In his first season as North Dakota State men's golf head coach, Dr. Ekren Miller led the Bison to three victories, including a Summit League Championship title, along with a trip to the NCAA Regional Championships. He was subsequently named the Summit League Men's Golf Coach of the Year for the 2025-26.

Miller took over the program on July 16, 2025 after 15 seasons as the head men’s golf coach at Bemidji State. In his first two tournaments leading the Bison, NDSU claimed team tournament titles at the Metropolis Intercollegiate in White Plains, New York and the Bluejay Invitational in Omaha, Nebraska. The Bison would go on to secure seven top-four finishes, including a pair of runner-ups before closing out the season with the program's second-ever Summit League Championship title in Meza, Arizona.

In his first season with the Bison, Miller guided Rylin Petry to All-Summit League First Team honors, while Jake Skarperud earned All-Summit League Second Team honors. Freshman Carter White was also named to the Summit League All-Freshman Team and the three Bison golfers combined to claim four Summit League Peak Golfer of the Week honors.

Miller, who led Bemidji State to three NSIC championships as a student-athlete from 1998-01, returned to his alma mater in August of 2010 and elevated the program back to the top of the Northern Sun during his 15-year tenure with the Beavers. In 2023, Miller guided the Beavers to their first NSIC Tournament title in more than 20 years, with Bemidji State last winning the title when Miller was a member of the team in 2000.

Over his final six NSIC men’s golf championships with BSU, Miller guided the Beavers to five top-three finishes, including a second in 2021, along with the title in 2023. Overall, Bemidji State finished in the top four in nine of the 14 championships under Miller's watch and in each of the last seven seasons.

Miller guided Bemidji State to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012, 2021 and 2023. He was named the NSIC Coach of the Year in 2023 and coached Chris Swenson to an individual NSIC championship in 2021 and Logan Schoepp in 2025.

Over his 15 seasons in Bemidji, Miller mentored Beavers student-athletes to 21 All-NSIC accolades, with at least one each season. Rylin Petry, who later transferred to NDSU, was named the program’s first PING/Golf Coach Association of America (GCAA) NCAA Division II All-Central Region selection in 2023. More than 30 Beavers student-athletes were selected to Academic All-NSIC teams. Miller also set another first with Bemidji State recording eight Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar honorees during his tenure.

Miller has also served as the NCAA site representative for the NCAA Division II Central/Midwest Regional and the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2025 at PGA National.

Prior to taking over the reins at Bemidji State, Miller spent seven years in golf course operations at Bemidji Town and Country Club. Miller also spent four years (2004-08) in the People’s Republic of China teaching oral English and business writing at Hengyang Normal University, Hunan Province. As a university instructor, he designed a curriculum for more than 200 Chinese students each semester, served as a tutor, implemented a personal fund-raising plan, and worked with Chinese administration. Following his time in China, Miller returned to Bemidji and acted as the business manager for the Sen Lin Hu Chinese Immersion Camp at Concordia Language Village where he managed the village store and gift shop, coordinated transportation, taught Mandarin Chinese to children from the age of eight to 17 and oversaw the expenditures of the village.

Miller graduated magna cum laude from BSU in 2003 with Bachelor of Art degrees in both Philosophy and Spanish. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College in 2007 and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2024. He is married to the former Kari Kantack.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Men's Golf versus America Needs Farmers Fall Classic on Sep 8, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Golf versus America Needs Farmers Fall Classic on Sep 9, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Golf versus Wildcat Invitational on Sep 14, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Golf versus Wildcat Invitational on Sep 15, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Golf versus Badger Invitational on Sep 27, 2026

Results

Completed Event: Men's Golf versus NCAA Marana Regional on May 20, 2026 , , 14th of 14

Completed Event: Men's Golf versus NCAA Marana Regional on May 19, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Men's Golf versus NCAA Marana Regional on May 18, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Men's Golf versus Summit League Championship on May 5, 2026 , , 1st of 9

Completed Event: Men's Golf versus Summit League Championship on May 4, 2026 ,

2026-27 Men's Golf Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff

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