Guy Kalland, the all-time leader in career victories at Carleton College, announced his retirement as head coach of the men’s basketball program on Monday. Kalland amassed a 506-439 (.535) coaching record and is 1 of only 5 men’s basketball coaches to collect at least 500 wins at a NCAA school in Minnesota.
“This decision has required a great deal of thought and consideration,” Kalland said. “Carleton College, the P.E.A.R. Department, and our men’s basketball program have meant a great deal to me over the past 38 years. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful colleagues and coach so many bright and deserving student-athletes.
“I look forward to spending more time with my wife, Linda, our daughter Abby and son-in-law Ryan, and our grandson Cade. It has been a great ride, and I am honored to have been at Carleton for nearly four decades. Thank you to all who have made our family part of your family.”
Carleton ended its 2021-22 season with a 16-7 overall record and went 13-5 in MIAC play to finish third in the conference standings and earn a spot in the MIAC Playoff Quarterfinals.
“Guy Kalland‘s legacy at Carleton is seen not just in the accomplishments of the men’s basketball program but in his mentorship of the many students that he influenced throughout his career,” said Carleton President Alison Byerly. “His teams not only have exceptional athletic experiences, they gain valuable life lessons in integrity and character through his leadership. In the finest liberal arts tradition, Guy is an educator first and foremost. He will be missed by his student-athletes and by the entire Carleton community.”
Kalland led his teams to the postseason in 15 of the last 21 seasons and 24 times overall, including 23 of the last 33 seasons. During his tenure, the Knights won the MIAC regular-season crown during the 2005-06 and 2010-11 seasons, captured the MIAC Playoffs title in 2010, and qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2010. He earned MIAC Coach-of-the-Year honors three times (2006, 2011, and 2017) and was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ (NABC) West Region Coach of the Year in 2006.
Kalland will remain on staff until his current contract expires on June 30. The search process for his replacement begins immediately.
“Our entire P.E.A.R. Department shares our best wishes with Guy on his retirement, and we thank him for his remarkable contributions over the past 38 years,” said Carleton Athletic Director Gerald Young. “He represented our men’s basketball program, our department, and Carleton as a whole with a tremendous amount of class during his tenure. He is revered by his colleagues within our department and provided a superb example for how coaches and faculty operate at Carleton.
“We are honored that Guy chose to make his career at Carleton, and everyone at the College who had the opportunity to be influenced by him is better for it. His passion for the game of basketball and for coaching are second to none.”
Kalland earned his 500th career victory with a 65-55 triumph at Bethel University on Jan. 12, 2022. In doing so, he became the 60th active men’s basketball coach across all three NCAA divisions to win at least 500 career games and the 14th active Division III coach to do so. A total of 244 men’s basketball coaches across all three divisions have won at least 500 NCAA games.
Kalland coached two Jostens Trophy Finalists (this award recognizes the top NCAA Division III student-athlete who excels in the classroom, on the court, and in the community), four players that receive All-America recognition, and 22 All-Region award winners.
A 1974 graduate of Concordia College-Moorhead with bachelor’s degrees in both English and Physical Education and Health, Kalland was also a member of the Cobber baseball team. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Minnesota while serving as an assistant basketball coach during the 1979-80 season. Kalland taught and coached at two Minnesota high schools, Eagle Bend and Cannon Falls, over a five-year period prior to his season with the Golden Gophers. Before coming to Carleton in 1984, he spent four years at Inver Hills Community College, where his 1981-82 team was Minnesota Community College state champions and Region 13 runner up.
In addition to his duties as men’s basketball head coach, Kalland was the offensive line coach for the Carleton football program from 1984-94. A professor of Physical Education, he served as the P.E.A.R. Department chair during the 2004-05 academic year.
https://athletics.carleton.edu/news/2022/3/14/mens-basketball-guy-kalland-announces-retirement.aspx
