Coach Gary "Dakota" Brekhus was named the Beavers head men's and women's golf coach in the summer of 2025 after spending 1 1/2 years as and assistant coach with the program, joining the Minot State staff in the winter of 2023-24.
A 2018 graduate from Minot State with a bachelor’s degree in General Studies, Brekhus played varsity golf for four years in high school in Arizona before attending the Cochise College flight program.
He moved to Minot in the summer of 2010 and joined the U.S. Army in 2011 before being discharged because of an injury he suffered during deployment in Afghanistan. Dakota’s love for golf grew during his time in the Army and it sparked his passion to teach golf to youth and the veteran communities.
Since his honorable discharge in January of 2014, Coach Brekhus has worked with Minot junior golf for 3 years and hosted a "Tee It Up For the Troops" event at the Minot Country Club. He also has coached several veterans with service-related injuries to help them regain their golf swing; one of whom was selected for Team United States and played in the Simpson Cup.
Most recently, he served as coach for the USA Patriots Amputee Athletics for the past year, putting on golf camps for U.S. Armed Forces amputee veterans golf team, and children with amputations.
Away from the golf course, Brekhus enjoys flying airplanes and cooking. He has earned his private pilot license, instrument, high-performance, and complex airplane ratings at Minot Aero Center, and is currently working toward his commercial pilot license.
Coach Brekhus lives in Minot with his wife, Courtenay. They have 3 daughters Avery, Stella, and Parker, and welcomed son, Hartman, in the summer of 2025. They also have two dogs, Ruger and Hero.
