Coaching Tree: Maps the relationships between a head coach and their former assistants or players who later became head coaches themselves. It’s similar to a family tree but applied to coaching..
Dickinson State University Athletics is featuring a series highlighting current coaches around the nation who were mentored and influenced by Hank Biesiot and Pete Stanton. As part of the research for the 100 Years of DSU Football book coming out this summer, students in Dr. Dragseth’s Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program class interviewed more than 30 coaches who are “branches” of the Blue Hawk coaching tree.
Duane “Doc” Monlux’s Journey from Player to Coach
The Dickinson State Coaching Tree: Duane “Doc” Monlux’s Journey from Player to Coach
Duane “Doc” Monlux is a former Blue Hawk who has built a remarkable coaching career in collegiate baseball. His journey from DSU quarterback to a successful head baseball coach is rooted in the lessons he learned under both Hank Biesiot and Pete Stanton.
Monlux played football at DSU from 1993–1997 under Coach Biesiot, graduating in the spring of 1999. Later, he returned to DSU as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach from the fall of 2002 to the fall of 2010 before taking over the baseball program at Bellevue University, where he has been coaching since.
Reflecting on his time at DSU, Monlux credits both Biesiot and Stanton for instilling values of character, grace, and humility. "I couldn’t have learned from two better coaches. I try to instill those same values in the teams I coach today. Win with humility, accept defeat with dignity, and compete with class."
Every great coach has their signature sayings, and Coach Biesiot was no exception. Monlux fondly recalls a few phrases that are ingrained in every DSU football alum's memory:
"110 degrees in Spearfish!" – A staple during grueling two-a-day practices, reminding players of their annual season opener against Black Hills State.
"Chopped steak or less!" – A nod to Biesiot's love for Bonanza restaurants, where he apparently knew the location of every franchise in the tri-state area.
"Don’t be outhustled, don’t be outhit, poise, poise, poise, four quarters, four quarters!" – A battle cry before every game.
Monlux has adapted these phrases in his own coaching. When facing adverse weather conditions, he tweaks them to fit the moment, telling his players, “15 degrees in Mayville” or “110 degrees in Madison.”
Monlux shared one fond memory of his former coach. “I distinctly remember one incident when we were practicing in late fall. As many know, Coach Biesiot enjoys bird hunting in the fall. On this particular day, he happened to be wearing his green waterproof hunting coat because it was a really windy, rainy day at practice.
“We were going through perimeter, which was our passing game portion of practice. I wasn’t exactly known for my stellar passing ability as a quarterback. I was definitely a running QB. I was rolling out for a pass, and I threw what might have been the ugliest pass in the history of college football – it was going end-over-end and any other bad rotation of a football you could possibly think of. It was clearly a ‘wounded duck’ pass.
“Well, after seeing that pass, Coach Biesiot pulled out a duck call from his hunting jacket pocket. With a giant grin, he blew into his duck call for everyone to hear. Everybody started busting out laughing, me included.”
Beyond the humor, the impact of Biesiot and Stanton on Monlux was profound. "I always knew I wanted to coach, but their influence solidified it," Monlux said. "I hope they see in me the same principles they preached: preparation, playing the game the right way, and leading with character."
If Coach Biesiot or Stanton were to watch Monlux coach today, he hopes they would see that his teams are prepared and that they play the game the right way – meaning they play hard, with class and dignity, and hold themselves and their teammates to high character standards in both victory and defeat.
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Interviewed by: Tia Madrigga
Written by: Debora Dragseth, Baker Boy Professor of Leadership
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