FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University director of athletics Matt Larsen announced the hiring of Dr. Ekren Miller as the next head coach of the Bison men’s golf program on Wednesday, July 16. Miller comes to NDSU after 15 seasons as the head men’s golf coach at Bemidji State.
“I am happy and excited to welcome Ekren and his wife Kari to the Bison Family as he is named our new head men’s golf coach,” said Larsen. “His recent success at Bemidji State and understanding of the upper Midwest golf community will help him build upon the strong foundation of our program. I look forward to getting him to Fargo to start working with our players.”
“I would like to give a special thanks to Derrick Lang for taking the lead in this search process,” added Larsen. “We had a very strong candidate pool and I appreciate his urgency and detail in making sure we hired the right person to lead our men’s golf program.”
Miller, who led Bemidji State to three NSIC championships as a student-athlete from 1998-01, returned to his alma mater in August of 2010 and elevated the program back to the top of the Northern Sun during his 15-year tenure with the Beavers. In 2023, Miller guided the Beavers to their first NSIC Tournament title in more than 20 years, with Bemidji State last winning the title when Miller was a member of the team in 2000.
“This is truly an honor to be selected as the next Head Men’s Golf Coach at NDSU,” said Miller. “I have nothing but respect for the program and players that Steve Kennedy has built up the last 12 years. Thank you to Matt Larsen and Derrick Lang for this outstanding opportunity and vote of confidence.”
“I also want to thank Dr. Rick Goeb, Tracy Dill, and Britt Lauritsen for the trust and leadership Bemidji State,” added Miller. “In making the move to Division I, I sense that NDSU is perfect fit for me to grow into the next level in a championship-caliber climate. After providing leadership in Division II at our conference, regional, and national stages, I am ready to take on the excitement at Division I. I look forward to all our fan and alumni support to move this program forward even more. Go Bison!”
Over his last six NSIC men’s golf championships, Miller guided the Beavers to five top-three finishes, including a second in 2021, along with the title in 2023. Overall, Bemidji State has finished in the top four in nine of the 14 championships under his watch and each of the last seven seasons.
Miller guided Bemidji State to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012, 2021 and 2023. He was named the NSIC Coach of the Year in 2023 and coached Chris Swenson to an individual NSIC championship in 2021 and Logan Schoepp in 2025.
Over his 15 seasons in Bemidji, Miller mentored Beavers student-athletes to 21 All-NSIC accolades, with at least one each season. Rylin Petry, who later transferred to NDSU, was named the program’s first PING/Golf Coach Association of America (GCAA) NCAA Division II All-Central Region selection in 2023. More than 30 Beavers student-athletes were selected to Academic All-NSIC teams. Miller also set another first with Bemidji State recording eight Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar honorees during his tenure.
Miller has also served as the NCAA site representative for the NCAA Division II Central/Midwest Regional and the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2025 at PGA National.
Prior to taking over the reins at Bemidji State, Miller spent seven years in golf course operations at Bemidji Town and Country Club. Miller also spent four years (2004-08) in the People’s Republic of China teaching oral English and business writing at Hengyang Normal University, Hunan Province. As a university instructor, he designed a curriculum for more than 200 Chinese students each semester, served as a tutor, implemented a personal fund-raising plan, and worked with Chinese administration. Following his time in China, Miller returned to Bemidji and acted as the business manager for the Sen Lin Hu Chinese Immersion Camp at Concordia Language Village where he managed the village store and gift shop, coordinated transportation, taught Mandarin Chinese to children from the age of eight to 17 and oversaw the expenditures of the village.
Miller graduated magna cum laude from BSU in 2003 with Bachelor of Art degrees in both Philosophy and Spanish. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College in 2007 and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2024. He is married to the former Kari Kantack.
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