Former UND men’s basketball coach Dave Gunther dies at 86

GRAND FORKS (KVRR) – The University of North Dakota Athletics announced that the former men’s basketball coach from 1971 to 1988, Dave Gunther, died at the age of 86 on March 16.

“Coach Gunther’s legacy will forever be remembered at UND,” said UND Athletics Director Bill Chaves. “He had a hall of fame career but more importantly was a hall of fame person. I learned a ton about him from fellow UND hall of famer, Steve Brekke, who always mentioned to me how lucky we were able to have Coach Gunther at UND.”

Gunther ranks second in the school’s history with 322 wins, leading the Fighting Sioux to five North Central Conference titles, eight NCAA Div. II tournaments and three Elite Eights.

“Coach Gunther was a larger-than-life person that impacted everyone he came in contact with,” said UND men’s basketball head coach Paul Sather. “Kind, generous, with an easy smile that always put people at ease. We’re really going to miss not seeing Coach in the Betty or out at lunch. He was a special guy.”

Gunther also played for the San Francisco Warriors in 1962.