This year’s Juneteenth saw players from eight Twin Cities high schools gather and play each other as a part of “A Day of High-Level Competition and Unity,” the June 19th half-day event at Hoop Habits in Eden Prairie.
The eight boys’ basketball teams: Apple Valley, St. Paul Harding, Eden Prairie, Anoka, Minneapolis North, Minnehaha Academy, Richfield and Two Rivers all had one thing in common.
All eight teams were coached by Black head coaches.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see that we had this many people on top of their programs and pushing and meeting young kids,” said Two Rivers Head Coach Aaron Turner, who was named Warriors coach in June after a successful tenure at White Bear Lake High School.
“I didn’t know I’d be leading a program, of making an impact on kids in that way,” said Jadee Jones, who took over the Minnehaha Academy program in 2024, and led the RedHawks to the 2026 Class AA state championship in March.
David Collier was hired at Apple Valley in 2022, and this year led the Eagles to the Class 4A state runners-up appearance. He was an organizer of the Juneteenth hooping event.
“When we were ideating about the event,” explained Collier, “I called Associate Coach Dave Thorson to see if they were doing the basketball camp at the University of Minnesota … two years in a row they didn’t do that event. So, I just think there’s a great opportunity for all coaches in Minnesota to convene.
“But then I started thinking about what about our Black coaches?” he asked himself. “We don’t get enough shine; we don’t get enough highlight. So, let’s fill that void in the summertime with this event.”
Juneteenth was first recognized by federal legislation in 1996 but officially became a U.S. holiday in 2021 by former President Joe Biden.
“We had a little moment in the beginning (of the camp) when we talked about the point of today,” stressed Apple Valley Associate Head Coach C.J. Hallman, “and while we were here. I think that they’ve gotten it.”
Collier said that he enlisted the support of the Minnesota Black Basketball Coaches Association and Anthony Tucker, who owns Hoop Habits, a basketball training facility in Eden Prairie.
“We’re celebrating a wonderful, monumental day for Black people and for our Black coaches and community to come together,” reaffirmed Collier.
“I love what we’re doing with bringing the Black coaches together, getting the guys to play, and still honoring Juneteenth,” said Eden Prairie Head Coach Zander Culver, who was Roseville head boys’ basketball coach for two years before he was hired to his current position. “It just feels really good all around.”
“Today was a great day,” said Hallman afterwards. “I think it’s important that we’re able to highlight the Black coaches in Minnesota, bring these teams together to compete and have some fun. I think we had a great day doing it today.”
Said Collier, “It was important for me to do this for Black coaches and let them know that we’re not against each other. We are building a community of excellence, and I see them doing great things with these kids in their community.
“It’s more than basketball, right? It’s off the court, and just being good stewards of their community and mentors across the board,” he surmised.
FINALLY …
The U-M Tucker Center last week released its 2026 Women in College Coaching Report Card. It found there are a total of 112 Black women coaches (10.6%), and basketball (19, 20.2%) and tennis (10, 10.9%) have the highest number of BIPOC women head coaches.
Minnesota has only one Black women head coach (Tennis Coach Lois Arterberry).
Furthermore, 10 sports had zero women head coaches of color and 44 schools have zero women BIPOC head coaches.
“Very few hires in 2025-26 were BIPOC women (8 of 108, 7.4%),” said the WCCRC report.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses at challman@spokesman-recorder.com.
Copyright © Charles Hallman