NLA: Zim on SDSU baseball's NCAA trip, FBS vs FCS (highest level vs titles), Kalen DeBoer & Kurtiss Riggs' Happy Hour chat, and if Twins should consider trading Joe Ryan

Sports Lounge: Kalen DeBoer & Kurtiss Riggs, recently fired Fargo Shanley HS coach Beth Maher, Vikings talk with Thor Nystrom & Diamond Vision with Zach Borg

Two Sioux Falls legends and South Dakota football all-time luminaries who combined for national chamionships at the University of Sioux Falls— one as teammates and three more as coaches together on the offensive headset. One moved on to travel the country and rise up the Div. I ranks to become head coach at Alabama. The other stuck around to win seven more of his 11 professional indoor championships with the Sioux Falls Storm, strengthen his burgeoning youth football developmental academy, and become a respected radio and TV broadcaster. But it all started at tiny NAIA "Sioux Falls College" in 1993 together. Kalen DeBoer and Kurtiss Riggs joined Happy Hour with John Gaskins to tell old stories about their lifelong friendship, starting with their first encounter. The vivid memories, entertaining storytelling, and loads of laughs lead off this week's "South Dakota Sports Lounge" — a regional TV and audio show for Midwest Sports Plus that provides the hand-picked best conversations of the week on the daily sports talk shows of Forum Communications, plus a weekly MS+ local sports feature story. Only the first 12 minutes of the DeBoer/Riggs chat is provided in this Sports Lounge episode. To see the whole chat, click here. [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/happy-hour-kalen-deboer-kurtiss-riggs-on-their-lifelong-friendship] The other segments this week: Hot Mic w/ Dom Izzo (Fargo): Exclusive interview with Beth Maher. She was fired as head girls basketball coach at the Catholic high school in Fargo (Shanley) unexpectedly after a winning tenure. The boys basketball coach was also fired unexpectedly. It was part of that spate of surprise resignations/firings of prominent high school coaches in both North Dakota and South Dakota. This is the first interview Maher has given on her thoughts and feelings. The Nate Brown Show: The latest Minnesota Vikings hot topics from Thor Nystrom of Skor North. They start their conversation on new Vikings GM Nolan Teasley. Zach Borg feature: The final Diamond Vision feature of the season recapping state high school baseball championships in South Dakota. Midwest Sports+ broadcast both the Class A and Class B tournaments in their entirety.

FULL SHOW: Eric Musselman and a Thirsty Thursday reaction to USD's "Coach Piv" presser, USHL expansion, state track, state softball

It's a small basketball world after all. At least in South Dakota. If you were wondering whether there was a local tie to USD and Summit League leading scorer Isaac Bruns' transfer portal landing spot at USC, you were correct. Well, kind of. It partly circles back to Trojan coach Eric Musselman's time with the Rapid City Thrillers almost 40 years ago. Yes, that Eric Musselman, the son of former Golden Gopher coach and the first-ever Minnesota Timberwolves coach Bill Musselman. Eric was in his 20's when the Thrillers and Sioux Falls Skyforce waged a heated in-state rivalry. And, yes, Musselman remembers those days well, including back-and-forth shenanigans with Skyforce fans. He was more than happy to share those memories during a nearly 40-minute conversation about his long, strange basketball coaching journey. It started in Rapid City and took him to plenty of highs and lows in the CBA, USBL, and NBA—where he led both the Warriors and the Kings — the NBA D-League and G-League and, for the last 14 years, the college game. He took Nevada to its first Sweet 16 and Arkansas to its first Elite Eight since the Nolan Richardson glory years— and famously took his shirt of and twirling it around on-camera along the way. Now 61 and running several miles a day on the beaches near the University of Southern California, Musselman describes the lessons he has learned after humbling times since those Rapid City days. He also explains exactly how Isaac Bruns ended up in Los Angeles and what Bruns must do to see significant playing time at USC. Plus, how has Musselman's experience as a professional coach honed his ability to deal with NIL roster payroll? Thirsty Thursday and Shannon Pivovar media conference On Thursday morning, "Coach Piv" was introduced publicly as USD's new softball coach via a virtual media conference. [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/shannon-pivovar-excited-to-build-on-momentum-for-usd-softball] This came two days after the public announcement and just over two weeks after the dismissal of former head coach Robert Wagner, as well as Pivovar's viral moment during the NCAA Tournament and her subsequent conversation about that and her softball coaching journey on Happy Hour. [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/happy-hour-coach-piv-on-usds-proud-viral-moment-the-power-of-a-a-team-and-its-town-in-a-title-chase] With almost all questions coming from Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and the Happy Hour host, Pivovar opened up about how her experiences as an SDSU assistant coach (2015-2018) and University of Sioux Falls head coach (2019-23) helped shape the associate head coach she became at USD before Wagner's contract was not renewed. Pivovar also fielded questions about how much of the current roster (that is eligible for next season) and current commitments will remain intact because of her hiring. Shortly after the media conference, Sioux Falls Live sports reporter Trent Singer joined the Happy Hour host to react to it, plus the news of the USHL's expansion plans. What does that mean for the Sioux Falls Stampede and the landscape of all levels of hockey— high school, junior hockey, college and the pros? The Thirsty Thursday session from Orion Pub finishes on headlines and takeaways from last weekend's state high school track and field meet and this weekend's state softball tournament.

