustana baseball and softball teams winning NSIC Tournament titles and playing in the NCAA Div. II Tournament.   It doesn't happen every year. It just seems like it.   This year, both teams were relatively young, full of first-time starters (including starting pitchers), experienced growing pains early and in mid-season, and then hoisted trophies when it counted the most in May.   On Saturday, Tim Huber's baseball squad took home its fifth Northern Sun conference tournament title and automatic NCAA Tournament berth since 2014. It is Huber's ninth trip to baseball's big dance in his 18 seasons and his fifth in the last six years.  Eight years ago, the Vikings became the first "northern" school to win the D2 national championship.   A year later, Gretta Melsted led Augie softball to the Holy Grail. Saturday, her squad reached the NCAA Tourney for the 14th time in her 20 years and won its sixth NSIC Tourney — including each of the last three and four of the last five.   So, how does this keep happening? How do the Augie diamond trains keep rolling — or more aptly put, how do the Viking ships keep barging to dominance?   The Happy Hour host explains why both programs remind him of SDSU women's hoops — especially the way this season panned out for all three.     Timberwolves Talk: Wemby's elbow ejection helps tie Spurs series   It was the flying elbow heard round the world.    The NBA's face of the future Victor Wembanyama swung his wing and struck Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid in the throat, earning a "flagrant 2" foul and automatic ejection in the second quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal.   In the end, the absence of the 7'4 NBA MVP finalist for over two quarters may have cost the San Antonio Spurs the chance to go up 3-1 and close out the series in San Antonio in Tuesday's Game 5.   But the Wolves made the clearer path to victory anything but a smooth journey in their 114-109 win at home.    If anything, Wemby's ejection galvanized and catalyzed the Spurs more than the Wolves, who needed Anthony Edwards' fourth-quarter heroics to overcome an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure the victory. Playing on two injured knees, Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the final two minutes.   So, what does this all mean for the Wolves and the series going forward? Should Wolves fans be worried that Minnesota — like so many times in the regular season — played with its food and needed to flip the switch in crunch time in a game that appeared ripe for a blowout win once Wemby was dismissed?   Or do the Spurs deserve credit for their spirited play and still-dangerous roster without Wemby?   And has talented but expensive and erratic forward Julius Randle bumbled, stumbled, and loafed his way out of a spot on the Timberwolves roster after this season?   Happy Hour's own local Sioux Falls panel of the Happy Hour host, University of Sioux Falls men's basketball coach Chris Johnson, and fellow die hard Jon Oppold (owner of Wolves watch bar, the Orion Pub) break it down.  

Adrian Peterson was named to the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor on Monday. He is the NFL's No. 5 all-time leading rusher and tops the Vikings' list. This begs the question — who joins A.P. on the Vikings' all-time Mount Rushmore? The Happy Hour host gives his after a word about two amazing athletic programs in the heart of Sioux Falls.   Death. Taxes. Augustana baseball and softball teams winning NSIC Tournament titles and playing in the NCAA Div. II Tournament.   It doesn't happen every year. It just seems like it.   This year, both teams were relatively young, full of first-time starters (including starting pitchers), experienced growing pains early and in mid-season, and then hoisted trophies when it counted the most in May.   On Saturday, Tim Huber's baseball squad took home its fifth Northern Sun conference tournament title and automatic NCAA Tournament berth since 2014. It is Huber's ninth trip to baseball's big dance in his 18 seasons and his fifth in the last six years.  Eight years ago, the Vikings became the first "northern" school to win the D2 national championship.   A year later, Gretta Melsted led Augie softball to the Holy Grail. Saturday, her squad reached the NCAA Tourney for the 14th time in her 20 years and won its sixth NSIC Tourney — including each of the last three and four of the last five.   So, how does this keep happening? How do the Augie diamond trains keep rolling — or more aptly put, how do the Viking ships keep barging to dominance?   We could address low-hanging fruit — Both trophies were hoisted in Sioux Falls, where the NSIC tourneys in both sports have been held each of the last two years.    Likely, there are some teams in the league that crowed under their breaths about the home field and home city advantage. But, that would be like Summit League women's teams whining about South Dakota State's home crowd advantage in the Summit League basketball tournament year after year.   Yes, the partisan fan support is a propeller, but 95 percent of the time, the Jackrabbits were the best or second best team in the league coming into the event and always knew how to play their absolute best basketball when the lights were the brightest in March.   That's no fluke, considering Aaron Johnston was the coach for all 13 Summit tourney titles in 18 years and has won over 655 games in 26 years and he, too, also won a Division II national title in 2003 before the Jacks moved up to Div. I in 2004.   Augie baseball and softball are in similar situations: Both have long-tenured coaches who, like Johnston, were targeted for jobs at higher levels—either as finalists or actual offers—but stayed to keep the freight trains they built rolling.    Both Huber and Melstead have won a national title. They have both won at least a handful of NSIC tourney titles. They're almost always one of the best two or three teams in the regular season for the last decade.    It doesn't matter where you put the league tourney. They can figure this out. And both Huber and Melsted have won multiple NSIC Tourney titles away from Sioux Falls.   Augie baseball and softball in the NSIC and the northern part of the country in a southern sport is what SDSU is to Summit and mid-major women's hoops. They're North Dakota State football and within the last few years, SDSU football in the Missouri Valley and FCS.   Superb coaching. Coaches stay or — in the case of Bison and Jacks football — assistants who were were part of titles take over and stick to the winning formula. Titles pile up. Recruiting gets easier because the best players in your region want to play there. The program becomes a machine.   On the Augie diamonds, this year was a testament to how superb, experienced coaching matters — and both Vikings teams were in a similar spot to Aaron Johnston's Jacks with about a month to go in the regular season.   Remember, SDSU had lost to NDSU and USD and seemed flat and out of sorts and without much firepower beyond Brooklyn Meyer and Maddie Mathiowetz. Then, Johnston went into the lab and tinkered with the lineup. A month later, the Jacks got revenge on both the Bison and Yotes in their rematches, then again in Summit tourney games.   Huber's baseball team was in the NSIC regular season title mix in Mid-April, but was swept in a three-game series at Minnesota State in Mankato.   The Vikings were young, they made youthful mistakes in that series. Huber, with 17 years of head coaching in the same spot under his belt, found a way to get their heads in the right space, and boom, the Vikings won seven of their last eight coming into the tourney, then three straight in Sioux Falls. The final hurdle to cross was against the same Mavericks who buried them a month earlier, and Augie beat them 6-4. Even sweeter, this avenged Augie's two Championship Saturday losses to MSU in Sioux Falls last year, when the Vikings needed only one win for the title. That led to Augie being left out of the NCAA Tournament field.   Meanwhile, Melsted's softball team, coming off five straight regular season titles and back-to-back tourney championships, started 15-14 this year. It seemed like a down year.    But Melsted had 19 years of head coaching at Augie under her belt and the Vikings won 10 of 11 down the stretch, then three straight to win the tourney at Bowden Field.   Consistent winning and coaching experience matter. You find a way to turn the corner in February and March in college hoops, and in April and May in baseball and softball.    Yeah, the players have to perform. But when banners pile up year after year with the same coach, you have your answer for why it keeps happening with different players and rosters.   Now, both programs head into the NCAA Tournament, where both coaches have also won a bunch, not to mention have learned from losing there, as well.    Huber joined Happy Hour for 20 minutes to explain how the 2026 team will be the latest to have a banner at Ronken Field.    Melsted will join the program next week.

