BeyerEdFargo (CSi) Eddie Beyer the legendary North Dakota high school basketball coach passed away in a Fargo hospital Sunday night. He was 77.

Beyer’s daughter, Tammy Nelson, said her father had struggled with his health in recent years.

Beyer coached the Hillsboro High School boys basketball team for 37 years, retiring after the 1997 season. He had a 688-195 won-loss mark at Hillsboro, a state record for boys basketball coaching wins that only recently was broken by Dan Carr of Linton.

Beyer’s teams won Class B state basketball titles in 1973-74, 1977 and 1981, the latter team going 26-0. His Burros teams qualified for 13 Class B state tournaments and won 19 Red River Valley Conference championships.

He came to Hillsboro in 1960 after graduating from Concordia College, where he earned a total of 11 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball.

In addition to basketball, Beyer led Hillsboro baseball teams to the 1962 North Dakota American Legion state title and the Burros to Class B state high school championships in 1967-68.

He is a member of the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, the North Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.