Coach Donald Ferguson Jr. - but you can call him Don - was born and raised in a close-knit family in Indianapolis, IN. “It’s where I first developed my love for sports, groomed my talents, and met great Coaches and Mentors through sports that helped me on my journey. My parents instilled a hard work ethic and the drive to never give up on your dreams and to push through Adversity.” In 2021, Don accepted the position as Head Coach for the St. Cloud Tech High School boys basketball team.
“As a young kid, I developed a passion for basketball and really fell in love. From that point forward I worked every day to pursue the game of basketball. I knew I wanted to play college basketball as a kid, and I was fortunate enough to play AAU basketball in middle and high school for the legendary Coach Gary Betts who ran the program No Excuses and then became the Head Coach of the NIKE Basketball program Spiece. I traveled the country playing in top AAU tournaments and from there I was recruited to play basketball at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. After Coach Bernsen was let go as Head Coach, I came to Minnesota and played for Coach Dave Schellhase at Moorhead State University. During my time at Moorhead State, I was an All-NSIC player averaging 19 points per game.”
Don graduated from Moorhead State with a degree in Graphic Design & Web Development and a minor in entrepreneurship. “I knew I wanted to have a career in sports and be able to give back to youth like my mentors had done for me. My path to coaching came from my mission of wanting to connect student-athletes with college coaches, and helping families navigate and understand the recruiting process.”
“I witnessed first-hand a big void and a problem for Minnesota athletes - so in 2009 I created my AAU Basketball program called Team GetShook & Lady GetShook basketball; a program mentoring and coaching student-athletes. I formed teams for boys and girls to play in top local and national basketball tournaments that were frequented by college coaches recruiting student-athletes.
“During that time, I got into High School Coaching to further my mission and took my first Coaching job at Robbinsdale Cooper High School as the 9th Grade Coach. After that, it was on to Breck High School as Varsity Assistant Coach where I Coached David Roddy who went on to play at Colorado State University and currently plays for the NBA Memphis Grizzlies. After my time at Breck High School, I took a Coaching position at Osseo Senior High School for 3 years before accepting the Head Coaching job at St. Cloud Tech High School in 2021.”
“In 2021, Dr. Harris reached out to me to see if I would be interested in the open position they had at Tech High School. I remember it like yesterday. We were in Atlanta for a big-time AAU event called the Best of the South and we had just knocked off top-ranked Florida Pro when he called. I instantly knew it was God's timing and in his plans for me to be in St. Cloud at Tech High School and under the leadership of Dr. Harris and the great people at Tech High School. After researching and visiting Tech High School and learning all it has to offer for Students to be successful and seeing the beautiful diverse community and new school, it was hard to say no to such an opportunity.”
Not only is Don making a positive impact on students, but he’s also changing the reputation - and record - of boys basketball at Tech. In his first year as coach, their team advanced to the State tournament – something that hadn’t been done in nearly 15 years. That same year, Coach Don’s oldest son, Donald Ferguson III went on to play for Coppin State University in Baltimore, becoming the first Tech Tiger to move on to play Division I Basketball. Current team members (Don’s middle son, Tameron, included) are making waves as Mr. Basketball Minnesota Candidates and leaders in steals, points, assists, and rebounds per game.
“I knew that being at Tech High School meant I could help build a legacy that the school and community would be proud of. I knew the students needed someone who cared about the community and who could spend time developing and mentoring their talents. After two years at Tech, I moved into a new role as 10th grade Dean in 2023, which has been a great transition because it has allowed me to continue to do my mentorship work from that office to positively impact more Tech students.”
“My whole life I’ve always lived in major cities and coming to central Minnesota, I didn’t know what to expect but the community welcomed my family with open arms and has treated us wonderfully. It’s an outstanding community with beautiful gardens, lakes, and where people recognize you and love stopping for small conversations. I am enjoying the community!”
“One of the best parts about being the head Coach at Tech is the wonderful people that I have met, from co-workers to community members who have an unbelievable love for Tech High School and its tradition to the stories they share about their experiences or family member experiences who went to tech and or played for Tech in the past. It’s amazing to be a leader and to be connected to a community with such tradition and pride. I appreciate that community members recognize the hard work and commitment we have brought back to Tech High School to carry on that tradition.”
“Being a Coach and working with community youth means the world to me, aside from my family. Helping students and teens reach their full potential through mentorship, education, and athletics helps provide them the opportunity to do something with their lives that not everyone has the opportunity to do. It has been my life’s mission to help all students from all walks of life to have a chance at going to college and be a student-athlete on scholarship. Utilizing my resources and background in business, sports, coaching, technology, social media, marketing, and experience as a graphic designer, I aim to help more students find a passion in these areas.”
#StCloudShines
