The Ferris State Bulldogs men's basketball team won their first ever NCAA Division II National Championship 71-69, over Northern State in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Saturday.
It was a historic moment for the program, and surely a moment none of the players on the team will ever forget. But none of that is important right now because head coach Andy Bronkema's beard is glorious.
When your head basketball coach is also the progressive music professor pic.twitter.com/ftrrzcCOYg
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) March 24, 2018
The first truly millennial coach pic.twitter.com/YRmv9aK08Y
— Chex Rapman (@jakewhitacre) March 24, 2018
Shoutout this beard pic.twitter.com/xT0DVslLyx
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) March 24, 2018
Ferris State coach, Andy Bronkema, led his team to the Div 2 title but the beard is D-1 all the way. @FerrisMBBALL @CBSSports @NCAA pic.twitter.com/PedfJLnOUH
— Douglas Adams (@Dadams727) March 24, 2018
Bronkema was hired to be Ferris State's coach in June 2013. He led the Bulldogs to a 38-1 record (19-1 GLIAC), and ended the season with 26 consecutive wins.
"I've been dreaming about this kind of stuff since I was young," he told CBS moments following the final buzzer, while confetti was still falling.
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But even through the groundbreaking achievement and childhood-dream fulfillment, Bronkema's beard stole the show with Twitter users.
Best coach beard in the business!! #ferrisstate #nationalchamps pic.twitter.com/QfUo3TgLqB
— Shad Stanley (@SHAD1KU) March 24, 2018
I’m trying to get my beard just like the coach on Ferris State!
— Marcus Curry 🐻 (@MarcusDC64) March 24, 2018
Ferris State's coach looks like he should be running an artisanal beard cream store in Park Slope
— Andy (@skurnie) March 24, 2018
It'd be a little absurd to suggest that this accomplishment by Bronkema and Ferris State would be diminished without the coach's luscious facial hair. Just look at how excited the team was after Northern State missed the potential game-winner.
.@FerrisMBBALL claims their 1st EVER NCAA Division II National Championship. pic.twitter.com/71OS2JaWep
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 24, 2018
However, it would be negligent not to consider it, even a little bit.