ALEXANDRIA — Jim Bridge — the state’s all-time winningest girls basketball coach — is retiring after the 2023-24 school year. Bridge is also the school’s superintendent and athletic director.

The Hanson School Board accepted Bridge’s resignation at its meeting on Monday, March 11, but it was initially submitted weeks ago.

“I asked them if they could just wait until basketball was over,” Bridge said. “Because I didn’t want that to be a distraction to the season. All I really wanted to do was get to the tournament and we did.”

This past season, Bridge became the state’s all-time winningest girls basketball coach, surpassing Aberdeen Central’s Dawn Seiler. Bridge finished his career with a 636-235 coaching record. Bridge, 62, retires after being the Hanson head girls basketball coach for 38 years and 39 total years at the school. 

“I am really proud of a lot of things,” Bridge said. “I always wish I could have done a little better job, but the kids are probably the main thing. The memories we made and the relationships that have been built.”

Jim Bridge - the state’s all-time winningest girls basketball coach - is retiring. Bridge, who is also the school’s superintendent and athletic director, will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

On Monday, Bridge informed the teaching staff and girls basketball team, which he said was the toughest part of the decision. 

“The hardest part yesterday was telling those girls that I wouldn’t be their coach next year,” Bridge said. “The basketball part of it is probably the hardest part because it’s the best part of my day. It’s the part that keeps me going. It’s the part that I enjoy the most. It’s the part that I probably get the most headaches from and satisfaction all at the same time.”

In addition to coaching basketball, Bridge was also instrumental in the Hanson School District upgrading several different facilities, recently a new turf football field and track and field facilities. 

“All those things I got to be a part of and we did it as a team,” Bridge said. “We did it with our community. We did it with our city. We did it with parents.” 

During his final season, Bridge guided the Beavers to an eighth-place finish at the Class A girls basketball tournament. It was Hanson’s first Class A berth since moving up from Class B a few seasons ago. 

“It’s always special to get there because of the years you didn’t get there,” Bridge said. “You felt bad because you didn’t make it. You can’t put a price tag on it. I told our girls when we beat Florence-Henry (in the SoDak 16) and got on the bus ‘We can win the lottery tomorrow and you can’t compare with what we get to do and go to the tournament.’ ” 

Jim Bridge - the state’s all-time winningest girls basketball coach - is retiring. Bridge, who is also the school’s superintendent and athletic director, will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Bridge's granddaughter, Taziah Hawkins (22), is a sophomore for the Beavers. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

A Wagner native and Northern State University graduate, Bridge’s coaching career started as a student teacher under Armour legendary boys basketball coach Burnell Glanzer. 

Under Bridge’s tutelage, Hanson qualified for multiple state tournaments and he coached several all-state players, including some that are now coaching. 

Bridge coached against Hanson graduate Megan (Doyle) Severtson and Flandreau at the state tournament. Hanson graduate Amanda Hart is the University of Nebraska director of women's basketball operations. 

Bridge also pointed out how special it was coaching his daughter Jenny Bridge and granddaughter Taziah Hawkins.

“I am just blessed, thankful, proud and happy,” Bridge said. 

While Bridge is retiring from being an administrator and a coach, he plans on still working and will entertain other job opportunities away from education in the future.   

“There are a lot of possibilities,” Bridge said. “Everybody is looking for somebody that can work and I feel like I can do a lot of different things. It’s just a matter of finding the right thing that is going to be a good fit for me.”