Coach Schwartz has over 25 years of basketball coaching experience, including as a varsity head coach. As director of the East Metro Wave, he strives to create a team-centered program that fully develops players’ individual skills. Our players quickly become better on both ends of the floor, exemplary teammates, and students of the game.

Coach Prose has been coaching for over 20 years. He spent 12 years as the Girl’s Varsity Assistant Coach at Park High and 3 years as the Girl’s Varsity Head Coach at Mahtomedi. He led his teams to 2 conference championships and was back to back Section Coach of the Year.

Coach Getzlaff has 20+ years of coaching basketball. He as been the a head coach at South St. Paul High School, an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Concordia University, St. Paul for 5 years. Currently, he is the head boys basketball coach at Woodbury High School. He as been named SEC Coach of the Year 3 times and Section 4AAAA Coach of the Year 4 times.

Coach Cuchna has loved basketball his whole life. He started playing as a 4 year old and was a 3 year varsity starter at South Saint Paul HS, earning all-conference honorable mention as a senior. He joined the Navy after high school and served for 6 years, during which he began watching and studying the game more in depth. Currently, he is on the Two Rivers HS boys basketball staff and an assistant JV/varsity coach.

Coach Olson grew up in a small town in central Minnesota playing basketball, football and baseball. He has coached several seasons in the Stillwater Traveling program. He really enjoys helping his players have fun playing basketball while improving their offensive and defensive.

Coach Pokela has been a Head Coach for Middle School aged boys and girls since 2013. He has coached teams for Cottage Grove Athletic Association and has been with East Metro Wave since we started in 2018. His motto is, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Coach Schueller played basketball from the youth level all the way through varsity at Park High School, graduating in 2008. He has coached several years in youth basketball and AAU. His passion and energy for basketball is contagious when he coaches.

Coach Blumberg was a three-year starter and two-time all-conference player at White Bear Lake High School before playing junior college basketball at Normandale Community College. He began coaching youth basketball in 1999 and has coached at virtually every level since, mainly at the 6th-8th grade level. 

Coach Walton has been an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin River Falls men’s basketball program since 2010. Prior to that, he was the head boys basketball coach at Park High School for 14 seasons. In 2004 he was named the Section 3A Coach of the Year. He lettered in Football and Basketball while at Winona State. 

Coach Juba has been involved in teaching and coaching for 35 years at Park High School at the varsity level. He coached multi-sport athletes in basketball, soccer, golf and track for a total of 104 seasons. He began and directed the Park Boys’ Summer Basketball Clinic for 32 years coaching all ages. He was inducted into the Park High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

Coach Jenkins has been involved with basketball since his playing days in high school, where he grew to love the game.  Like many others, his coaching career began when his oldest started playing youth basketball.  In the 10 years since, he’s coached multiple teams, across various levels of both traveling and AAU.  His philosophy centers around skill development, team dynamics and the mental aspects of playing the game.

Coach Johnson just completed his 9th year as the head boys basketball coach at Farmington High School and his 21st year overall with the varsity program.  During Coach Johnson’s tenure, Farmington boys basketball had its top four winningest seasons in school history. In 2024, Coach Johnson was recognized as Section 1AAAA coach of the year. Johnson helped develop five players who went on to be 1,000 point career scorers.

Coach Krause loves coaching the game of basketball because it is a tremendous teacher of life lessons.  He puts a premium on maximizing both attitude and effort while driving home the importance of "doing the little things".  Bryon was a three-sport athlete at Rosemount High School and continued his basketball playing career for four years at St. John's University.  He has been coaching youth basketball for the past 8 years.

Coach Diediker has been around the game of basketball for over 30 years, playing at Hamline University for 4 years.  She started her coaching career at 43 Hoops Basketball Academy and then all levels at Highland Park, Stillwater and Park High School.  Her favorite part of coaching is teaching the fundamentals and simplifying the game of basketball.  

Coach Boothe has been coaching basketball for 10 years. He spent 2 years as a Boy’s Varsity Assistant Coach/9th Grade Head Coach in rural Minnesota at the start of his teaching career, and 8 years coaching Girl’s Youth Basketball in Cottage Grove. He has coached a variety of other youth and high school sports throughout his career.

Coach Tisdle played multiple sports growing up. He has been coaching his three boys over the last 11 years in multiple sports.  He enjoys watching and helping in the development of young people.  He stresses a positive attitude, strong work ethic and a willingness to be a good teammate.

Coach Schwartz has been in a gym since birth and played competitive basketball almost as long. She has a great basketball IQ for her short coaching career. Reegan continues to improve her coaching skills by constantly being a student of the game.

Coach Gremmels is son of a college coach, and grew up around the gym. As a player I was a three-year varsity starter, captain, and all conference award winner. He has been coaching various levels of youth and high school teams since 2012. His coaching style includes an emphasis on skills, effort, attitude, and being a great teammate.

Coach Misener has been coaching for over 20 years. He spent 5 years as an assistant coach with Bethel University Varsity program, including 3 years as the head Junior Varsity coach and assistant coordinator for Bethel’s summer basketball camps. Recently he spent 3 years coaching with the Stillwater Traveling program. 

Coach Mitchell has coached youth basketball for the past 5 seasons. He has coached for Idaho Elite, Legacy Hoops, East Metro Wave, and most recently East Ridge Athletic Association. Coach Mitchell focuses on player development and the mental game within the game. He stresses working hard, staying positive, and being a great teammate.

