MEN'S BASKETBALL: Ed Kohtala Resigns As Head Basketball Coach
Alma, Mi- Today Alma College loses one of its finest people and a valued member of its Athletics Staff as the Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Ed Kohtala, officially resigned to take a position as an Assistant Coach under newly hired Head Coach, Matt Brown, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Kohtala worked with Brown when they both served under Billy Donavan at the University of Florida.
Coach Kohtala joined the Alma College family in 2001 when he was named the 23rd men’s basketball coach. During his six seasons as head coach, Kohtala took a basketball program that was down and made it competitive again by instilling his work ethic and values into players he recruited to not only be valuable to the Scots on the court, but in every facet of the college community.
Coach Kohtala came to Alma after spending three seasons with the University of Texas men's basketball program as an assistant. While at Texas, Kohtala helped lead the
Longhorns to a 68-31 (.687) overall record, which included three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2000, 2001). The Longhorns finished the 2000-01 campaign ranked 18th nationally, compiling a 25-9 overall record.
Prior to his stint at Texas, Kohtala spent one season as an assistant at Clemson (1997-98). He earned his first collegiate coaching job in 1996-97 as a graduate assistant at Florida under head coach Billy Donovan.
Kohtala began his coaching career in 1984-85 as head basketball coach and teacher at St. 
Edward's School in Vero Beach, Fla. After completing four seasons at St. Edward's, he was an assistant coach for five years at Vero Beach High School. He also served as head coach at Rabun-Gap Nacoochee High School in Rabun-Gap, Ga. for three years.
Kohtala, a native of Vienna, Maine, graduated from Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, Maine. He went on to earn his bachelor's degree in secondary education from the University of Maine in 1981.
As Kohtala heads to Kansas City to become a Kangaroo, he will be taking with him three of the Scots most loyal fans in his wife, Angie, and their two daughters Camille and Katherine – who both were babes in Maroon and Cream and both at one time or another tried to crawl out onto the floor of Cappaert Gymnasium to join the action.
During his six seasons with the Scots, Kohtala coached six all conference players and an
MIAA Scoring Leader, along with many other hard working athletes who excelled on the court and in the classroom under his guidance.
Coach Kohtala has done at Alma College what every coach hopes; he leaves with the program in better condition than it was when he took it over. He also leaves behind a legacy that a basketball program should be made up of young men of character and integrity as much as talent and skill, and he will be a constant reminder that an open door policy, a hand shake, and a look in the eye can make just as big of an impression on a player than any amount of yelling or screaming ever could have.
The Alma College Faculty and Staff wish Coach Kohtala and his family all the best in their newest adventure.
Posted: Mon, June 25th, 2007 at 3:10PM