USD-Shannon Pivovar media conference

On Thursday morning, "Coach Piv" was introduced publicly as USD's new softball coach via a virtual media conference. [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/shannon-pivovar-excited-to-build-on-momentum-for-usd-softball] This came two days after the public announcement and just over two weeks after the dismissal of former head coach Robert Wagner, as well as Pivovar's viral moment during the NCAA Tournament and her subsequent conversation about that and her softball coaching journey on Happy Hour. [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/happy-hour-coach-piv-on-usds-proud-viral-moment-the-power-of-a-a-team-and-its-town-in-a-title-chase] With almost all questions coming from Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and the Happy Hour host, Pivovar opened up about how her experiences as an SDSU assistant coach (2015-2018) and University of Sioux Falls head coach (2019-23) helped shape the associate head coach she became at USD before Wagner's contract was not renewed. Pivovar also fielded questions about how much of the current roster (that is eligible for next season) and current commitments will remain intact because of her hiring.

USC's Eric Musselman on Isaac Bruns, his 90's rivalry with the Skyforce & college vs. pro hoops

It's a small basketball world after all. At least in South Dakota. If you were wondering whether there was a local tie to USD and Summit League leading scorer Isaac Bruns' transfer portal landing spot at USC, you were correct. Well, kind of. It partly circles back to Trojan coach Eric Musselman's time with the Rapid City Thrillers almost 40 years ago. Yes, that Eric Musselman, the son of former Golden Gopher coach and the first-ever Minnesota Timberwolves coach Bill Musselman. Eric was in his 20's when the Thrillers and Sioux Falls Skyforce waged a heated in-state rivalry. And, yes, Musselman remembers those days well, including back-and-forth shenanigans with Skyforce fans. He was more than happy to share those memories during a nearly 40-minute conversation about his long, strange basketball coaching journey. It started in Rapid City and took him to plenty of highs and lows in the CBA, USBL, and NBA—where he led both the Warriors and the Kings — the NBA D-League and G-League and, for the last 14 years, the college game. He took Nevada to its first Sweet 16 and Arkansas to its first Elite Eight since the Nolan Richardson glory years— and famously took his shirt of and twirling it around on-camera along the way. Now 61 and running several miles a day on the beaches near the University of Southern California, Musselman describes the lessons he has learned after humbling times since those Rapid City days. He also explains exactly how Isaac Bruns ended up in Los Angeles and what Bruns must do to see significant playing time at USC. Plus, how has Musselman's experience as a professional coach honed his ability to deal with NIL roster payroll?

Reaction to Piv USD presser, USHL expansion, state track, and state softball on another Thirsty Thursday from Orion Pub with Trent Singer

On Thursday morning, "Coach Piv" was introduced publicly as USD's new softball coach via a virtual media conference. [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/shannon-pivovar-excited-to-build-on-momentum-for-usd-softball] This came two days after the public announcement and just over two weeks after the dismissal of former head coach Robert Wagner, as well as Pivovar's viral moment during the NCAA Tournament and her subsequent conversation about that and her softball coaching journey on Happy Hour. [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/happy-hour-coach-piv-on-usds-proud-viral-moment-the-power-of-a-a-team-and-its-town-in-a-title-chase] With almost all questions coming from Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and the Happy Hour host, Pivovar opened up about how her experiences as an SDSU assistant coach (2015-2018) and University of Sioux Falls head coach (2019-23) helped shape the associate head coach she became at USD before Wagner's contract was not renewed. Pivovar also fielded questions about how much of the current roster (that is eligible for next season) and current commitments will remain intact because of her hiring. Shortly after the media conference, Sioux Falls Live sports reporter Trent Singer joined the Happy Hour host to react to it, plus the news of the USHL's expansion plans. What does that mean for the Sioux Falls Stampede and the landscape of all levels of hockey— high school, junior hockey, college and the pros? The Thirsty Thursday session from Orion Pub finishes on headlines and takeaways from last weekend's state high school track and field meet and this weekend's state softball tournament.