Eagan coach charged with stealing nearly $30,000
Eagan coach Kurt Virgin was charged May 9 with felony theft by swindle for allegedly pocketing nearly $30,000 while overseeing youth sporting accounts in School District 196. - File photo
Eagan High School’s first basketball and soccer coach faces felony theft charges following a police investigation into the financial management of youth sports camps he operated.
Kurt Bruce Virgin, 60, was charged by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office on May 9 with six counts of felony theft by swindle by aggregating. He is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. June 11 in Hastings.
The criminal complaint alleges that between April 2009 and December 2011, Virigin took $29,184.42 from accounts belonging to several youth sports camps and teams.
During his time with the Rosemount-Eagan-Apple Valley School District, the coach had some discretion in compensation for his services and how participants registered for the events.
Virgin was given the choice to either run the camps separately or within the school district operations.
He allegedly chose to do both, which enabled him to accept checks made payable to him and avoid paying rental fees.
Instead of allocating the money to the basketball and soccer camps, Virgin allegedly pocketed $16,595.42, while also receiving a salary from the district.
Virgin also oversaw fundraising efforts for Eagan’s boys basketball teams. While directing those efforts, Virgin allegedly pocketed $12,589.
A district administrator notified police after discovering money was missing and that Virgin had used both methods of running the camp.
Virgin was placed on administrative leave Nov. 21, and Rosemount resident Mike Sullivan, Eagan High School’s junior varsity coach, was elevated to interim head coach.
Virgin retired Jan. 9.
Longtime coach
Virgin is a 1970 graduate of South St. Paul, where he played basketball, in addition to playing at St. Cloud State University.
He began his coaching career at Claremont High School (now Triton) in 1978, coaching the football and boys basketball teams for five years.
Next was a move to Apple Valley where he coached girls basketball and soccer for eight seasons, establishing the Eagles soccer program as a power in the mid-1980s.
Virgin started the boys soccer and basketball programs when Eagan High School opened in 1990.
Virgin is the only Minnesota varsity boys coach to earn more than 400 wins in both soccer and basketball, according to the school.
He reached the 400-win mark in soccer in October 2008 when he was already at 441 wins in basketball.
