Meet New London-Spicer's Mike Dreier, No. 1 among Minnesota high school basketball coaches

The record is nice, but Mike Dreier never really wanted it.

Dreier this month became No. 1 in Minnesota history in victories by a high school basketball coach. He broke the record when his New London-Spicer girls team defeated Delano 52-50 on Dec. 10.

The victory was No. 1,013 for Dreier, surpassing the mark set by late Chisholm boys coaching legend Bob McDonald, who retired in 2014 with 1,012 victories.

Dreier considers the record meaningful, but it's because of players past and present, because of the community he serves. Not because of him.

"These different milestones, I don't dwell on them," Dreier said. "It's not about me, it's about the kids. It was never a goal."

The record — which works out to about 22.5 victories a year now that Dreier is in his 45th season — is the byproduct of Dreier's unpretentious ways. He's not a ladder climber. He's never kept one eye on the next big thing.

His philosophy is simple: If it's working, why change? It has always worked, so he has never changed. Dreier, 71, began coaching and teaching at New London-Spicer in 1978 and never left. He has had just one losing season, his first.

"The grass isn't always greener," he said. "I'm doing what I love. I've had great people around me. Why would I want to do anything different?"

A choice for life

A Burnsville native who graduated from Hamline with a teaching degree — "And it only took me 6½ years," he jokes — his first job out of college was at New London-Spicer. He'd played basketball in high school and became the girls basketball coach that first year when he was given a choice: Coach the boys seventh-grade team or the girls B squad.

He chose the girls, and not long into the season the head coach took a leave of absence. Dreier filled in and has been the girls basketball coach ever since.

His philosophy has coalesced. He stresses fundamentals. He demands hard work and effort. He is devoted to the 2-3 zone defense, a great equalizer. Most important, he insists that his players work toward a common goal. If you play for Mike Dreier, you leave your ego at the gymnasium doors.

The approach has endured as New London-Spicer grew larger than neighboring schools. It remained steady from the first of the team's 19 state tournament appearances in 1985 through four consecutive seasons (1991-94) as Class 1A runner-up to state championships in 1997 and 2002, and it's that way today.

Change is unnecessary.

"The girls know what I expect from them," Dreier said. "I have been known to yell, but it's just to make them the best players that they can be."

Two of his three sons are girls basketball coaches. Matt, the middle son, coaches at Annandale. Joey, the youngest, is Mike's top assistant and lives across the street from the house he grew up in, the one Mike and his wife, Vonnie, still occupy. A third son, Tim, lives in Las Vegas.

"The level of commitment he gets from his players is amazing," Matt said. "They know he cares about them. He expects a lot and demands a lot."

A simple approach

The way Mike Dreier sees it, whittling things down to their most basic is vital. "If the players do things the right way, they'll get a lot of playing time," he said. "If not, well, they probably won't see much court time."

The close-knit, family-oriented New London-Spicer community also has been crucial to the Wildcats' success. Again, there's a list of things that don't change:

Dreier likes to call himself "a dinosaur," still using a flip-phone when not on his landline at home. He studied opponents' tendencies using VHS tapes a few years ago but is hesitant to fully embrace current trends.

Joey calls himself his father's "technology guru," helping him adapt to scouting opponents online. Joey also champions team development and improved training techniques. "We've started lifting during the season," Joey said.

But what has made Mike Dreier so successful began more than four decades ago.

"He has such great attention to detail, even down to the littlest things," Joey said. "I'll be running a drill and he'll come over to watch and it won't be more than two times through before he'll stop it and make an adjustment or correction on his to run it. He sees everything."

Mike Dreier sees himself as simply a placeholder. The players are the true stars of the program.

"Kids just want to have some success and feel good about themselves," he says. "You want to do everything you can to give them those opportunities."

It's not the victories that Dreier cherishes. It's what leads to those victories.

"It's when the kids have a common goal and they're able to reach it together," Dreier said. "That's a big part of what it's all about."

Career record is 1,013-187.

Became the leader in career victories among girls basketball coaches in Minnesota during the 1994-95 season.

He's the 15^th high school girls basketball coach in U.S. history to reach 1,000 wins.

State tournament appearances: 19, most in state history.

State championships: two, in 1997 and 2002.

State runner-up teams: five, in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 2001.

Conference titles: 30 (25 West Central, five Wright County).

District or sub-section titles: 23.

1 — Dec. 12, 1978, vs. Kimball

500 — Dec. 29, 2001 vs. Renville County West

600 — Feb. 17, 2005 vs. Albany

700 — Dec. 2, 2009 vs. Eden Valley-Watkins

800 — Jan. 18, 2014 vs. Paynesville

900 — Jan. 2, 2018 vs. Montevideo

1,000 — Jan. 28, 2022, vs. Watertown-Mayer

* active in 2022-23

*Mike Dreier 1,013

Bob McDonald 1,012

Bob Brink 936

*Ken Novak Jr. 930

Myron Glass 719