Death. Taxes. Augustana baseball winning NSIC Tournament titles and playing in the NCAA Div. II Tournament.   It doesn't happen every year. It just seems like it.   On Saturday Tim Huber's baseball squad took home its fifth Northern Sun conference tournament title and automatic NCAA Tournament berth since 2014. It is Huber's ninth trip to baseball's big dance in his 18 seasons and fifth in the last six years.  Eight years ago, the Vikings became the first "northern" school to win the D2 national championship.   And, so, the road to Cary, North Carolina, for D2's version of the College World Series starts on Thursday in Pittsburg, Kansas, against Northwest Missouri State.   What is the hallmark of this Huber squad, how did it turn the corner and win 13 of 14 after being swept by rival (and Huber's alma mater) Minnesota State in Mid-April, and who are the studs that rode them home in the league tourney?   The affable Huber answers all in a 20-minute chat on a pleasantly sunny midday at Ronken Field.  

It was the flying elbow heard round the world.  The NBA's face of the future Victor Wembanyama swung his wing and struck Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid in the throat, earning a "flagrant 2" foul and automatic ejection in the second quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal. In the end, the absence of the 7'4 NBA MVP finalist for over two quarters may have cost the San Antonio Spurs the chance to go up 3-1 and close out the series in San Antonio in Tuesday's Game 5. But the Wolves made the clearer path to victory anything but a smooth journey in their 114-109 win at home.  If anything, Wemby's ejection galvanized and catalyzed the Spurs more than the Wolves, who needed Anthony Edwards' fourth-quarter heroics to overcome an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure the victory. Playing on two injured knees, Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the final two minutes. So, what does this all mean for the Wolves and the series going forward? Should Wolves fans be worried that Minnesota — like so many times in the regular season — played with its food and needed to flip the switch in crunch time in a game that appeared ripe for a blowout win once Wemby was dismissed? Or do the Spurs deserve credit for their spirited play and still-dangerous roster without Wemby? And has talented but expensive and erratic forward Julius Randle bumbled, stumbled, and loafed his way out of a spot on the Timberwolves roster after this season? Happy Hour's own local Sioux Falls panel of the Happy Hour host, University of Sioux Falls men's basketball coach Chris Johnson, and fellow die hard Jon Oppold (owner of Wolves watch bar, the Orion Pub) break it down.  

Make that two college basketball players from South Dakota headed for the big NIL bucks and bright lights of the Big Ten.    A week after South Dakota State's Damon Wilkison announced he is headed to Nebraska, South Dakota's Isaac Bruns — the Summit League's per-game leading scorer (20.8) this past season — on Thursday announced his commitment to Southern California.   Bruns, the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year for state champion Dakota Valley, will play for former Rapid City Thrillers (CBA) coach Eric Musselman — son of former Golden Gophers and Timberwolves head coach Bill Musselman.   This makes three South Dakota college players in the last two seasons that moved on to the Big Ten. Former Jackrabbit center Oscar Cluff — who likely made over $1 million in one season at Purdue — started and averaged 10.6 points and 7.6 rebounds for a Boilermakers squad that finished 30-9 and within one win of the Final Four.   With little reaction time before their Thirsty Thursday taping from Orion Pub, Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer and the Happy Host gave their instant response to the news and opined about the positives of South Dakota's college basketball teams' best players repeatedly leaving for more NIL money year after year.   As in, don't expect another exhausting bitch session about the downfall of mid-major hoops in the NIL era. That's been done. A ton.    The hosts also ponder: Will Wilkinson or Bruns inch toward the kind of impact Cluff had in his one season on the biggest stage?   Also, some words about former SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski and former USD QB Aidan Bouman, both now a week into their mini-camp stints. Hear what the Dolphins general manager said recently about Gronowski and what USA Today's Green Bay Packers website wrote about Bouman.   Timberwolves Talk   Minnesota got "punked" by the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals, a 133-95 steamrolling in San Antonio. That's the word coach Chris Finch used, a word Anthony Edwards found "crazy" to use.   Sure, the series is now even at 1-1 and the Wolves still have home court advantage in what is now a best-of-five series, with the next two games in Minneapolis (Friday and Sunday).   But did that from-the-tip bludgeoning in Game 2 leave enough of a mark to convince observers the Spurts will keep the steam rolling?   Not so fast, my friend.   Our own Happy Hour Timberwolves talk panel — the host, USF men's basketball coach, and fellow die-hard Jon Oppold (owner of Orion Pub, a Wolves watch bar) — dissects how the Spurs boomeranged their way back into the series after Minnesota's Game 1 win and dive into how Finch can turn the tide back.   Other big-picture NBA Playoffs topics also developed during this discussion, like flopping. It hurts the Wolves in more ways than one and we wonder how (or if) it can be eliminated or curtailed.   And while flopping and 3-point jacking have, in some minds, diluted the NBA product in recent years, hear why today's game is still better (in some ways) than the "glory days" of the Bird-Magic-Jordan era. 

