Zephier, Andy
The 1949 Flandreau Public High grad made the Flandreau Indian School one of the most successful cross country programs in the state. Zephier, a 1957 Augustana grad, coached and taught at the Flandreau Indian School for 33 years (1957-1990). He coached excellent teams in track and basketball, but it was in cross country where FIS […]
Abbott, Cleve
Born Dec. 9, 1894 in Yankton. 1912 Watertown High School grad. 1916 SDSU grad. Won 16 varsity letters at Watertown and at SDSU he earned 14 more (in track, football, baseball and basketball). Hired by Booker T. Washington to teach and coach at Tuskegee Institute in 1915, Abbott became one of the most respected coaches […]
Barnum, Blanche
Blanche Barnum graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1926 and the University of California in 1933. She taught physical education at the grade school and high school levels for 30 years at Winner, Tabor, Platte, and Mitchell. Barnum was a pioneer of athletic competition for girls. She started and coached a girls’ high school […]
Bierle, Don
Co-founder of the South Dakota Sportswriters Association and the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, Bierle’s love of athletics as a measure of character began early. Although a childhood injury put him on crutches or in a wheelchair for more than 60 years, Bierle lived and breathed sports. A 1946 Yankton High and 1951 University […]
Booher, Jim
One of the founders of the South Dakota Athletic Trainers Association, Booher was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1998. The Ashland, Neb., native and 1965 Nebraska Wesleyan grad has been an athletic trainer and instructor/professor at South Dakota State since 1967. He split time between the university and Brookings […]
Brewer, Bryan
Lakota Name. Ohiyaku (Returns Victoriously) Bryan Brewer, Sr. was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He is a 1965 graduate of Pine Ridge High School and graduated from Black Hills State University in 1976. Brewer served in the United States Navy from 1965 to […]
Burt, Jim
Born in Melcher, Iowa, in 1914. 1936 grad of Melcher High School. Brown Institute in Minneapolis. A broadcast pioneer, Burt spent 40 years at KELO Radio and TV, retiring in 1987. To South Dakotans, no state sports figure was more recognizable. Burt started at KELO Radio in June of 1947. He did play-by-play of KELO’s […]
Carney, Wayne
Wayne Carney graduated from Pine Island (MN) High School in 1966 and from the University of South Dakota in 1970. Carney was a prep basketball coach for 24 years (1970-77 at Agar and 1977-94 at Hamlin), winning more than 300 games and coaching Hamlin to the 1983 state “B” title. He served as athletic director […]
Salem, Joe
Born May 1, 1938. Sioux Falls (1956 Cathedral H.S. grad). 1961 Minnesota grad. At USD in 1966, he inherited a team that had won a total of nine games the previous six seasons. Led USD to NCC football titles in 1972, ’73 and ’74. He was 51-38-2 in nine years (1966-74) at USD. Later coached […]
Schroeder, Bob
The Miller High and University of South Dakota grad was an extremely successful high school football, basketball and track coach at Miller from the 1940s to the mid-1970s, and he coached two of the greatest teams in state history. Schroeder was an accomplished athlete at Miller while competing in those three sports. He was the […]