Hoy, Carl B.
Born Oct. 17, 1893, near Huron. 1915 Huron H.S. grad. 1919 USD grad. Came to USD in fall of 1927 as head basketball and assistant football and track coach. Was head track coach from 1931-46. Was athletic director from 1935-56. Was basketball coach for 24 years (1927-49, ’52-54), going 167-189. His 1947-48 basketball team defeated […]
Kessinger, Ted
A Sioux Falls native who was a 1959 Washington High and 1963 Augustana graduate, Kessinger is one of the few South Dakotans to be inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame, in 2010. He was the football coach at Bethany (Kan.) College for 28 years, compiling a 219-57-1 record with 16 conference […]
Kolb, Gus
Gus Kolb graduated from Leola High School in 1943 and South Dakota State College in 1951. As a high school athlete, he lettered four years in football, basketball and baseball. He did not participate in athletics in college. As a basketball coach, Kolb literally built teams from scratch. Walt Conahan, Kolb’s nominator, commented “Kolb was […]
Kooistra, Clarence
One of the state’s most successful high school football coaches, Clarence Kooistra, had a 221-77-2 record in 31 years, all but one at Garretson. He lost his last 300th career game to Freeman 44-24 in the 1997 State 9A championship. He guided the Blue Dragons to four, two mythical and two playoff-era, state titles, four […]
Kueter, Steve
Steve Kueter graduated from West Central High School in 1973 and Dakota State College in 1977. In high school he participated in football, basketball and track & field. At Dakota State he played fullback for the Trojans his freshman and sophomore years until an injury sidelined him his junior and senior years. He started officiating […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]