The South Dakota Sports Lounge is a weekly show, produced by Midwest Sports Plus and hosted by Sioux Falls Live's John Gaskins, that showcases the best and/or most topical sports conversations from the daily sports shows in the Forum Communications family — Happy Hour with John Gaskins (Sioux Falls), Hot Mic with Dom Izzo (Fargo) and The Nate Brown Show (Rapid City). Most episodes also include at least one feature story about an athlete in the region. This week:   Happy Hour w/ John Gaskins: Augustana football coach on his program's NSIC title-contending consistency, being a "CEO" head coach, how Vikings' recruiting targets and results have evolved the last few years, how NIL and transfer portal have affected Augie in recent seasons. Plus, an emotional story about the last moments of the life of Jeff Fylling, the 40-year radio voice of the Vikings who died recently after a battle with cancer. Hot Mic w/ Dom Izzo: SDSU athletics director Justin Sell weighs in on the NCAA Tournament's expansion to 76 teams, NDSU's move to FBS and what it means for SDSU, the finalization of the Jackrabbits' 2026 football schedule and the heavy lifting it took to notch a 12th regular season game, and the fan base's reaction and attitude to the ever-changing NIL landscape.   The Nate Brown Show: Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer on how sports coverage has changed on a local/national level, mostly for the worse. Apps and streaming is replacing cable while laptops and phones replaced newspapers for print consumption. That's not all good, Zimmer says.   Where Are They Now: A new series debuting on Midwest Sports Plus that tracks down standout high school athletes who have moved in life to college athletics or other ventures. This episode's guest is Indiana University swimmer Grace Hoeper, a former standout at Solon High School in Iowa.    

We start with the 38-point pummeling and where series is headed then move to flopping — how it hurts the NBA and all of basketball. But is the game overall better today than those glory years of the 80's and 90's so many pine? Enjoy a bigger picture Wolves & NBA chat.

On a Thirsty Thursday in Orion Pub, John Gaskins & Trent Singer react to South Dakota native Isaac Bruns choosing Southern California as his NIL landing spot for his final year of eligibility after a few prolific years at USD. Plus, what did a Miami Dolphins executive say about SDSU legend Mark Gronowski after signing the former Jackrabbit and Iowa Hawkeye to an undrafted free agent contract.

Everything matters in constructing a college football juggernaut.   Recruiting, talent, coaching, culture. It all matters and it all adds up. And, oh, yeah... money matters, in case you haven't noticed. The higher the level, the more NIL matters.   But how much does scheduling — who you play, when you play, and where you play them in a season — matter? SDSU coach Dan Jackson gave the Happy Hour host a thoughtful response to that question, plus these queries: What constitutes an ideal schedule for success at the FCS level, and how he feels the 2026 slate suits his squad?   The Happy Hour host goes through both the Jackrabbits and Coyotes schedules. Whose is more favorable to yield the best record and higher potential for a Missouri Valley championship and high playoff seed?   As far as those other things go — recruiting, talent, coaching, culture — Augustana's Jerry Olszweski has inarguably mastered that mix in his first 12 seasons. The Vikings are building on seven consecutive winning seasons, won back-to-back NSIC titles in 2023 and '24, and won their first nine games before finishing 9-2 last season.   How have they done it? What is in place in '26 to keep the Vikings rolling? It starts at the top and "Coach OJ" walks us through it.    This includes a glimpse into the new faces on the coaching staff and elevations of two long-tenured defensive assistants to co-defensive coordinator roles to replace Mark Sipple, who took the DC job at FCS Drake. Then, there's the quarterback battle between two talented and now proven gunslingers in Gunnar Hensley and Rich Lucergo, Jr.   But a bulk of the discussion lies in the things Olszewski does to keep and raise the bar — decisions like having two co-coordinators instead of one, why he acts as a true "CEO" style head coach instead of calling plays and leading the offense or defense, his approach to recruiting (how much more time is spent on transfer targets than a few years ago?), and how Augie deals with whatever twists come in Div. II with NIL and transfer temptations from Div. I schools for his best performers.   Plus, get inside the headset. How does an 18-year head coach make the biggest decisions — punt or go for it, kick a field goal or go for it, go for the tie or for the win — during the heat of a pressure-packed game?   As always, OJ leaves the listener feeling better about life and football when the conversation is over, whether that listener is an Augie fan or not.   

Recruiting, talent, coaching, culture — Augustana's Jerry Olszweski has inarguably mastered that mix in his first 12 seasons. The Vikings are building on seven consecutive winning seasons, won back-to-back NSIC titles in 2023 and '24, and won their first nine games before finishing 9-2 last season.   How have they done it? What is in place in '26 to keep the Vikings rolling? It starts at the top and "Coach OJ" walks us through it.    This includes a glimpse into the new faces on the coaching staff and elevations of two long-tenured defensive assistants to co-defensive coordinator roles to replace Mark Sipple, who took the DC job at FCS Drake. Then, there's the quarterback battle between two talented and now proven gunslingers in Gunnar Hensley and Rich Lucergo, Jr.   But a bulk of the discussion lies in the things Olszewski does to keep and raise the bar — decisions like having two co-coordinators instead of one, why he acts as a true "CEO" style head coach instead of calling plays and leading the offense or defense, his approach to recruiting (how much more time is spent on transfer targets than a few years ago?), and how Augie deals with whatever twists come in Div. II with NIL and transfer temptations from Div. I schools for his best performers.   Plus, get inside the headset. How does an 18-year head coach make the biggest decisions — punt or go for it, kick a field goal or go for it, go for the tie or for the win — during the heat of a pressure-packed game?   As always, OJ leaves the listener feeling better about life and football when the conversation is over, whether that listener is an Augie fan or not.   

