ABOVE: Submitted Photo by Rick Uttech Former multi-sport head coach Rick Uttech shows off his Minnesota State High School Coaches Association 2025 Hall of Fame trophy on Saturday, Oct 11, in Minnetonka.

FAIRMONT – The celebration of Rick Uttech’s long tenured coaching career was on full display this past weekend. After a 39-year coaching tenure that spanned various sports, including girls’ and boys’ basketball, cross country, track, volleyball, and golf, Uttech was finally recognized for his numerous contributions to the Granada-Huntley, East Chain, Truman and Martin Luther high school sports communities.

He was inducted into the Class of 2025 Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct 11, in Minnetonka, accepting a plaque for his “Outstanding Achievement, Leadership and Service in the Coaching Profession.”

Eligibility for this nomination started with a handful of items. Potential candidates must have been active in coaching and/or athletic administration for a minimum of 25 years, been a Life member of the MSHSCA, and been previously inducted into a sports association Hall of Fame in their respective sport, if one exists.

In 2001, Uttech was inducted into the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He had been a member of the MSHSCA for 38 years.

“I was shocked, first of all,” Uttech said. “Then I felt honored, but humbled, thinking I’ve done some things, but there are certainly other coaches who have better records than I, and so on. But then I reflected on it for a little bit. I’ve been involved in the association for quite a few years.”

The process for this induction started roughly four years ago, according to Uttech, who was asked to send his coaching resume to MSHSCA. As more and more time passed, Uttech never really put too much thought into the old request.

This past June, however, he was contacted again by a member of the MSHSCA. Jen Marshall, the Hall of Fame Coordinator for the association, alerted Uttech about his induction into the class of 2025 Hall of Fame in the coming months, asking the former coach to submit a photo and a speech that recognized all of his achievements over the years.

Uttech began his coaching career during the 1975-1976 season in Pisek, North Dakota, coaching the B-squad and junior high boys basketball teams. Two years later, he landed head coaching gigs for girls basketball, volleyball, boys and girls track and field at East Chain.

With girls basketball being his favorite sport to coach, Uttech was able to guide the area schools to five state basketball tournaments in 1980, 1982, 2004, 2006 and 2017, finishing in second place during the 1982 and 2006 seasons.

“And when we came together, East Chain with Granada-Huntley, that was special,” Uttech said. “We added Truman and that was really special, and Martin Luther in 2016-2017, and we were able to go to state that year.”

He finished his basketball coaching tenure in 2017 with an overall record of 525-327. Uttech won 12 district/subsection championships during this span, as well as conference champions eight different times. He earned the MSHSCA Coach of the Year in 2003, while taking home the Breaking Barriers Award in 2009.

“I miss the camaraderie with other coaches and referees,” Uttech said. “I miss the relationships with the girls. Every time we went to the section, it was thrilling. We went there quite a few times. Sometimes we lost in a subsection championship game, and sometimes we lost in a section championship game, but just the fun of it and seeing the girls so excited and believing in themselves and the team.”