Jim Kampen - Inducted 2012
Kampen helped Corona to two straight appearances in the state Class B basketball championship game, then went on to star at Northern State, where he finished second in career scoring with 1,206 points.
He played for his dad, Gunder, at Corona. In one of the state’s most famous games, the Midgets lost to Canistota 49-47 in overtime in the 1958 final.
At Northern, the 6-foot-1 Kampen was two-time all-conference (1962 and ’63) and led the Wolves to three South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference titles. He scored a school-record 44 points against General Beadle (now Dakota State) in January 1962.
He also was a standout cross country runner, both at Corona and Northern. In 1958, he was the runner-up in the state high school meet – then a one-class event. As a sophomore at Northern, the Wolves competed in four meets, and he won all four.
Kampen spent most of his college coaching career at South Dakota School of Mines. He coached the Mines basketball team from 1967-1972 and again from 1978-1986. During his 13 seasons at Mines he guided the Hardrockers to three South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference championships and to an overall record of 178-168. His final three seasons produced a record of 59-26, the best three-year stretch in school history. Kampen, regarded as a great game tactician, coached the top three scorers in Hardrocker history.
In addition, he was a very successful cross country coach at Mines, winning three consecutive SDIC championships (1969-71).
He also had college basketball coaching stops at Central Missouri and Carroll (Mont.). At Central Missouri, he was 32-46 in three seasons (1972-75). At Carroll, he was 66-53 in four seasons (1986-90).
He was the cross country and track coach at USD for two seasons before becoming the basketball coach of the national team of Bahrain in 1976, a position he held until returning to Mines.
He was coaching in Kemmerer, Wyo., at the time of his death at age 51.
He is a member of the Hall of Fame at Northern and Mines. He was the South Dakota College Athlete of the Year for 1962 as chosen by the South Dakota Sportswriters Association.