Everything matters in constructing a college football juggernaut.   Recruiting, talent, coaching, culture. It all matters and it all adds up. And, oh, yeah... money matters, in case you haven't noticed. The higher the level, the more NIL matters.   But how much does scheduling — who you play, when you play, and where you play them in a season — matter? SDSU coach Dan Jackson gave the Happy Hour host a thoughtful response to that question, plus these queries: What constitutes an ideal schedule for success at the FCS level, and how he feels the 2026 slate suits his squad?   The Happy Hour host goes through both the Jackrabbits and Coyotes schedules. Whose is more favorable to yield the best record and higher potential for a Missouri Valley championship and high playoff seed?

Tuesday is another big day for our team at Sioux Falls Live as we gear up to host a debate between the 5 candidates for Sioux Falls mayor. Happy Hour hosted Patrick Lalley, Sioux Falls Live's editor, to get a sneak peek at how the debate will take place.   Joe Batcheller, Christine Erickson, Greg Jamison, Jamie Smith, and David Zokaites will take part in a chat centered around public safety. It all gets underway at 6:00 pm, and live streams will be available on both Siouxfallslive.com and The Dakota Scout.   Lalley talked about why public safety is such an important conversation that needs to be had, and how he expects each candidate to make themselves stand out from the others.  

John returns from his vacation in Palm Springs tomorrow, so today we take you back to last December and our exciting chat with USD's Chris Strevler. That conversation went like this:     The swashbuckling, clutch playmaking. The larger-than-life personality. The fur coat with bare skin underneath in the sub-zero temperatures in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' CFL title parade.   There is only one Chris Streveler, and the South Dakota Coyotes enjoyed the spoils of Strevy in the program's first winning season in Div. I, first FCS Playoffs appearance and first D1 postseason win during his record-smashing senior season of 2017.   The Chicagoland native's two-year USD career ended in a blaze of glory as he threw for 520 yards and five touchdown passes — adding 52 rushing yards and a running score — in a wild comeback that fell short in a 1,300-yard, shootout-for-the-ages 54-42 loss at Sam Houston State in the Round of 16.   Streveler has vivid memories of that game and others from his indelible USD career in a 45-minute interview with Happy Hour host John Gaskins. He also regales with stories of his recruitment to Vermillion from the University of Minnesota, where he had switched to play wide receiver after losing battles to be the Gophers' starter.   What were his first impressions of program builder Bob Nielson and the DakotaDome? And what are his impressions of the program — particularly current quarterback Aidan Bouman — eight years later under Travis Johansen, with a surging squad that has reached the quarterfinals for the third consecutive season?   And then, there was that victory parade in Winnipeg that made Streveler an even bigger legend both in Canada and South Dakota. What led to his hypothermic fashion choice? And what marching order did he and teammates ignore (well, miss) to ensure an epic celebration?   You'll get the full Strevy, and you'll like it. Even if you're not a Coyote fan. Well... Jackrabbit fans may not love his memories of a 31-28 loss to SDSU that senior season.    

With John on Vacation in Palm Springs, we've decided to take a look back at some of our best interview since the show officially began last January.    On May 23rd, 2025, we sat down with one of SDSU's all-time great Taryn Christion. Here's how the conversation went:    He rewrote South Dakota State and Missouri Valley Football Conference record books as part of a juggernaut offense that vaulted the Jackrabbits into FCS national championship contention for the first time. Then, he had brief brushes with NFL royalty — Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Mike Tomlin — before coming back to start his new life and family back in his hometown. Before all that, he lit up South Dakota's largest class of high school football while developing under the state's all-time prep wins leader Kim Nelson. Through it all, there were legendary games — like the breakthrough win over No. 1 North Dakota State in the Fargodome his sophomore year — and deflating setbacks, including a devastating injury that ripped away his high school senior season and a turnover-heavy nightmare in the 2017 FCS semifinals. Taryn Christion sits down to tell all about it for over an hour with Happy Hour host John Gaskins at The Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls. While he is forever a warm spot in Jackrabbit hearts, the heartbreaks along the way make his story as human as it gets. A connective tissue to this day — the other SDSU quarterback legend Christion will be forever interwined, Zach Lujan, who is now the offensive coordinator at Northwestern and still a good friend. And, of course, there are stories about SDSU icons John Stiegelmeier, Dallas Goedert, Eric Eidsness, Jake Weineke, and more. And there is no way we could end the conversation without Christion's observations of the program's shakeup this past winter, what new head coach Dan Jackson will bring, and how the Jackrabbit Former Players Association is helping to keep SDSU on the forefront of the ever-changing FCS landscape.  

After some technical difficulties with our chat involving Aidan Bouman, we are finally able to bring it to you with only minor issues.   The USD Quarterback joined us Monday afternoon after recieving word from his agent that the Green Bay Packers have offered him a tryout with the team. He walks us through the conversations he had leading up to draft night, including his tempered expectations.    The Packers are an organization that Bouman's father was a part of during his stint in the NFL, which furthers his excitement.   Bouman also walked us through his pre-draft preparation. He took a trip down to Florida and trained with legendary former coach Jon Gruden.    Bouman's tryout begins Friday, and his future with the team remain to be seen, but he enters it with a healthy mindset.

Why does Kurtiss figure Kalen DeBoer got a huge salary bump from $8.5 million to $12.5 million, landing him in top four? How competitive is Alabama in NIL against other top Big Ten and SEC teams? What does our QB guru think of Tide QB Ty Simpson going to the Rams to back up Matthew Stafford, the Vikings reaching to take an injured defensive tackle, his overall NFL Draft views, Cooper Terwilliger (Pierre) committing to Penn State, standouts from Riggs prep combine? 

Why a 10-year streak of a player from South Dakota (native or college player) being drafted to the NFL end this year?   North Dakota State's Cole Payton played for only one season while South Dakota State/Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski (5) and South Dakota's Aidan Bouman (3) played multiple seasons, both finishing among the best their school's history in both wins and production?   So, why was Payton drafted and not the other two?   Gronowski was invited to the NFL Combine out of South Dakota State last year, but not out of Iowa after this past season. Did playing for the Hawkeyes hurt his draft stock?   Payton was taken in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Gronowski signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Miami Dolphins. Bouman was invited to the Green Bay Packers' mini-camp, which starts Thursday.   Which of those three is the best fit with their organization and has the best chance to make the 53-man roster?   How certain is Chase Mason to receive an NFL Combine invitation and be a Draft pick in 2027, barring injury or abysmal performance?   What should we make of NDSU hiring USD football's general manager?

