If you’ve spent any time around football in Bismarck, North Dakota, you know the name Myron Schulz. For those of us lucky enough to wear the orange and blue and call ourselves UMary Marauders, he wasn't just our coach—he was the architect of a culture.
With Coach Schulz officially retiring earlier this year on January 2, 2026, marking the end of a nearly 40-year career in athletics and education, it's the perfect time to reflect on a man who didn't just reach the top of his craft, but never stopped learning once he got there.
Coach Schulz’s story is a Bismarck story through and through. Growing up less than a mile from the Bismarck State College (BSC) campus, hanging out at the Armory, and graduating from Century High School in 1983, he is the definition of home-grown talent.
He didn't just stay in his hometown; he elevated it. After playing football and baseball for the BSC Mystics, he transferred to UMary, graduating in 1987. From there, he embarked on a journey that would inextricably link his name with North Dakota collegiate athletics forever.
When we talk about his time at the University of Mary, the numbers speak for themselves, but they only tell half the story.
"Coach Schulz didn't just teach us how to beat the opponent across the line of scrimmage; he taught us how to out-prepare them, out-study them, and out-work them."
What truly made Coach Schulz a master of his craft was his coaching tree. You don't produce coaches like current Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki or Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams by accident. You do it by fostering an environment of innovation.
The defining trait of Coach Schulz’s career is his identity as a lifelong learner. He never rested on his laurels. After his early days at UMary, he left to coach at New Rockford, ND, and then pushed himself to earn a master’s degree as a graduate assistant at Montana State University. He was constantly evolving.
When his 15-year run as our head coach came to an end following the 2013 season, he didn’t walk away from the campus he helped build. Instead, he channeled his passion for education, staying at UMary for eight more years as a professor and the Program Director for the Sport and Leisure Management program. He transitioned seamlessly from developing athletes on the field to developing professionals in the classroom.
In August 2021, Coach Schulz took on a new challenge, returning to his roots as the Director of Athletics at his alma mater, Bismarck State College. In just over four years, he completely reshaped the future of BSC athletics.
His transformational work at BSC included:
From a kid hanging around the BSC Armory, to a 2018 UMary Hall of Fame inductee, to the visionary Athletic Director who brought four-year athletics to BSC, Myron Schulz is on the Mount Rushmore of North Dakota sports figures.
To the man who pushed us to be better players, sharper students, and finer men: enjoy your well-deserved retirement, Coach. Your legacy is built into the turf at UMary, the foundation of the new Bavendick Center, and the character of every player lucky enough to call you "Coach."