University of Minnesota head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino announced Friday the hiring of Kyle Lindsted as assistant coach. Lindsted arrives at the U after spending the last three seasons in the same role at Wichita State.

“We are very excited about the addition of Kyle to our basketball program,” Pitino said. “He’s a great recruiter and will bring a lot to our team. He’s got contacts all over the world and a wealth of knowledge about the game.”

In Lindsted’s three seasons with the Shockers, WSU won nearly 80 percent of its games (82-22) en route to two Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles and one conference tournament crown. This past year, Wichita State finished second in its first season as members of the American Athletic Conference and earned its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament berth as a No. 4 seed.

Prior to joining the college coaching ranks, Lindsted spent 15 years building Sunrise Christian Academy into one of the nation’s top prep basketball programs. From 2000 to 2015, Lindsted served as athletic director and head basketball coach at Sunrise. Between 2010 and 2015, his program produced an incredible 35 NCAA Division I players, including current Gophers Bakary Konaté and Dupree McBrayer.

His father founded Sunrise in 1987, but it was Lindsted who put its basketball program on the map. After taking over the basketball program in 2000, he slowly built his alma mater from a relative unknown — even locally – into one of the nation’s most-respected high school programs, securing full Nike sponsorship and a multi-year contract with ESPN’s National High School Invitational.

 

 

In each of his last three years, Sunrise was ranked in the top 25 nationally. In his final game, Lindsted’s team captured the 2015 Bluegrass National Championship in Kentucky.

Lindsted’s success is rooted in his insistence on helping players mature in all aspects of life — including those outside of basketball — and his ability to form genuine, lasting relationships with the people around him.

In 2010, Sunrise produced a pair of Division I signees — the first of the Lindsted era — setting the wheels in motion. A growing track record of on-court success, mixed with Linsted’s reputation as a strong mentor, turned Sunrise into a destination spot for talented prospects looking to reach the next level.

In 2014 Sunrise’s high school and recently formed post-graduate team would combine to send 12 student-athletes to D-1 schools. Three additional players with Sunrise ties landed at the D-1 level via the JUCO ranks. In 2015, 10 more Sunrise alums signed on to D-1 programs.

Lindsted earned his undergraduate degree at Central Christian College in McPherson, Kan.  He is married to his high school sweetheart, Anita, and the couple have six children: Casey (23), Cody (21), Chase (17), Cayden (12), C.J. (10), and Cyleigh (8).

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