Why a 10-year streak of a player from South Dakota (native or college player) being drafted to the NFL end this year?   North Dakota State's Cole Payton played for only one season while South Dakota State/Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski (5) and South Dakota's Aidan Bouman (3) played multiple seasons, both finishing among the best their school's history in both wins and production?   So, why was Payton drafted and not the other two?   Gronowski was invited to the NFL Combine out of South Dakota State last year, but not out of Iowa after this past season. Did playing for the Hawkeyes hurt his draft stock?   Payton was taken in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Gronowski signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Miami Dolphins. Bouman was invited to the Green Bay Packers' mini-camp, which starts Thursday.   Which of those three is the best fit with their organization and has the best chance to make the 53-man roster?   How certain is Chase Mason to receive an NFL Combine invitation and be a Draft pick in 2027, barring injury or abysmal performance?   What should we make of NDSU hiring USD football's general manager?

Happy Hour host John Gaskins tries to answer these pressing post-NFL Draft questions: Why a 10-year streak of a player from South Dakota (native or college player) being drafted to the NFL end this year?   North Dakota State's Cole Payton played for only one season while South Dakota State/Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski (5) and South Dakota's Aidan Bouman (3) played multiple seasons, both finishing among the best their school's history in both wins and production?   So, why was Payton drafted and not the other two?   Gronowski was invited to the NFL Combine out of South Dakota State last year, but not out of Iowa after this past season. Did playing for the Hawkeyes hurt his draft stock?   Payton was taken in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Gronowski signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Miami Dolphins. Bouman was invited to the Green Bay Packers' mini-camp, which starts Thursday.   Which of those three is the best fit with their organization and has the best chance to make the 53-man roster?   How certain is Chase Mason to receive an NFL Combine invitation and be a Draft pick in 2027, barring injury or abysmal performance?   What should we make of NDSU hiring USD football's general manager?

Veteran South Dakota political reporter and columnist Patrick Laley, the editor/publisher of Sioux Falls Live and co-moderator of the third and final South Dakota Republican Primary Gubematorial Debate, joins the Happy Hour host at Orion Pub to preview the issues that will be discussed and who these candidates really are.

Jaden McDaniels talked the talk, then nuked the Nuggets. After sending shock waves through the NBA by saying of Denver, "they're all bad defenders," McDaniels and his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates railroaded Nikola Jokic and company to the rim in a wire-to-wire 113-96 blowout to take a 2-1 first round series lead on Thursday night. How was it so easy? Will Minnesota take the title wave of momentum into the second round with ease, or are there signs Jokic can thrust revenge on Rudy Goebert and send the NBA's wildest and most riveting rivalry back to Denver tied at 2-2? Our Happy Hour trio of Timberwolves talkers revel in the Game 3 thrills while breaking down where this series may head.  The Wolves have so powerfully emerged the last two games, it even made our panel ponder if McDaniels and others the Wolves were willing to trade to Milwaukee for the "Greek Freak" before the Feb. 5 trade deadline have earned their spurs and shut down any speculation of said trade ever happening in the future. Will it continue to be a runaway romp or will a possible return of Aaron Gordon, who sat out Game 3, change the complexion of the Nuggets and the series? Isn't it fun to have the regional NBA team turning heads and making waves in April again?

It's NFL Draft Day... Yay!   Right?   Nah.   Not for the two merry hosts of Happy Hour on Thirsty Thursday. Not when trusted NFL Draft analysts consider this a weak Draft class, particularly for quarterbacks.   So instead, today's Miller Lite-inspired NFL Draft topic: Is that Times Square New Year's Eve tailgating football block party full of drunken die-hards lustily booing or bellowing glee with each Roger Goodell announcement you'll see on TV the next few days a sports bucket list item of yours?   If not, what is? And, which sports buckets have you crossed off your list?   Over pints at the Orion Pub, the two well-traveled Happy Hour Thirsty Thursday hosts rattle off their lists and share stories of the buckets they've crossed off. Together, this include a World Series game, a drunken mud-sliding Kentucky Derby, Tiger Woods dominating a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in his prime, a weird Orange Bowl and a wild Fiesta Bowl in national championship games, and several SEC stadiums.   Somehow, the Corn Palace and its South Dakota Bucket List appeal (or not) weaves into this discussion.   Speaking of the SEC, South Dakota's own Kalen DeBoer has been the talk of college football after signing a whopping seven-year contract extension with Alabama for $12.5 million per year, making him the fourth highest paid coach in the country? Does he deserve it? Surely, a lively topic at bar stools where the Tides roll and beyond, including the Orion Pub.   But first, stories about culture clashes between music crowds at concerts with oddball pairings — like the time Snoop Dogg came to Sioux Falls and performed right after a B-list country act. Or when Santana opened for Rod Stewart. Guess who the elderly ladies in sequins came to see?   Cheers!

Believe it or not, Stig did not spend his entire career at SDSU. After starting as a voluntary student assistant in 1977, he bounced around from Northern Iowa to high school ball in Wisconsin, to Northern State, to a grad assistant job at Wisconsin for one season before returning to Brookings. That final move was his last. How does he reflect on that decision that led to so many changes and evolutions in Jackrabbit football, especially after he took over as head coach in 1997? Also, what are his keys to hiring the right assistant coaches? And how did he become the leader he is without being a "natural born leader?"

The SDSU football patriarch describes his "greatest achievements" — what becomes of his former players and what it is like when they come back to visit Brookings, like a bunch of players from his 2022 national title squad in town for Mason McCormick's wedding on the same day as the 2026 spring football game.

