Larson, Don
Don Larson was a championship runner and unmatched track & field coach in the North Central Conference. As an All-American track & field athlete at SDSU, Larson won seven NCC championships. He set three conference records and still holds a share of the retired 600-yard indoor mark. Larson captured his NCAA DII All-American honors in […]
Lavin, Chad
Chad Lavin is one of the earliest South Dakotans to coach women’s basketball at the NCAA Division I level. He revitalized the University of Wyoming program, leading the Cowgirls to a 175-162 record from 1986-98, significantly improving from their 23-60 record in the three years prior. Lavin guided the Cowgirls to their only regular-season conference […]
Leahy, Frank
Born Aug. 21, 1908 in O’Neill, Neb. Grew up in Winner through junior year of high school, spent senior year at Omaha, Neb. 1931 Notre Dame grad. One of the most famous coaches in the history of college football. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970. Leahy was 33 when he replaced […]
LeBeaux, Lyle “Dusty”
A 1971 Oglala Community School grad, LeBeaux has been one of the state’s most successful girls and boys basketball coaches for the past 26 years – all on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He is one of a few Native American coaches whose teams have won the state tournament, and he is one of the […]
Lennon, Dan
Born Jan. 5, 1908 in Vermillion. 1931 Vermillion HS grad. 1935 USD grad. Longtime USD track coach (1949-75). During a stretch from 1957-67, Lennon’s teams finished either first or second in the North Central Conference meet, winning titles in 1961, ’63, ’65 and ’66. In 1949, Lennon started the USD Invitational, which is still run […]
Little, Dave
Dave Little once said that coaching track was 40 percent technique and conditioning and 60 percent psychology. And that’s what he did best – get inside athletes’ heads. The 1960 Watertown High and 1965 Northern State grad had high school coaching stints in Aberdeen and Michigan before going to Black Hills State University in 1968. […]
Long, Tom
Perhaps the state’s greatest prep wrestling coach, the 1944 Forestburg High and 1951 Dakota Wesleyan grad coached in Rapid City for 33 years – the first 13 at Central and the last 20 at Stevens. Long is perhaps best known for winning eight state titles (1963-65, ’75-76, ’80-81, ’88) during his tenure and coaching Randy […]
Ekeland, Mark
The winningest baseball coach in South Dakota State history, the Rapid City Central and Augustana grad had a 561-345-2 record in 20 seasons. Ekeland’s Jackrabbits won five North Central Conference titles and they won 11 NCC Southern Division titles in 14 seasons of divisional play, including 10 straight from 1985-94. Poor health forced him to […]
Ekeland, Clare
Clare Ekeland was a 1934 Washington High School and 1938 Augustana College graduate. Ekeland began his high school teaching/coaching career at Dell Rapids in 1938. From 1945-48 he was at Luverne, MN, serving as athletic director, coach and teacher. He also taught and coached at Rapid City High School from 1948-52. In 1952 Ekeland started […]
Farrand, Floyd
Floyd Farrand graduated from Superior, NE High School in 1948 and from Sioux Falls College in 1952 and earned his master’s degree from South Dakota State University in 1963. At Sioux Falls College, he competed in football, basketball and track & field. Farrand was a teacher and coach for almost 40 years, most of that […]