M State gets new basketball coach with extensive knowledge of the game

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (Valley News Live) - A longtime high school basketball coach is now taking his skills to the college level.

Dave Cresap is the new head coach of the M State Spartans men’s basketball team.

Cresap has a long history of coaching and teaching in Otter Tail County, with 28 years spent as a middle school teacher in Perham and several years as head coach of the boy’s basketball program for Perham High School.

From 2011 to 2022, Cresap led five state tournament appearances and 10 conference champions, winning the Minnesota state title in 2011. Cresap is also an eight-time section coach of the year, two-time Minnesota coach of the year and national male sport coach of the year for 2011.

Before teaching and coaching in Minnesota, Cresap worked in North Dakota where he was a two-time district coach of the year.

Working at M State is a homecoming for Cresap who graduated from the school in 1980 and was previously on their basketball team.

“I am honored to have been given the opportunity to be the next head coach at M State -- it’s a huge privilege I do not take lightly,” Cresap says. “I am fully committed and dedicated to the success of this program.”

Cresap replaces former coach Ted Critchley.