Lakeville North’s John Oxton is sixth Minnesota boys basketball coach to get 700 wins

Lakeville North coach John Oxton became the sixth boys basketball coach in state history to reach 700 career victories in the Panthers’ 74-56 win at Farmington on Friday night.

Oxton is in his 33rd season as the Panthers coach. The Panthers took a 12-6 record into Tuesday night’s game at Shakopee.

Oxton was hired in the spring of 1990 as the Lakeville High School coach. He has led 12 teams to the state tournament — Lakeville (twice) and Lakeville North (10). Lakeville’s state tournament appearance in 1995 was the first in school history.

Lakeville North, which made eight straight appearances in the Class 4A state tournament (from 2012-19), has reached the Class 4A championship game four times under Oxton. The Panthers won the title in 2014 and were runners-up in 2012, 2016, 2019.

Oxton, who took a two-year hiatus from coaching from 2006-08, began his coaching career in Gardiner, Mont. — a town of 700 located near the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. He coached Gardiner to the Montana Class C state championship in 1989.

Oxton has been inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Lakeville Panther Hall of Fame and the Fargo North Hall of Fame.