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 […]

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 […]

Felderman, Barb

Barb Felderman was a 1969 graduate of Doland High School and 1973 graduate of Northern State University. She was a member of the first NSU women’s basketball, volleyball and track & field teams and went on to letter in field hockey as well. Felderman was the first woman’s athlete to be inducted into the NSU […]

Ferguson, Stewart

Born Jan. 27, 1900 in Carthage, Mo. Dakota Wesleyan Academy in Mitchell. Dakota Wesleyan University. One of the most innovative and unconventional coaches in the history of college football. In eight years at Arkansas A&M, Ferguson gained national attention with his “Wandering Boll Weevils.” It was at A&M that he invented the “swinging gate” offensive […]

Fosness, Gordie

Presho. 1957 Dakota Wesleyan grad. Was men’s basketball coach at DWU for 22 years. His teams won 351 games and 11 conference titles, earning him a spot in the NAIA Hall of Fame. He also was an assistant football coach at DWU for 20 years. In 1988 he became state director of the Fellowship of […]

Fredrickson, Curt

An Aberdeen Central and Northern State grad, Fredrickson is the second-winningest active NCAA Division II women’s basketball coach with 723 wins in 34 seasons. He also was a great all-around athlete, excelling in football, basketball and baseball. He ranks as one of the greatest amateur baseball players in state history. Fredrickson was just the 16th […]