Bill Kinnunen

Bill Kinnunen, Grand Rapids High School, graduated from Grand Rapids in 1985 and from College of St. Scholastica  in 1990 after attending Itasca Community College for two years.  In high school, Bill played football, hockey and baseball and was captain of all three sports his senior year.  He also played those three sports at Itasca and probably would have done the same at St. Scholastica, but they didn’t have football at that time.  While in high school, Bill was a pitcher/first baseman when Grand Rapids won the state baseball championship in 1984. Bill’s first teaching job was at Toivola-Meadowlands where he stayed for two years, coaching football and track as they had no baseball program.  His next stop was at Cotton where he started the baseball program in his second year there. After two years at Cotton, Bill moved on to Grand Rapids where he became head baseball coach in 2001.  He has also been the defensive coordinator for the football team for the past 27 years.  He received the prestigious Butch Nash Assistant Football Coach-of-the-Year in 2015.  Bill’s Grand Rapids baseball teams have gone to the State High School Tournament five times, finishing second in 2005 and 2021 and third in 2008 and 2012.  They also played in the 2018 state tournament. Bill coached the Grand Rapids VFW team for the first five years he was there and then became the Legion coach, a position he still holds after 21 years. He has coached his Legion team to nine state tournaments and was named Minnesota Legion Coach-of-the-Year in 2009.  He also started coaching the town team in Grand Rapids while still in college.

Paul Twenge

Paul Twenge, Minnetonka High School, graduated from Hatton, North Dakota High School in 1972 and Mayville State in 1977. Paul played football, basketball and baseball in high school and football and baseball in college. Paul started his teaching and coaching career at St. Thomas, North Dakota, where he coached football, basketball and girls track.  After two years, Paul moved on to South Dakota State University as a grad assistant in baseball. While there he coached the Brookings American Legion team to the state tournament.  After SDSU he went to Anoka-Ramsey Junior College for six years where he was head baseball coach and assistant football coach. He also helped coach the Jacobson American Legion team to the state championship in 1985.  Paul then moved to Valparaiso University where he was head baseball coach for 19 years and was also an assistant football coach. In 2006 Paul came to Minnetonka and has been the head baseball coach for the past 15 years.  Paul’s Minnetonka teams have been very successful, compiling a record of 220-122. Overall, his record is 954-932 in 46 years, 40 as a head high school and college baseball coach.  He was selected Minnesota Junior College Coach-of-the-Year in 1981 and 1985 and National Junior College Coach-of-the-Year in 1985. At Valparaiso he was Mid-Continent Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 2001. In 2018, Paul was the ABCA Region 5 High School Coach-of-the Year and ABCA National High School DI Coach-of-the-Year. Paul is also a member of the Mayville State Hall of Fame for Coaches and the National High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.