By: The Sports Guy
Proctor Journal

“There’s a new kid in town. Everybody’s talkin’ about the new kid in town...”

-Glen Frey, 1975

Although neither of them looks or sings like Justin Timberlake, PHS winter sports coaches Tim Schnobrich and Brian Masterson are definitely the new kids on the block. Beginning this season, Schnobrich is the Rails head boys hockey coach and Masterson takes the helm for varsity girls basketball.

A PHS hockey standout, the Munger-born Schnobrich went on to play collegiate hockey at Mankato State (now Minnesota State-Mankato). After college graduation, Schnobrich spent a year playing in the East Coast Hockey League before beginning a 13-year professional career in a German hockey league. In 2003, Schnobrich retired as a player and returned to the area to begin a business. But hockey still called, and Schnobrich offered his services as a volunteer to Glen Gilderman, a former PHS classmate and head coach of the Proctor-Hermantown-Marshall Mirage girls team. Gilderman recommended him to boys head coach Jeff Gunderson and Schnobrich served four years as Gunderson’s assistant. With Gunderson’s retirement after the 2007 season, Schnobrich was named the new head coach of the Rails.

“I’m really excited to be in charge, and I have some things I plan to add to our program,” said Schnobrich, “ but I’m not going to change the basic hard-working style of play we’ve developed under Jeff (Gunderson).”

“You don’t reinvent the wheel.”

In contrast, Masterson has coached at various levels since his high school days. Currently a 7th grade math educator in his fourth year of teaching at Proctor, Masterson played at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before spending a brief time as head golf coach at Andover High School after collegiate graduation. Masterson then returned to PHS to coach the 7th and 8th grade basketball team, eventually becoming a three-year assistant to former Rails varsity head coach Derek Parendo. Masterson assumed the head coaching duties upon Parendo’s retirement after last season. Like Schnobrich, Masterson vows to add things while continuing the basic style of play developed by his predecessor.

“I like what Derek has built so I’m not going change a lot,” Masterson promises. “But we are going to shift to more of an inside game to take advantage of the height of players like Andrea (McKay) and Valissa (Olson). Also, we’re going to press a little more on defense.”

Both Schnobrich and Masterson have enjoyed their first win as head coach. To their collective delight, both wins came in grand fashion over local Duluth teams in front of the home crowd. The boys hockey team beat Central 7-2 on Thurs., Dec. 6, while girls basketball dominated Denfeld 56-40 in a Sat., Dec. 8 competition

The step from assistant to head coach is a big one, as both Schnobrich and Masterson have found out this season. Now, suddenly all aspects of the program are your responsibility, instead of merely a smaller portion of the overall product. Plus the administrative duties such as working with activities director Rory Johnson on matters like scheduling and transportation—not to mention having to field questions from local newspaper sports journalists when you were just getting ready to watch The Minnesota Wild on television, for example.

“I’m realizing this is a big responsibility,” admits Schnobrich. “There is more involved to this job than simply hockey.”

Masterson agrees.

“It’s a bigger commitment time-wise. There is a lot more behind the scenes work than most people realize. [Laughing.] Now, its me that Rory is looking for when he walks into the gym.”