What is a man? Such a simple question, yet it yields so many different answers. One answer came from the patriarch of South Dakota State's football empire. It was printed in a page with the same title in the MAD manual — MAD, as in "Making a Difference"—which John Stiegelmeier gave to each player during fall camp throughout his 26 seasons at the helm. It was more of a guide to life than to football. So, what is Stig's definition of a man? You can find that out in one of the 300 pages of his biography, "Stig and the Rise of South Dakota State Football," authored by Tanner Castora and released last October. It is also a question "Stig" answered his latest hour-long Happy Hour conversation. Other topics covered: * Last Saturday's spring football game, followed by the wedding of SDSU All-American offensive lineman and current Pittsburgh Steeler Mason McCormick. The event served as a 2022 and '23 Jackrabbit national championship teams reunion that featured an A-list of SDSU legends, including Stiegelmeier's heir apparent Jimmy Rogers. * Dan Jackson's "natural" ability as head coach and Chase Mason's development at QB1 * Jimmy Rogers' move to Iowa State and how Stig feels about his SDSU heir apparent becoming emotional at his ISU introductory press conference in describing what Stig and SDSU meant to him * The reality of how money drives the modern college football world, why it mattered when he was at SDSU, and why it shouldn't matter as much as it seems * His decision to open up with deeply personal stories about his life and the people closest to him in the book As always, the conversation feels like a coffee klatch with a friend, offering both light moments that make you smile and the coverage of heavy topics that make you think. He's The Man, man.

Jacks/Yotes national title contenders? Schemmel extended, Gronowski & Bouman NFL potential, NBA watchability Wolves win wild Game 2

Timberwolves roar back to tie series with Nuggets! USF coach Chris Johnson & Sunny's/Orion Pub owner Jon Oppold join

The statement could cause dry heaves and nausea for both Jackrabbits and Coyotes fans the same way "Finkle is Einhorn, Einhorn is Finkle" did for pet detective Ace Ventura.   But at the moment, SDSU is USD and USD is SDSU when it comes to football.   At least, that is the Happy Hour host's evaluation as spring football winds down for both programs. Allow him to present his case.   Arguably the GOAT quarterbacks of the Jacks and Yotes are "on the clock" for their professional football futures. It is NFL Draft week, and while Mark Gronowski appears to have a better shot at being selected—likely in the sixth or seventh rounds—both players seem qualified for NFL mini-camp invitations at the least.   So, what do NFL quarterback evaluators think of both of their skillsets? The Happy Hour host dives into what could help and hold back both QBs.   Today's guest: USF coach Jim Glogowski Entering his fourth season at the University of Sioux Falls, "Coach Glo" has posted an 18-15 record and back-to-back winning seasons (8-3 then 7-4) after a 3-8 inaugural campaign.   Glogowski, the former national championship defensive coordinator at Northern Sun rival Minnesota State-Mankato, said a year ago on Happy Hour he was giving USF the "crock pot" build as opposed to the "microwave" quick fix.    So, is this the year the pot roast is ready to serve, for the Cougars to return to the Div. II playoffs and contend for an NSIC title?   As with all football teams, much rests on the quarterback. Lincoln's Tate Schafer had a breakout freshman season — nearly 300 passing yards per game, 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions — after being called to duty when both the starter and backup suffered season-ending injuries.    But does that guarantee the job for Schafer? Glo answers that and breaks down the players to watch at every position in this in-depth 40-minute chat, which begins with an insightful glimpse into the modern world of the Div. II coach. Specifically, how does NIL work at the D2 level and why is the transfer portal a much rockier ride for a D2 program than D1 outfits?   

The statement could cause dry heaves and nausea for both Jackrabbits and Coyotes fans the same way "Finkle is Einhorn, Einhorn is Finkle" did for pet detective Ace Ventura. But at the moment, SDSU is USD and USD is SDSU when it comes to football. At least, that is the Happy Hour host's evaluation as spring football winds down for both programs. Allow him to present his case. Arguably the GOAT quarterbacks of the Jacks and Yotes are "on the clock" for the professional football future. It is NFL Draft week, and while Mark Gronowski appears to have a better shot at being selected — likely in the sixth or seventh rounds — both appear to be qualified for NFL mini-camp invitations at the least. So, what do NFL quarterback evaluators think of both of their skillsets? The Happy Hour host provides a dive into what could help and hold back both QB's.

USF's spring football season ended with a scrimmage on Saturday at Bob Young Field. The fourth-year head coach assesses the performaces of the quarterbacks vying for the starting job, the abundant local talent on both sides of the ball, and if his program is ready to compete for an NSIC championship. But first, plenty of insight and opinions on being a Div. II coach in the NIL and transfer portal era. Indeed, it takes up a lot of Glo's time. All year, in fact.

Nothing quite hits a sports fans' lips as sweet as the first game of the playoffs.   It's like the first sip of beer on a Friday afternoon after a long work week, or the first bite of steak after a diet.   Over the last six months, the Sioux Falls Stampede and Minnesota Timberwolves grinded through 60 and 82 games, respectively. Now, the fun really begins for their fans.   The Herd open their USHL Western Conference semifinals on Friday. Their president and 20-year play-by-play voice Jim Olander joined the Happy Hour host and Stampede beat writer Trent Singer in the Orion Pub to preview the series and explain how the Herd won 40-plus games for the first time in club history.   The Wolves tip off their NBA Western Conference quarterfinals in Denver on Saturday in Round 3 of their playoffs trilogy with the Nuggets. Orion Pub co-owner Jon Oppold sat in with fellow Wolves die-hard Cordell Wright (the Happy Hour video producer) and the host to dive into the storylines and matchups.   Before those conversations, Singer and the host react to both Sioux Falls metro area boys basketball head coaching hires this week: Dan Jansen (O'Gorman) and Ben Schultz (Roosevelt).    They also break down the decision of Pierre four-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger — who Sanford Sports Academy football director Kurtiss Riggs calls a "Top 5 or 7" player he has seen in his 30 years following local prep football — to commit to Penn State over, among many others, Nebraska.   But first, some words about guillotines, non-alcoholic beer, and the Hair Club for Men. 

