Coaching Staff

Mike Minning is the head coach for both the boys' and girls' programs. Coach Minning is entering his first year as head coach at LLHS after serving the 2024 season as an assistant to previous head coach Cameron Ausen.

Under Coach Minning's guidance, the girls won their second straight Capitol North Conference championship in 2024 and had five girls receive all-conference recognition. Additionally, Coach Minning brings an attention to detail in practice planning and workout implementation from his own time as a competitive athlete at Carroll College (now Carroll University). Coach Minning has two daughters that were four-year athletes at LLHS and two more daughters as current roster members. His mentorship and experience at several levels offer great insight to the program. E-mail: mminning@llhs.org

Emily Muir is an assistant coach for both the boys' and girls' programs. Coach Muir came to LLHS in 2024 to teach biology at and will enter her second year of coaching cross country. Coach Muir brings experience and enthusiasm from coaching several different sports and helped lead the girls to their second straight team conference championship in 2024.

Additionally, Coach Muir serves as LLHS's head girls' soccer coach and previously coached soccer at the varsity level for five years at Evergreen Lutheran High School and has led numerous basketball and volleyball camps for developing athletes. Additionally, Coach Muir is an active athlete and coach of CrossFit for over six years and brings a multidisciplinary approach to the cross country team helping athletes reach their full potential on and off the course. E-mail: emuir@llhs.org

Markus Rupnow enters his first season as an assistant coach for the girls's and boys' cross country teams at LLHS. Coach Rupnow began teaching at LLHS in 2025 in the social studies and physical education departments.

Coach Rupnow also serves as an assistant for the girls' and boys' track and field teams where he oversees the distance runners. A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, Coach Rupnow brings extensive experience from competing on both the cross country and track and field teams. His emphasis was in the middle distances, where Rupnow dropped his 800 personal best to 1:56.00. Additionally, two of Coach Rupnow's siblings are LLHS graduates: Arnold (2023) and Josef (2025). E-mail: mrupnow@llhs.org

Nikki Rowland is the Athletic Trainer at Lakeside Lutheran High School. In this role, she serves all the athletic programs and will often be on the front line for athletes that need assistance to remain healthy during the season. Nikki began this role at Lakeside in the fall of 2022 and brings excellent practical experience in her day-to-day duties with Warrior athletics. E-mail: nrowland@llhs.org