Owatonna Huskies Announce New Varsity Coaches

For the third time in the last week, the Owatonna High School Activities Department announces a new head varsity coach for the Huskies. Debby Gleason is the new girls track and field coach. Kari Opatz becomes the new head coach for girls golf. Dave Fromm was introduced as the new boys hockey coach.

Gleason and Opatz both have extensive experience with the programs they are taking over. Gleason "served as the Kids First/Middle School head (track) coach from 2016-19, as well as serving as the high school boys and girls high jump coach in 2020-21," according to a press release from Activities Director Marc Achterkirch.

Opatz was "a varsity assistant girls golf coach for the Huskies during the 2021 season, as well as serving as Owatonna Middle School/Kid's First girls head basketball coach the past two seasons. Coach Opatz also served as a swing coach for the Eastview High School varsity and JV golf teams during the 2019 season," states a news release.

Opatz was a Division I golfer for the University of Montana and earning All-Conference honors with Division II Concordia of St. Paul. Gleason was a three-time NCAA Division II national high jump champ and six-time NCAA All-America competitor with Augustana College.

Fromm played high school hockey at Minneapolis Roosevelt and coached at Minneapolis South before spending the last decade with a AAA hockey program in Colorado.

Gleason has an Exercise Science Degree with a Sports Management minor from Augustana. Opatz has a B.A. in Psychology and M. Ed. in Elementary Education from the University of Montana and is a first grade teacher at Owatonna's Lincoln School. Fromm has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato.