Coach Tighe Hoping to Bring “Championship Type Standard” to DSU

Last month, Dakota State University hired Darren Tighe to be the new Trojan Men’s Head Basketball coach. Now Coach Tighe is starting to get settled into his new role.

Coach Tighe was previously the Head Coach at Mayville State, where he won 92 games, including three NSAA Conference Championships. Already having prior experience and success in the NSAA, as Coach Tighe mentions, could be big.

Along with having an understanding of how NSAA teams play, being in the league already allowed Tighe to know who has the best programs in the conference, which was a draw for him to come to DSU.

Tighe had stepped down from his position at Mayville State last October, which gave him a few months between jobs. He says during this time he was able to reflect and try to grow as a coach.

It is not always easy to bring success with you from place-to-place, but after the level of success he had before, Tighe does believe that he can bring a championship standard to Dakota State.

When it comes to the types of players he is looking for, Tighe puts an emphasis on “identity” and “culture”. He wants the identity of the team to be “Smart, Tough, and Competitive”. Tighe believes in the importance of bringing individuals who share those same values. 

Tighe also says that the Dakota State men’s basketball program is a “special place” and that it isn’t for everyone, which makes bringing in the right people that much more important.