After 11 seasons under the guidance of head coach Evan Forde, the Minot State men’s wrestling team will be heading in a new direction.

Minot State’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin Harmon, announced on Monday that Coach Forde’s contract with the Beavers will not be renewed.

“On behalf of Minot State University, I want to sincerely thank Evan Forde for his dedication and service as head wrestling coach at Minot State,” Harmon said. “We are grateful for the time, effort, and commitment he has given to our student-athletes and the wrestling program, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors as we move in a new direction.”

The search for the next head men’s wrestling coach at Minot State is underway.

Coach Forde took over the Beaver men’s program prior to the 2015-16 season, the second head man for Minot State after the Beavers reinstated the program in 2010, ending a 20-year hiatus.

During his 11 seasons as head coach, Forde’s teams won 46 duals, sent 8 individual wrestlers to the NCAA National Championships, and earned NCAA All-American honors 3 times (Jake Swirple in 2024-25, Jake Swirple in 2021-22, and Mitchell Eull in 2017-18).

This past season, the Minot State men were 5-13 in duals with a 1-9 record in NSIC action. The Beavers finished 10th at the season-ending NCAA Super Region V Tournament over the weekend with Cole Faircloth placing 5th at 133 pounds, and Gavin Turk finishing 6th at 174 pounds.