Rich Greeno - Inducted 1995
Born near Amherst, S.D. 1946 Langford HS grad. 1950 Northern State grad. A cross country and boys track coaching legend at Lincoln High in Sioux Falls, Greeno's coaching career spanned six decades.
He coached at Lincoln from 1968-90. The Patriots won 11 state cross country titles, including all but one in the 1970s, and the track team won eight state titles, including all but one from 1969-76. Six times in each sport his teams finished second at state. His teams put together win streaks of 87 cross country duals and 52 track duals.
Began coaching in 1950 at Philip, then he coached from 1954-68 at Yankton, where he was athletic director and track and cross country coach, before going to Lincoln High. His record includes 36 conference titles, 31 regional titles and 19 state titles in cross country and track, 76 relay or individual state champions and 13 individual cross country gold medal winners.
Greeno was named to the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. He was named national high school track coach of the year in 1974 and national cross country coach of the year in 1990. He is a member of the halls of fame of Yankton HS, Lincoln HS, Northern State and USF as well as the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference. In 1999, he received Hershey Track and Field's highest award when he received the Gary McQuaid Volunteer of the Year award. In 1975, he was an assistant team manager of the USA track and field team as they toured Europe.
Greeno was track and cross country coach at the University of Sioux Falls from 1991-2004. At USF, his teams won conference cross country championships four times and six times he was named coach of the year.
As an athlete, Greeno was state champ in the 440 in 1946.
He was a longtime football and basketball official. He refereed in the state "B" boys basketball tourney, the first girls basketball state tourney and the first state high school football playoffs. He also refereed 15 years in the North Central Conference in football.
At Yankton, he directed the Yankton Little League and Teener baseball program for 12 years.
He also spent more than 40 years directing the summer track and field program for the Sioux Falls Park and Recreation Dept. He also was a member of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays board of directors for more than 40 years. On June 24, 2020 The Rich Greeno Memorial, a bronze statues, was dedicated. CLICK on this link to read more about it.
