Aug. 13, 2020

A Sioux City native whose career has taken him to country clubs nationwide will be the new general manager of Minnehaha Country Club.

Bret Coad will begin his role this fall, taking over for Ted Thie, who is retiring after 18 years managing the club.

Coad has spent the past six years as general manager of the Long Beach Yacht Club in California, a 1,200-member waterfront club that promotes yachting and hosts a signature regatta event. He and his wife, Michaela, have been looking to move their young family closer to home and are thrilled with the opportunity, he said.

“For us, it was sort of a dream come true,” he said. “It’s always been on our radar to find an opportunity to come home, and this one couldn’t have been a better opportunity. It’s such a phenomenal club, and to have the ability to bring the family home and work for a really premier operation, there just aren’t that many around in the area. I was really impressed with both the golf course and the clubhouse, and all the facilities were in amazing condition.”

Minnehaha Country Club has been extensively renovated and expanded in the past few years. It’s going on year three of a five-year agreement to host the Sanford International golf tournament this September.

The club has approximately 700 households as members, Coad said.

“At this point, my understanding is there is still a wait list for membership,” he said. “Club leadership and current leadership should really be commended on that. That’s not a small feat. There are so many little things that have to be done every day to create that environment. I’m pleased to have been invited to pick up the torch.”

He said he consistently looks for opportunities to improve.

“If you’re not looking for those opportunities, you’re just sliding backwards, so that’s a bit of my style – never really resting on our accomplishments and looking at what are we going to do next, how are we going to continue to make it exciting and engaging for the membership.”

Coad has built his career in the industry after being inspired to enter it while a student studying hotel and restaurant management at Iowa State University. He has worked in well-known clubs such as Meridian Hills in the Indianapolis area and Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Coad’s hiring is the result of an eight-month national search. He begins Oct. 12 and will transition with Thie.

“I just can’t underscore enough how excited we are to get back to the Midwest culture we grew up in,” he said. “I look forward to getting involved in the community, and I think we’ll have a whole lot of fun.”