Long-time Saints wrestling coach Keith Hanson is hanging up his coaching whistle for that sport after a 34-year career here at Saint Peter High School, including 22 as either head coach or co-head coach. He has been the co-head coach with Ryan Timmerman for the past six seasons.
ABOVE, long-time Saints wrestling coach Keith Hanson recently announced he is stepping down after 34 years of involvement with the program.
Hanson retires with 281 career wins as a head coach and during his time in the head role he has coached 28 state entries and had 11 state-medal winners, including a two-time state runner-up (Ryan Timmerman) and two third-place finishers.
“I still enjoy the sport, but I figured it was time to hang it up and give someone else a shot at being head coach,” Hanson said. “I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the program and we’ve had a lot of success over the years.
“I think we have a good tradition in St. Peter that works well with the youth program in developing the feeder program for the high school team and keeps everyone striving for improvement,” he added.
The Saints will be looking for a new head coach altogether as Hanson’s partner as head coach since 2019, Ryan Timmerman, recently accepted the role as head women’s wrestling coach at Luther College (Decorah, Iowa).
“I was hoping to have Ryan take over total control of the program, but he had a college coaching offer that was too good to pass up and I’m very excited for him,” Hanson said.
Hanson will still teach physical education at SPHS and also continue to be the head boys track and field coach for the Saints.
The following is a Q&A profile with Coach Hanson about his wrestling coaching experience:
What was your previous wrestling experience before coming to SPHS (i.e. high school & college)? I participated in wrestling in High School, when I started College I played football and ran track, but was able to go into the wrestling room at the University of MN-Morris, so I continued to roll around with the guys on the team as a practice partner , but did not have the desire to try a 3rd sport in college.
What inspired you to get into coaching wrestling? I just enjoyed being in the room working out and the camaraderie of the sport. I felt I had something to give back to the sport, since my competitive days were over and coaching was that path.
Who were some of your mentors early in your career? In 1991 -1992, I was assigned to Student Teach in St. Peter, at the time I was also pursuing a Coaching Minor, so I approached Coach Craig Drager and asked him if I could complete my Coaching Practicum with him and his team. He said yes, and I have been a part of this program ever since then. So, definitely Coach Drager played a big part in me learning the role as a coach and managing a team.
My High School Coach, Spencer Yohe, was also a big influence on me both as an athlete and a representative to the sport of wrestling. One of my other coaches, Dennis Courneya, for football and track and field, instilled in me the importance of a great work ethic and the desire to always improve in all facets of life.
What is about the sport of wrestling that you enjoy the most? Basically, to improve, you have to learn from your mistakes, because you have no one else to blame when things go wrong. So really it's the "one on one" , "gladiator" fight in you, and asking yourself do you have what it takes to get better. I really enjoy that inner strength in people and watching them grow and use it in all aspects and challenges that they might face. Another main thing is the friendships one develops over time with athletes, families and supporters, is something that you can never lose.
What are some of your favorite Saints' wrestling coaching memories? Those first few years under Coach Drager and having a State Entrant team and being a part of that. Surprisingly, after becoming Head Coach in 2002 , and only having 1 win that season, I could see the growth in the program, even though it seemed slow in getting "W's" in the win column, things were building for the positive.
Upsetting the number 1 seed, Scott West, in the Section semifinals a few years back and then losing a heartbreaker to Hutchinson in the Finals, are probably two of the biggest matches over the years. Some wins over perennial powerhouses like Blue Earth Area, St. James and Watertown-Mayer also rank up there.
Having a couple of former athletes come back and coach with me in Trent Nielsen and Ryan Timmerman, and the success they have had and then helping be a big part of bringing that back to the program, means a lot to me. I would also say having the opportunity to coach my own son, and one of his classmates, Kole Guth, and watching them start together in Kindergarten-and then all the way to both of them qualifying for the state tournament their Senior seasons together.
I would have to give my wife, Carmen, some kudos because she was there through it all, the good and the bad. She would have to listen to me brag about how great we did and then listen and let me vent my frustrations when we didn’t do so well.
Below, the Saints wrestling sideline will look a lot different during the 2025-26 season as co-head coaches Ryan Timmerman (far left) and Keith Hanson (middle) have stepped away.