Coach Johnson played basketball at the youth and high school level. Curt has coached for the Cottage Grove Athletic Association. His passion centers around helping youth basketball players grow and develop both their skills and love for the game of basketball.

Coach Tardiff held the All time career scoring basketball record at Stillwater high school for 20 years. She continued playing Division I basketball at the University of Dayton for 4 years and started assistant coaching as her oldest started playing. She loves helping these kids develop their skills on and off the court building their mental game along with developing their individual basketball skills.  

Coach Gunderson views basketball as a powerful conduit for instilling essential life skills. His coaching philosophy, forged from his own transformation from a C-level youth player to a record-setting all-conference player, emphasizes dedicated self-improvement and the cultivation of disciplined habits. Devoting his career to youth development, he strives to ignite a lasting passion for the sport in his players. His leadership extends to both team creation and coaching within ERAA and East Metro Wave.

Coach Thro played multiple sports while growing up in Northern Minnesota. As soon as his children were old enough to play sports, he got involved in coaching. This past year he coached Stillwater’s top 5th Grade Girls team. His coaching style focuses on connecting with players with a fun environment, positive attitude, and fostering a passion for basketball.

Coach Stalsberg has been a youth basketball coach for over 10 years for the East Ridge Athletic Association, coaching a mix of boys and girls in-house and travel teams from 3rd grade all the way up to high school.  I coach because sports, in particular basketball, and many of the coaches I had as a player had a very positive impact in my life, and it is important to me to provide our youth players with that same positive experience. 

Coach Rodgers has been coaching youth sports since high school. She played basketball, soccer and track in high school.  She continued her athletic career at North Dakota State University playing D1 soccer and became a decorated player still holding records to this day.  She also participated in intermural basketball as her love of basketball never left. Giving back knowledge to the sport  and seeing them become great teammates and players is so rewarding. 

Coach Huhnerkoch played basketball from a young age through college at Bemidji State University.  He has been coaching youth basketball teams in the Twin Cities since 2013 and has a passion for individual skills development and playmaking.

Coach Adams has played basketball since 3rd grade. She is a former captain of East Ridge Girls Basketball and now uses her experience to help young players grow both on and off the court. She’s passionate about building confidence, improving skills, and creating a positive environment where they can succeed.

Coach Sennowo played basketball throughout high school for the East Ridge Girls Varisty team. She will continue her playing career at St. Olaf where she will also study business.

Coach Otoo has played basketball for 10 years. She was captain of the East Ridge Girls Varsity Basketball team her senior year of high school and will continue her basketball career in college.

Coach Harris has always had a love for basketball. He's been in the gym since a young age and grew up around coaching, assisting his dad often throughout his teen years. He played varsity for Hopkins high school. He started with the Wave in 2023, taking his many years of assistant coaching experience and successfully applying it to his own team. He's really enjoying growing his head coaching career and learning more about the game of basketball.

Coach Rivera is dedicated to transforming players through continuous learning and self-improvement. As the Head Coach for the 8th-grade boy's team at South St. Paul Secondary, I emphasize teamwork and movement without the ball, utilizing motion offense and team-help defense strategies. My goal is to empower players to impact their world by fostering teamwork, hard work, and a positive mindset, ensuring they grow both on and off the court.

Coach Musherure is from Cottage Grove, Minnesota. He played varsity basketball for Math and Science Academy for four years, and was a captain for 3 of them. He played for East Metro Wave for three years. He loves coaching and he loves players who work hard and communicate well with each other. Go Wave!

Coach Warren has been coaching youth travel and AAU boys basketball ranging from 2nd grade through the high school level since 2012. Warren's coaching philosophy focuses on player skill development, deepening a love for the game, and work ethic. Warren was a three sport athlete in high school, playing basketball, football, and track & field. He earned an athletic scholarship to compete at the University of Alabama in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump. 

Coach Chapman has been involved with basketball playing and coaching for as long as he can remember. He coached 3 years with the East Ridge Athletic Association and now has settled in coaching for the Wave. As a coach, his emphasis is on player development and creating a good team environment while unlocking each child’s confidence and potential.

Coach Schwartz has  been around basketball since she was two years old and played throughout high school. The game has always been a big part of her life. She has coached several seasons for the Wave on the boys and girls sides. She really enjoys working with young athletes. My focus is helping players improve, build confidence, and have fun competing.

Coach Gebreslassie was a three letter player at Highland Park high school. He continued his career for one year at South West state university. His coaching career started in 2002 as a volunteer in the community for more than 12 years. In 2016 he started coaching traveling starting with 5th grade then moving to 8th grade 2 years later. In 2019 he was hired to coach JV basketball at his alma mater, Highland Park high school. In 2022, he was hired to be the freshmen basketball coach at East Ridge high school. 

Coach Blumberg - Bio Coming Soon!

Coach Ambrose played multiple sports growing up in the state of basketball - Indiana. He may have been asked to leave some of the finest rec centers in the state for dunking. Since his kids have been able to dribble a ball, he has been involved in youth coaching. He prioritizes skill development in a high-energy environment to foster a positive experience for every player.

Coach Omot grew up playing competitively for many years all the way throughout high school. He was a 3 sport athlete at Park High before graduating in 2019. Since 2019, he has been working as a coach at the Freshman level.

Coach Richardson has been in education for 20+ years. He coached high school boy's basketball in Northfield and at Minneapolis Southwest. He was also the head Varsity Girls Coach at St. Paul Humboldt. Since having children, he has been coaching youth traveling basketball and is the Coach and Player Development Director for Eagan Basketball.