Profile: Dave Preller

#3 posting 10.30.2008
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PROFILE: Dave Preller
Today the profile spotlight shines on Dave Preller, coach of the Woodbury Royals. Preller's team won the 2003 State tournament with a perfect 29-0 mark. His career win total is 470. Preller was elected to the Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002 and is the Minnesota AAU treasurer and head of AAU girls basketball in Minnesota.

your birthday: March 18, 1954

schooling: Green Bay Southwest HS – 1972; UW-Eau Claire, BS, 1977; Univ St. Thomas, MA, 1990.

mentor coaches: Al McQuire, Marquette; Jim Santy(youth baseball coach); Carl Sundby & Merlin Zimmer (high school coaches); Vince Lombardi

basketball coaching jobs : Woodbury HS Girls, Assistant-6 years; Park-CG, Head-2 yrs; Woodbury HS Girls, Head – beginning 22nd year. WAA Traveling Youth coach. AAU at least a half dozen various clubs.

Favorite basketball movie: Hoosiers

Favorite basketball instructional video/tape: The North Carolina System, Dean Smith

Favorite book: Leadership from the Inside Out, Kevin Cashman

Favorite high school gymnasium: Woodbury High School

favorite team growing up: Marquette Warriors

Meal before a game: nothing special; I look forward to “debriefing” with coaches after the game with an appetizer or two.

starting five from your high school career: naming a starting 5 would leave out too many great kids I’ve had the privilege to coach at Woodbury

opponents starting five from your high school career:
Liz Podominick, Lakeville
Brianna Scurry, Anoka
Carol Ann Shudlick, Apple Valley
Angel Robinson, St. Paul Central
Leslie Knight, Hopkins
Jesse Stomski, Tartan

starting five from your AAU career:
Nicole Persby,
Tamara Moore,
Erin Ditty,
Amanda Nisleit,
Liz Preller,
Svetlana “V” Kovalenko

AAU opponents:
Kelly Siemon- Minn Magic
Ace Klement – Philadelphia Bells;
Janelle McCarville-Wisconsin Viking Club
Megan Taylor – Minn Magic
Corin VonWald-Minn Ice
Andrea Verdagen-Wisconsin Viking Club

favorite opponent: Park Cottage Grove and Tartan

coach you would like to avoid playing: all coaches with teams that give up

trend you like in high school basketball: 2 halves. Need to adopt all aspects of college game.

trend that needs fixing in basketball: Illegal screens, intimidation by illegal physical play.
most memorable game you coached. Minnesota State HS Championship, 2003

most painful loss: Two 1 point, last second, losses to Tartan in Conference in 1993.

If you could go to a college to assist which one: Wisconsin or UW-Green Bay

favorite athlete in another sport: Jim Taylor, GB Packers and Karch Kiraly, volleyball

favorite coach: Dick Bennet, Abe Lemmons

biggest change in basketball since you started coaching: this covers a lot of time – smaller ball and 3 pt line.

Favorite value in others: integrity and camaraderie

Thanks coach.

Next up: tomorrow or when news breaks