Duane Ticknor

Dakota Wizards Head Coach

The South Dakota native has qualified for the postseason in seven of his eight seasons as a professional head coach, including winning one championship (1996-97 IBA), while making it to the finals three times.  Ticknor has compiled a professional coaching record of 196-122 and was elected to the Rapid City Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.

Ticknor roamed the sidelines for the Wizards during the 1999 – 2000 IBA season, and led Dakota to a league high 30 – 6 regular season record, while receiving IBA Coach of the Year honors. The four-time IBA Coach of the Year (1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000) and the winningest coach in IBA history left Bismarck after one season to coach the Siouxland Bombers of the IBA.  Ironically, after leaving the Wizards, Ticknor turned the coaching reigns over to his assistant coach Dave Joerger, who recently joined the Memphis Grizzlies and whom Ticknor is now replacing on the Wizards bench.

Most recently Ticknor served as head coach and athletic director at Marquette Catholic High School in Michigan City, Indiana and helped lead them to their first winning season in seven years, while also being the president of the Northland Conference.  Prior to his stint at Marquette Catholic High School, Ticknor spent the better part of three seasons (2002-2005) as the head coach of the Gary Steelheads (CBA).  He compiled a 64-60 mark at Gary and turned them into a playoff team in 2003-04, setting an all-time team record for regular season wins at 27 and the first playoff berth in club history. Mid-way through the 2004-05 season, Ticknor resigned from the Steelheads due to health concerns and was later diagnosed with diabetes.

Ticknor is married to his wife Mary and resides outside of Chicago during the off season.

Dean Martin

Dakota Wizards Assistant Coach

With nearly 20 years of coaching experience, Martin is a veteran in the college ranks, but has recently worked the NBA Development League Pre-draft Camp in Dallas and assisted the Milwaukee Bucks throughout the summer at their mini camps. Martin has also worked extensively with NBA scouting director Marty Blake and coached professionally in Sweden. A 1987 graduate of Central Missouri State, Martin has served as an assistant coach at Saint Louis University, University of Tennessee-Martin and University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

During his stint as an assistant coach at SLU and UNLV, Martin had hands on action developing future NBA players such as Larry Hughes (1998 first round draft pick, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers), Marcus Banks (2003 first round draft pick, now with the Phoenix Suns) and former D-Leaguer Louis Amundson, who is currently with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Martin is Single and resides in Las Vegas during the off season.