Dan Stifter attended Winsted Holy Trinity High School in Winsted, Minnesota and participated in Football and Wrestling. Dan was All-Conference in Football, a two-time Conference and District Wrestling Champion, and a two-time State Qualifier. He accumulated 88 wins for two great wrestling coaches – Gary Nelson and Kevin Sterner. Dan enrolled at U of M, Morris, where he had the privilege of wrestling for three more outstanding coaches – Craig Olson, Steve Carr, and Spencer Yohe. Dan won 80 matches at UMM and was a Conference Champ as well as an NAIA All-American.

Dan’s first teaching and coaching position was with the Hancock Owls, with a stop at Ellsworth, South Dakota, before landing at Aitkin High School, where he taught Social Studies and served as assistant wrestling coach to the great Noel Bailey for a year before joining forces and becoming a Co-Head Wrestling Coach with Noel. When Coach Bailey retired, Dan became Aitkin’s solo head wrestling coach.

During Dan’s tenure, the Aitkin Grappling Gobblers won 14 Conference Titles in 15 years and qualified for the State Wrestling Tournament three times. Dan was honored as the Great River Conference Coach of the Year three times and Section 7 Coach of the Year four times. In 2002, Dan Stifter was recognized as Aitkin’s Teacher of the Year. In 2009, Dan transitioned to the role of Athletic Director and Dean of Students at Aitkin. After accepting principal positions at Menahga and Pierz, Dan came back to Aitkin and took over as Superintendent for Aitkin Schools, where he hopes to remain until retirement.