The Wolves tip off their NBA Western Conference quarterfinals in Denver on Saturday in Round 3 of their playoffs trilogy with the Nuggets. Orion Pub co-owner Jon Oppold sat in with fellow Wolves die-hard Cordell Wright (the Happy Hour video producer) and the host to dive into the storylines and matchups.

The Herd open their USHL Western Conference semifinals on Friday. Their president and 20-year play-by-play voice Jim Olander joined the Happy Hour host and Stampede beat writer Trent Singer in the Orion Pub to preview the series and explain how the Herd won 40-plus games for the first time in club history.

Trent Singer and the host react to both Sioux Falls metro area boys basketball head coaching hires this week: Dan Jansen (O'Gorman) and Ben Schultz (Roosevelt).    They also break down the decision of Pierre four-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger — who Sanford Sports Academy football director Kurtiss Riggs calls a "Top 5 or 7" player he has seen in his 30 years following local prep football — to commit to Penn State over, among many others, Nebraska.   But first, some words about guillotines, non-alcoholic beer, and the Hair Club for Men. 

One just ended her reign of terror on the rest of the Summit League. One just started his reign as head coach of an FCS powerhouse.   And both of Wednesday's guests on "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" had much to discuss.   Just over a month ago, Brooklyn Meyer hoisted the Summit League Tournament trophy for the fourth time, capping a prolific career in which she finished twice as an All-American, three times on the All-Summit League first team, and won this year's Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award.    But now what?    Meyer went unselected in Monday's three-round WNBA Draft — only one mid-major player out of 45 was selected — and did not receive an offer to sign as an undrafted free agent by any of the 15 teams. That's shocking if you don't follow the WNBA, but the Happy Hour host details some reasons at the start of the show.   Does she still have her eyes set on playing professionally somewhere, somehow? Meyer answers that question early in this 47-minute chat, then gives hints near the end. She also goes down memory lane at SDSU — including her recruitment, her decision to choose the Jacks over several regional Power Four schools (Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, among others), her friendships with legendary teammates Myah Selland and Paige Meyer, her interest in nutrition and dietetics (her major), and the lighter side of Aaron Johnston.   Just over two months ago, Vitzthum was introduced as South Dakota's head football coach. Shortly after the ceremony, he discussed in a Happy Hour interview what he planned to bring to the table.   But now what?   What has he discovered from the captain's chair at USD after being a lifelong assistant coach? What kind of advice has his predecessor, Travis Johansen offered him.   And what about his team? The Coyotes lost three-year starting quarterback Aidan Bouman to graduation, which puts a bright spotlight on the three players vying to take over. What is Vitzthum's assessment of them? Will he tailor the offense to the skill sets of whoever emerges?   How is All-America running back Charles Pierre, Jr., looking after missing almost the entire season with an injury suffered in the second game?   For that matter, how about a rundown of all position groups, plus some new coaches?  It is all there, plus his reaction to North Dakota State's move to the FBS.   Before the A-list interviews, the Happy Hour host explains why Meyer didn't get a WNBA opportunity (it's not her fault) and why Byron Buxton is the most exciting Twins player ever—and one of the club's most amazing stories.   Buxton, who hit two home runs and scored from first base on a single in a 6-0 win over Boston on Tuesday, is one reason Twins fans may tune in to a squad with low expectations. But video producer Cordell White explains why fans should not go to games at Target Field.

The Happy Hour host explains why Brooklyn Meyer didn't get a WNBA opportunity (it's not her fault) and why Byron Buxton is the most exciting Twins player ever—and one of the club's most amazing stories.   Buxton, who hit two home runs and scored from first base on a single in a 6-0 win over Boston on Tuesday, is one reason Twins fans may tune in to a squad with low expectations. But video producer Cordell White explains why fans should not go to games at Target Field.    

Matt Vitzthum (USD head coach) on being "the man," spring developments, QB, Charles Pierre, transfers, NDSU-to-FBS  

The All-American and Becky Hammon mid-major player of the year just finished her SDSU career as the No. 3 all-time scorer and top 5 in rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. She was All-Summit League three times for four consecutive teams that won the Summit League Tournament and playing in the NCAA Tourney. She talks about it all, plus, what's next for her career after going undrafted in the WNBA and not receiving an undrafted free agent offer?

Just when we thought the Minnesota Twins would be an afterthought all spring and summer, here they go on a heater to seize the best record in the American League.   So, what do we make of it?    In Tuesday's weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast on Happy Hour, the conversation about the Twins somehow turns into an intriguing history lesson of the Pohlad's ownership, which swerves into a discussion about Target Field, U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Metrodome.   Should the Twins' ballpark have a retractable roof, considering all these April home games in lousy weather? For that matter, should the Vikings have built their current stadium without a roof, like the old Met Stadium, when the team was reaching Super Bowls?   Speaking of indoor football, the Jackrabbits continue spring practice inside the SJAC — where they'll also play Saturday's spring game — thanks to the new turf installation at Dykhouse Stadium. Which position groups have caught Zim's eye and which should SDSU fans be concerned about?   Also, what captured Zim's attention the most in his latest "Jacks Chat" with quarterback Chase Mason?   While there is no longer a spring football portal, the transfer window for college basketball remains open for a couple more days. What should we make of 7'1 former Sioux Falls Lincoln standout JT Rock landing at Kansas State, his third school in three seasons (Iowa State, New Mexico)?   Zim and the Happy Hour host discuss the other side of the portal: how coaches find ways to nudge out players to make room for potential transfers they perceive as more impactful.   While NIL has caused much more roster movement, it has also undoubtedly ignited a stronger urgency in high school athletes to push harder for an eventual college payday, or at least play day.   Tuesday's chat includes the specialization of youth sports because of that incentive, plus the way parents have become over-involved, especially at Fargo Shanley High School, where both the boys and girls varsity basketball coaches were fired a few days ago, reportedly as a result of parental mutiny.   It is enough to make one wonder why a young man like Dan Jansen would want to get into prep coaching, but the new O'Gorman coach said in Monday's Happy Hour chat he has felt support from the parents and community during his year as the junior varsity coach.   Zim weighs in on the replacement for six-time state champion legend Derek Robey and looks back on the kind of player Jansen was while climbing to the top of Augustana's career scoring list and leading the Vikings to the 2016 national championship.   But we start with two tried-and-true topics: Construction season and alcohol consumption.

