University of South Dakota Athletics

Dan Lennon's name is synonymous with track in South Dakota collegiate circles. Originally of Vermillion, Lennon was an outstanding athlete at South Dakota, earning all-North Central Conference honors at guard for the Coyote football team in 1933. He was also the league's MVP in 1932. After coaching stops at Hot Springs High School and South Dakota School of Mines, Lennon returned to USD as a football assistant under Harry Gamage in 1947 and assumed the track and field chores two years later. It was during the first spring as head track coach in 1949, that Lennon initiated the USD invitational track meet, now called the Dan Lennon Relays, one of South Dakota's top track events. From 1957 to 1967, USD was either first or second in the NCC championship, winning four crowns in six years. The first title was in 1962 followed by championships in 1963, 1965, and 1966. Lennon has been honored innumerable times during his career, including earning the NCC Honor Award. Lennon served as honorary College Division referee at the prestigious Drake Relays in 1968 and was honorary referee at many top area meets, including the Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls, the Art Dickinson Relays in Cedar Falls, and the Sioux City Relays.  The South Dakota Sportswriters Association named him College Coach of the Year in 1963, and his 1966 squad voted "College Team of the Year" in South Dakota by the same group.