Eskildsen finishes career as Queen Bee head coach

March 24, 2005
By Tait Hillmer
Staff Writer

For the past five years Coach Ted Eskildsen has been at the helm of the Queen Bees Basketball team leading them to a record of 117 victories against 56 losses, and an NAIA National tournament appearance in 2004 and 2002. So when students came back from spring break it was a shock to hear that Eskildsen had resigned.

On March 2, Coach Eskildsen held a meeting with the Queen Bees Basketball team to announce that he was resigning.

“It is a loss, but we will get a new coach and continue the St. Ambrose tradition,” sophomore forward Jennifer Goetz said.

Eskildsen coached at four schools before Ambrose including, Hawthorne College in New Hampshire, Grinnell College in Iowa, Bethany College in West Virginia, and Mt. Holyoke in Massachusetts. At each school Eskildsen succeeded, he became the all-time winningest coach at Grinnell College and led Mt. Holyoke to their first winning season in fifteen years.

When Eskildsen became the coach at St. Ambrose he continued to have success. In his first four seasons the Queen Bees won over 20 games, and on Dec. 9 Eskildsen won his 300 game, beating Trinity Christian 83-66.

There have been some questions about Eskildsen coaching style. Maggie Hughes a starter her sophomore year quit the team the next year.

“He is a great guy, but his coaching tactics and his coaching philosophy were not a good fit for me,” Hughes said.

Despite losing talent to graduation or otherwise, Eskildsen continued to have success in his career at St. Ambrose, tallying more wins through his first four seasons than any of his predecessors.

The SAU Athletic Department will be conducting a national search for Eskildsen's replacement.

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