Tony Fritz was named head coach of the Sioux Falls Skyforce on June 9, 2009. He became the thirteenth head coach in franchise history after serving as an assistant coach the past two seasons under Nate Tibbetts.

During the past two seasons as an assistant coach, Fritz helped guide the Skyforce to a regular season record of 53-47 (.530) and a trip to the league semifinals in 2007-08. He is credited with helping two players (six call-ups) reach the NBA and also assisted in the development of four NBA assigned players.

Fritz was originally hired as a coaching intern for the Yakima Sun Kings when former Skyforce assistant/head coach Paul Woolpert took over as head coach 32 games into the 1997-98 season. He was promoted to assistant coach the following season and remained on staff until the franchise was forced to shut down when the CBA ceased operations in February of 2001. The franchise returned for the 2002-03 season after a one-year hiatus and Fritz was hired to serve as the assistant coach for Bill Bayno. After teaching and coaching high school basketball for two seasons Fritz was reunited with Coach Woolpert in Yakima from 2005-07. He has been on the bench for four (‘00, ‘03, ‘06, ‘07) of the franchise’s five CBA championships.

In his CBA coaching career Fritz has coached several players that went on to the NBA including: Raja Bell, Mitchell Butler, Anthony Carter, Tremaine Fowlkes, Anthony Goldwire, Art Long, Anthony Miller, Darrick Martin and Ronny Turiaf.

A graduate of Central Washington University and West Valley High School, the 34-year-old Fritz resides in Yakima with his wife Cindy.

Minor league coaching veteran Duane Ticknor enters his first season as an assistant coach for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He comes to Sioux Falls after serving as head coach of the Dakota Wizards the past two seasons.

Ticknor guided the Wizards to the postseason in each of his two seasons at the helm and his 2007-08 squad finished 29-21 to win the Central Division crown. This past season the Wizards defeated the Central Division champion Iowa Energy in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Utah Flash in the league semifinals.

Ticknor spent time in the CBA as head coach of the Gary Steelheads (2002-05) and as an assistant coach of the Rapid City Thrillers (1989-92). The Vermillion, S.D. native was also the head coach for three IBA teams: Black Hills Posse (1995-99), Dakota Wizards (1999-00) and Siouxland Bombers (2000-01). The four-time Coach of the Year (‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘00) advanced to the IBA Finals three times and won the championship in 1997.

In addition to his professional experience, Ticknor also coached at the collegiate level. He compiled a regular season record of 139-66 in six seasons as head men’s basketball coach at National American University in Rapid City, S.D. He was inducted into the Rapid City Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 after his team advanced to the national tournament four times and won back-to-back national championships in 1987 and 1988.

Duane and his wife, Mary, reside in Chicago.

Tanner Bronson returns as an assistant coach this season after serving as basketball operations/coaching intern for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in 2008-09. This season marks his second in the coaching industry following a four-year playing career at the University of Wisconsin.

Bronson was a three-year starter at Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wis. and was named first team all-conference his senior season. He actually served as a student manager for the Badgers men’s basketball team his freshman year before joining the team as a walk-on for the 2004-05 season. His hard work and determination paid off as he earned a scholarship the following season. Bronson appeared in a career-high 21 games, including five Big Ten contests as a senior on a team that won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. He graduated in May of 2008 with a degree in Consumer Science.