Championship Coach, Beloved Teacher: The Lasting Legacy of Roger Haug

At the University of Mary, some names show up in box scores. Others show up on transcripts. Roger Haug is one of the rare few whose name lives on in both.

Head coach of the 2000 NAIA women’s basketball national championship team and a long-time mathematics instructor, Haug made an indelible impact on generations of Marauders—on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.

From Dickinson to Bismarck: A Coach and Teacher Takes Root

A native of Dickinson, North Dakota, Haug arrived at the University of Mary in 1987 after a highly successful run at St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck, where he served as an associate head football coach and math instructor.

At Mary, his impact was immediate and wide-ranging:

• Joined the Marauders football program and spent 12 years on staff
• Served as defensive coordinator, then offensive coordinator, and later defensive line coach under Tom Shea and current UMary Athletic Director Dale Lennon

Even as he dove into college football, another opportunity soon called.

On the Hardwood: From Top Assistant to Program Architect

In 1988, Haug joined the University of Mary men’s basketball team as associate head coach and top assistant to legendary coach Al Bortke. That experience on the men’s side prepared him for the role that would define his coaching legacy.

In 1990, Haug took over the women’s basketball program—and everything changed.

• In his very first season, he led the Marauders to a subdistrict title.
• By 1994, Mary had claimed its first North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) championship and earned a trip to the NAIA national tournament.

Under Haug, the Marauders became a dominant NAIA power:

• 7 conference titles between the NDCAC and Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC)
• 6 appearances in the NAIA national tournament

What began as a strong program soon grew into one of the most respected small-college women’s basketball programs in the country.

2000: A National Championship Season

The pinnacle of Haug’s coaching career—and one of the most significant moments in University of Mary athletic history—came in 2000.

That year, he led the Marauders to the NAIA national championship, securing:

• The only team national title in the University of Mary’s history in any sport

It was more than a banner season. It was the culmination of years of culture-building, player development, and uncompromising standards—both on and off the court.

After guiding the Marauders back to the NAIA quarterfinals in 2003, Haug retired from college coaching with an astounding career record:

• 233–119 (.662) over 13 seasons

Even in retirement from the college sidelines, he continued to coach high school sports, investing in young athletes until his passing.

A Master Teacher: Impact Beyond the Gym

When health challenges forced Haug to step away from collegiate coaching, he didn’t leave Mary. He returned full-time to what he had always been: a teacher.

• Continued to teach mathematics at the University of Mary until 2015
• Was honored with the title of Professor Emeritus
• Received the Outstanding Faculty Award in 1989 and 1996
• Honored with the Regent’s Award for teaching faculty in 1999

Even off the bench, he stayed close to the game:

• Maintained the Marauders women’s basketball scorebook for several years
• Recognized by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with the Noel Olson Award, among numerous other honors
• Continued to teach and coach at St. Mary’s Central High School, returning to the roots of his vocation

For countless students, Fr. Haug (as many affectionately nicknamed him in spirit, if not in title) was the rare professor who could help you understand calculus one hour and then be diagramming inbounds plays the next.

A Hall of Famer, Husband, and Father

In 1999, before his national championship season, Haug was inducted into the Marauders Hall of Fame—a fitting recognition of a man whose influence stretched across multiple sports and decades.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Haug’s most important roles were at home. He and his wife Sue raised four children:

• Michael
• Craig
• Pat
• Michele

The same patience, discipline, and care he showed his players and students were the hallmarks of his life as a husband and father.

Why Roger Haug’s Legacy Endures

For alumni, former players, and current students, Roger Haug represents the very best of what the University of Mary strives to be:

• Excellence in competition, crowned by a national title
• Excellence in the classroom, recognized through multiple teaching awards
• Excellence in character, shown in a lifetime of service and mentorship

The banners may hang in the rafters, the records may sit in media guides, but Haug’s greatest legacy lives on in the people he coached and taught—Marauders who carry his influence into their own families, careers, and communities.