Carroll College Athletic Director Charlie Gross has announced that he has accepted Kurt Paulson‘s resignation as Men’s Basketball Head Coach after five seasons.
“Kurt did an outstanding job leading Carroll’s Men’s Basketball program.” Said Gross. “The team was highly competitive on a national level; they shined in the classroom and were engaged in the community at every opportunity. Carroll prides itself on modeling excellence and having no equal, and Kurt was no exception to this standard during his five-year tenure. I wish to personally thank Kurt for his loyalty and passion for Carroll College and our Men’s Basketball program. His dedication truly embodies what it means to be a Fighting Saint, and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”
Under Paulson’s leadership, the Saints compiled a 115-44 record over the past five seasons. He led Carroll to the NAIA National Tournament in four out of his five years, with appearances in the round of 32 (’21-22), quarterfinal round (’20-21), and an unforgettable run in 2018-19 which saw Carroll compete for the NAIA National Title for the first time in program history, eventually finishing as runner-up.
Paulson, the 27th coach in Carroll Men’s Basketball history and a former Carroll player, was twice named Frontier Conference Coach of the Year (2019, 2022), with both of those teams earning regular season Frontier Conference championships. He coached several All-Americans in his time (Jovan Sljivancanin, Shamrock Campbell, Dane Warp, Match Burnham, Matt Wyman), as well as numerous All-Frontier Conference performers, and one Frontier Conference Player of the Year (Sljivancanin). Not only were his teams competitive on the court, but they were outstanding in the classroom as well, consistently producing Academic All-Conference selections, NAIA Scholar-Athletes, and an Academic All-American (Warp).
“I am stepping down as Carroll Men’s Basketball Coach.” Said Paulson in a statement. “Carroll has been good to me for 12 years as both a student-athlete and coach. I will forever love this place and the people I met along the way. Thanks to Dr. Cech and Charlie Gross for the opportunity. Thanks to the players as they accomplished a lot – most wins in the conference the last 5 seasons with a team GPA of 3.36 over that time. Thanks to the assistant coaches, managers and trainers as well. Right now my wife and sons need my time, we look forward to the next chapter.”
A search to replace Paulson will commence immediately.
