Matt Murken

Minot State’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin Harmon, announced Murken’s resignation in a press release Thursday morning.

“First, I would like to thank Matt Murken for his leadership of the men’s basketball team at Minot State University,” Harmon said. “It certainly is bittersweet to lose a coach of Matt’s caliber, but ultimately, I am excited for Matt to … realize his professional aspirations. We wish Matt, Chelsie, and their family all the best in the future.”

Murken took over as head coach of the Minot State men’s basketball team ahead of the 2012-2013 season. He has spent the last 13 seasons building and shaping the team to now, where the Beavers set a program record for wins, ending the season with a 26-10 record. Minot State ended the season with their first-ever berth to the NCAA National tournament.

“I’m just super grateful for Coach Murken … bringing me in and taking a chance on me out of high school,” said senior guard for the Minot State men’s basketball team, Jaxon Gunville. “We were able to accomplish something pretty special this year, and I’m just super glad we were able to do that … with Coach at the helm. He deserves a lot of credit for that.”

Gunville expressed how grateful he was for Coach Murken and everything he has done for the team.

“He definitely left the program in a better place than [when he] picked it up,” Gunville said.

The Beavers had a season of program bests, including starting the season with a 17-0 record and climbing as high as No. 4 on the NABC Coach Top 25 poll.

“Murken made a lot of impact throughout the community,” said former Minot State shooting guard, Ben Bohl. “[He exemplified] what it takes to be a successful program and the hard work and dedication you have to have. From recruiting, to practices, to film-watching, to balancing family life and work, he did a really great job. He’ll have success wherever he goes because of his work ethic.”

Murken leaves with a 232-196 career record and a Minot State record of 186-180 over 13 seasons. Murken ranks no. 2 for all-time basketball coaching wins at Minot State.

“I’ve been blessed beyond measure in the 13 years I’ve been the head coach at Minot State,” Murken said. “Thank you to all the players and coaches who believed that we could build MSU basketball into something great, and put in countless hours of hard work to get there.

The University of South Dakota’s head men’s basketball coach, Eric Peterson, has announced his hiring of Murken to his coaching staff heading into the 2025-2026 season. Murken will be coaching at the NCAA Division I level.

“Matt’s resume speaks for itself. He was extremely successful in one of the hardest jobs in the NSIC,” said Peterson. “Matt is an elite coach, a tireless worker, and a tremendous fit with our program. We couldn’t be more excited to have him and his family in Vermillion.”

Murken’s resignation comes after Minot State hired Rylee Hernandez as the team’s new assistant coach. Vice President Harmon announced that Hernandez would act as interim coach while they look for Murken’s replacement.