MANDAN, N.D. - Three Mayville State University graduates were inducted into the North Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Thursday, July 28th.

Ron Carlson, Dallas Kopp, and Randy Vigen were all honored on Thursday as they entered the NDHSCA Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Mandan during the association's 2011 convention.

Ron Carlson is a 35 year coaching veteran with all his experience at Minnewaukan High School (1974-2008). Minnewaukan has engaged in a co-op with Sheyenne High School (1990-2003) and with Leeds High School (2004-2008). During his coaching tenure at Minnewaukan HS, Carlson coached boys' basketball, track and field, and football. Carlson is a graduate of Portland High School and Mayville State University. He earned his graduate degree from NDSU.

In 1976 Carlson led the Midgets to a conference Football title. Thereafter his major coaching duties were centered on boys' basketball. Carlson's boys' basketball teams won 14 conference titles and 12 district championships. He mentored Minnewaukan to seven Regional basketball runners up titles and four Regional Championships. Carlson's football teams won 28 victories over a five year span while the Minnewaukan boys' basketball teams earned 578 victories.

Carlson served his profession at many levels. He was a member of the NDHSCA Boys' Basketball Advisory Committee to NDHSAA (1990-1992). Carlson was a Co-Chair of the NDHSCA/NHSACA National Coaches Convention Boys' Basketball host committee in 2001 when the National Convention was held in Fargo. He chaired the CND Conference for the 1978-1979 year. Carlson served on the NDHSAA Board of Directors (2002-2006). He presently is an active member of the Mayville State University Alumni Association where he has been active since 2004. In 2006 he was recipient of the Mayville State Distinguished Alumni Award.

Carlson was recognized by the Minnewaukan City Council as Citizen of the Year in 1995. He was awarded NDHSCA District Boys' Basketball Coach of the Year Honor in 1987, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2008. Ron was tabbed NDHSCA Region 4 boys' basketball Coach of the Year in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2008 by his peers. He was also named NDHSCA Class B State Boys' Basketball Coach of the Year in 2000.

Dallas Kopp began his 40 year coaching career as head football coach, head baseball coach, and assistant boys' basketball coach at Larimore High School (1960-1962) before he moved to Grand Forks to become assistant football coach at Central High School (1962-1967). He completed his coaching tenure as head football coach, head girls' track and field coach, and head girls' golf coach at Red River High School (1967-2000).

Kopp led the Roughrider girls' golf teams to eight Eastern Dakota Conference championships. He also guided the Red River High School girls' golf teams to six East Region Runners up titles. Dallas led those Roughrider girls' golf teams to two State Championships in 1988 and 1990. In 1987 mentored his Red River girls' track and field team to a second place finish at the state meet. Kopp has a football win-lost record of 51-50.

Kopp was recognized by his peers as NDHSCA Class A Girls' Golf Coach of the Year three times (1985, 1989 and 1995). Dallas has refereed several state basketball tournaments as well as college and university contests. He also has umpired the American Legion Baseball World Series.

Randy Vigen is a graduate of Hatton High School and Mayville State University and has spent his entire 36 years in the coaching profession at Central Valley (Buxton) High School. While at Central Valley he has been head football coach for the duration; he was also head boys' basketball coach for seven years. He served as an assistant boys' basketball coach for three years and a junior high boys' basketball coach for 17 years. He has been athletic director for 33 years.

Vigen has guided this football team to Tall Towers Conference Titles in 1975 and 1983; he also had a boys' basketball Tall Towers Conference title in 1979. Vigen's Central Valley teams qualified for the NDHSAA football playoffs fourteen years; they advanced to the playoff quarterfinals in 1992, 2001 and 2006. Central Valley also played in the playoff semifinals in 1981, 1998 and 1999. The Valiants won the State Nine-Man Football Championship in 1999.

Vigen owns a 72-74 won-loss record in boys' basketball. His teams have amassed a 198-139 record in football.

Vigen served as President of the Tall Towers Conference for the 1989-1990 school year. He was also President of the Red River Valley Conference for 2005-2006. Vigen was Chairman of District 3 for 2000-2001; he has served as Chairman of Region 2 football from 2002-2005 and Region 3 from 2006-2008. Coach Vigen was on the NDHSCA Football Advisory Committee from 2001-2010.

Vigen was named NDHSCA State Nine-Man Football Coach of the Year in 1981. His peers named him NDHSCA Football Region Coach of the Year on eight occasions (1991, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006). The NDIAAA named him Class B State Athletic Director of the Year in 2001. In 2004 Vigen was named Class Nobel Educator of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars. Vigen was named NSAA-USA Football Champions Awards by USA Football in 2005.

Vigen was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association Power of Influence Award in 2009 and 2010. He served as head coach for North Dakota Shrine All-Star Game in 2000 and as assistant coach five times (1999, 2001, 2001, 2005 and 2006). Central Valley High School named the football field Randy Vigen Field in honor of Coach Vigen in 2007.