Replacing a coaching legend is never easy, both for the program making the hire and for the new coach.   O'Gorman High School is replacing its boys basketball coaching legend with one of the playing legends from a college just over a mile up the road in Sioux Falls.   Dan Jansen — who spent this past season as Derek Robey's junior varsity coach — is  Augustana's all-time leading scorer and was the 2016 NCAA Div. II national player of the year, leading the Vikings to their only national championship that season.   The Orange City, Iowa, native replaces Robey, who retired after 21 seasons at the O'G helm, a run that included six state championships (2006, '07, '10, '11, '12, '17), three state runner-up finishes, and a 327-158 record.   So why did OGHS leadership decide the Knights already had their man on the bench after just one year at the school?   Happy Hour went to the Knights gym to get the answer from long-time activities director Steve Kueter — himself a nine-time state football champion head coach.   We also chatted with Jansen, an Advanced Placement history teacher at the school, about his journey since he hoisted the national title trophy with the Vikings in Frisco, Texas, a decade ago.   Jansen's journey took him from professional hoops in Belgium and Macedonia back to Sioux Falls. There, he began his coaching career as an assistant at Sioux Falls Roosevelt for three years before becoming a head coach at a Christian academy in South Carolina and then an assistant for a year at a private Catholic school in Iowa City.    Jansen discussed how his experiences growing up in Orange City, his years at Augie under Tom Billeter, and his other prep stops prepared him for one of South Dakota's most prestigious basketball jobs.   Before all that, the Happy Hour host weighs in on the hire and looks back on a monumental day for volleyball in South Dakota — O'Gorman alumnus Bergen Reilly's homecoming with the Huskers in Sioux Falls.

The Happy Hour host reacts to O'Gorman hiring Augustana legend Dan Jackson to replace legendary boys basketball coach Derek Robey. A rival school is a common thread in Jansen's journey since leading the Vikings to the 2016 national championship. Also, how big of a deal was not just Nebraska volleyball's maiden voyage to Sioux Falls on Saturday, but the Bergen Reilly Bash the spring exhibition game with Iowa State turned out to be?

After one season as Knights JV coach, Jansen takes over Derek Robey, who retired after 21 years and six state championships at the helm. Hear about how Jansen's journey took him back to Sioux Falls nine years after he led Augie to the 2016 national title, what he'll take from Robey and former Vikings coach Tom Billeter, and how he'll navigate the year-round grind of a prep head coach.  

Steve Kueter (O'Gorman A.D.) on hiring of new boys basketball coach Dan Jansen, the Knights' JV coach last season and Augustana's all-time leading scorer. He replaces Derek Robey, who won six state championships in his 21 years at the school and announced his retirement in January.

There aren't too many athletes who have come out of Sioux Falls with more national and international acclaim and achievement than O'Gorman alumnus Bergen Reilly. And she's not yet 21 years old. (Her birthday is next month). A two-time All-American on two NCAA Final Four teams at four-time national champion Nebraska, Reilly is the first player in Big Ten volleyball history to be the league's Setter of the Year in each of her first two seasons. She's also a four-time member of USA teams, including the 2022 national team as 17-year-old. So what is life like at the top level of her sport in a place where volleyball players are "celebrities" and to come back home a newfound celebrity, spawning thousands of new Nebraska volleyball fans in South Dakota? What kind of NIL deals does she have, and what opportunities — fun and (literally) taxing — has that afforded her? What is it like to play in front of 92,000 fans — blasting the record for the largest crowd to witness a women's sport in United States history — in one of college football's most hallowed stadiums? And how does she feel when people tell her she plays at a "volleyball school?" And how, in any way, are these sorts of experiences similar to her existence at O'Gorman, where Reilly was a three-time Gatorade South Dakota Player of the Year and two-time state champion, plus a state basketball champ her senior season? Reilly remained delightful in answering all those questions in a 42-minute chat with Happy Hour host John Gaskins, but seemed to relish most the chance to talk about her relationship with older sister Raegan, whose Div. I volleyball career just ended with Big Ten rival Illinois in a season that included two showdowns with long-time teammate sisters staring each other across the net.    

Looking for the rare feel-good story to come out of the "portal combat" window in college basketball?   Look no further than Fargo, where the Summit League women's player of the year announced Thursday she is returning to NDSU for her senior year.   Wait. That probably doesn't feel good for Jackrabbits and Coyotes fans.    Koenen, the Bison's third all-time leading scorer, cited the loyalty and support shown by Bison teammates, coaches and fans in an interview with WDAY-TV's Dom Izzo on Friday.   She also mentioned "unfinished business," referring to NDSU falling short of a Summit League Tournament championship and NCAA berth after winning the conference regular season title.   South Dakota State and a partisan SLT crowd in Sioux Falls again stood in Koenen's way. With Jacks legend Brooklyn Meyer now out of eligibility, how strong of a favorite are the Bison in 2026-27?   This is just one of many questions for the Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer to ponder over beers at Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls.   But Happy Hour beamed north to gain more insight into Koenen's decision with veteran Fargo Forum NDSU writer Jeff Kolpack.    What kind of money is she turning down? Why is Koenen and most of the Bison sticking around while the men's squad that won the conference regular season and tourney titles is losing all of its starters?   And, you can't talk NDSU without mining for insight into the football team's sudden leap from FCS to FBS. Kolpack has early observations from the first practices as a Mountain West team, fundraising, and fan buzz.   Some will predict the Bison to win the league right away. But why might Kolpack think those fans should put down the Kool-Aid?   Before the chat with Kolpack, the host and Trent Singer discuss the Koenen move from the home-away-from-home office at Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls.   Other topics covered:   * Rascal Flatts * Hawaiian shirts * Tornado watches * Stampede hockey  * Trent's Mount Rushmore of movie shirts