Originally from Rockford, Illinois, Mintz came to Bethany as a high school senior in 1945. He attended Bethany Lutheran College from 1946-48. Mintz, an outstanding pitcher, signed a professional baseball contract with the Cardinals and played in the 1947 season with their farm club in St. Joseph, Missouri. He also played in the Dodger organization. Mintz came back to Bethany in 1952 as the Vikings basketball and baseball coach. He also served as the school’s athletic director.
From 1952-62, Mintz basketball teams posted a 166-81 record. His squads won six consecutive Southern Division titles, and three of those season (1959, ’61, ’62) the Vikings participated in the NJCAA National Tournament. Mintz’s 1959 team still holds the Bethany record for the highest-ever finish in a national tournament when it took second place. Mintz was NJCAA Region XIII Coach of the Year in 1959, ’61, and ’61. A highlight of Mintz’s baseball coaching career came in 1954 when in one game he had five consecutive players hit home runs.
After Bethany, Mintz coached for 27 years at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin. In 1965, he was named NAIA District Hall of Fame. Mintz retired from coaching in 1985 with a total of 551 wins.
Dr. Mintz and his wife, Ruth, still live in Menomonie, Wisconsin.
