SMSU
Baseball and Football
1978-1982
Curt Strasheim has seen Southwest State football from almost every angle, as a player, an assistant coach and now head coach. A native of Granite Falls, Minn., Strasheim graduated from Granite Falls High School before starting his athletic career at Southwest State. Strasheim was a two-sport standout for the Mustangs, starring at both football and baseball. He was honored as a two-time NAIA All-American Honorable Mention selection at quarterback in 1980 and 1981, becoming the first SSU football player to earn two-time All-American status. He helped guide the Mustangs to a 6-4 record in 1981, the first winning football season in SSU history. He finished his career passing for nearly 6,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. Strasheim was a two-time All-NIC selection (1980 and 1981) and was named league NIC MVP following the 1981 season. He ranks fifth in school history in both total passing yards (5,837) and touchdown passes (29). Strasheim still owns two single-game NSIC records, completions (39) and passing attempts (67), and also remains in the top 10 in conference career total offense (6th - 4,848 yards) and passing yardage (5th - 4,504 in 30 games). On the baseball diamond, Strasheim was a three-time All-NIC pick (1980, 1981 and 1982) and was also a two-time NAIA All-District 13 selection (1980 and 1981). He still holds the school record for highest batting average in a season, hitting .462 in 1981. He also
ranks among the top 10 at SSU in career statistics for hits, batting averaging and stolen bases. Following his collegiate playing days, Strasheim finished his bachelor’s degree in Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services with a minor in Psychology from Mankato State in 1984. He received his master’s degree in Athletic Administration from South Dakota State in 1990. Strasheim began his coaching career at Southwest in 1982, under Mustang head coach Gary Buer, as the team’s quarterbacks coach. After leaving the coaching ranks for a short time, Strasheim returned to the field as quarterbacks coach at South Dakota State University from 1988-1989. He then moved to Millersville University (Penn.), where he spent the 1990-1992 seasons as offensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator. Strasheim moved closer to home in 1993, where he was offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Stout from 1993-1995. In 1996, he moved to the NCAA Division I-AA ranks where he spent three seasons as running backs coach at Western Illinois University. During his stint at WIU, he coached three 1,000-yard rushers, his teams made three NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances and were the winningest I-AA program in the nation from 1996-1998. Introduced as the school’s eighth head coach on January 29, 2000, he literally became the blast from the Mustang past and one of the most heralded football players in SSU history to hold the head coaching post. Strasheim and his wife, Sheri, live in the Marshall area.