John Herbrechtsmeyer
Herbrechtsmeyer is in his 11th year directing Bethel’s women’s basketball program and brings to Bethel a wealth of experience in coaching. He is a 1992 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, where he played on the men’s basketball team and also served as a student assistant with the women’s program. After graduating from Gustavus, Herbrechtsmeyer went on to Wayne State College in Nebraska, where he served as a graduate assistant coach in a highly competitive NCAA Division II program. While at Wayne State, he earned his master’s degree in physical education and sports management.
After graduating from Wayne State in 1994, Herbrechtsmeyer immediately became the head coach at the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota, where he led the team to the school’s first-ever post-season competition and tied the single-season school record for conference wins. "Herbie" then moved on to Cornell College in Iowa in 1997. In the five years before he got to Cornell, the team had a combined 4-106 record. In his five seasons there, he developed a program that set school records for wins and conference wins in a season and advanced to the Iowa Intercollegeiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) post-season tournament for the first time in school history. After the 2000 season, Herbrechtsmeyer was named Female Sports Coach of the year by the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Herbrechtsmeyer has made quite the change at Bethel as well, leading the Royals to 11 or more wins each year since the 2005-2006 season - which includes 14 wins in three of the last four years. Prior to that, Bethel had recorded a mark of 29-102 between 1997-2002. Herbie and his staff have also seen their squad advance to the MIAC playoffs four times in the six years.
He and his wife, Kristi, live in Lino Lakes with their daughter Abbie and son Connor.
Dwight Nelson
Nelson is in his seventh year with the Royals after four years as the varsity boys coach at Meadow Creek Christian High School where he accumulated a 79-29 record and three undefeated consecutive conference championships. A 1995 graduate of Bethel College with an English Literature degree, he lives in Coon Rapids, Minn., and teaches English at Meadow Creek.
Steve Reiter
Steve Reiter begins his second year as an assistant to the women’s basketball program at Bethel University. Although this is Reiter’s first year with the BU squad, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the basketball court. Prior to coaching at Bethel, Reiter coached for 29 years at Blaine High School. While there, the Bengals won 377 games, including seven conference titles and six state tournaments. Reiter was also Section Coach of the Year six times and Minnesota State Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2007. A 2007 Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches’ Hall of Fame inductee, Reiter coached thousands of girls and developed one of the most elite programs in the state of Minnesota. He also taught physical education at Blaine High School, where he was recently selected into the BHS Athletics Hall of Fame.
Reiter is the head coach of the Metro Stars 15U team as well, a team he joined back in 1999. He is one of the most decorated Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coaches in the state, having coached three Metro Stars teams to Minnesota AAU Stat Championships as well as being named Minnesota AAU Coach of the Year after the 2004 and 2010 seasons.
Kevin Anderson
Kevin Anderson has been coaching for nearly 20 years, dating back to 1983 when he began coaching boys basketball at Ellsworth High School. In 1987 Anderson was hired as the women's basketball coach at Minneapolis South, followed by an assistant role at Osseo in 1992. Anderson remained at Osseo until 2001, and in fact spent one year as the head coach.
Bethel's assistant stays very active as he has also coached at the traveling and AAU level while working for the Minnesota Basketbal News. In addition to basketball Anderson has coached volleyball for over 15 years. Anderson coached volleyball at Osseo from 1996 until 2001, and then at Minneapolis Henry from 2004 until today.
Derek Parker
A senior accounting and finance major at Bethel University, Derek Parker will begin his first season with the women's squad as the women's student assistant coach. A three-year contributor to the Royals' men's basketball program, Parker will be assisting the junior varsity, coordinating film exchange, and assisting daily practices. Parker has coached on the AAU level and was a former captain in high school.
