Becker High School dedicates new football stadium to longtime head coach, Dwight Lundeen

BECKER, Minn. -- The first home football game this season for the Becker Bulldogs is a special one. The team played in a brand new stadium with turf and a new digital scoreboard that is named after their longtime head coach, Dwight Lundeen.

Coach Lundeen just started his 54th season with the Bulldogs. He started the football program in 1970 when he was only 22 years old.

"I haven't missed a practice or a game in 54 years which is kind of incredible," said Lundeen.

In his time, Coach Lundeen took the Bulldogs to 18 state tournament appearances and brought home three state titles, but success isn't what keeps him here as head coach all these years.

"I learned very early to separate my goal from my purpose. My goal is to win every game, and that's not possible, but my purpose is to impact young people and to have a culture where they can grow to be men, that'll be better husbands, better fathers, be active in their community," said Lundeen.

When one man has impacted the lives of three generations of football players at one high school, it's only fitting the newly renovated stadium is named in his honor.

"I did get very emotional, I really did. I didn't think that would be a big thing, but it was," said Lundeen, fighting back tears.

This is the 3rd stadium that Lundeen has coached in and he has no plans to retire anytime soon.

"If don't look forward to practice, that's maybe a time to say - 'Hey, it's time to get out,' but I don't see that in the near future, and I'm just taking it one day at a time and one year at a time and we'll see what happens," said Lundeen.

Lundeen also is an assistant coach for the girls' lacrosse team.

He started at Becker High School as a physical education teacher in 1969.