RAPID CITY—University of South Dakota cross country head coach Dan Fitzsimmons was inducted into the South Dakota Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame over the weekend at the 2021 South Dakota State Track and Field Championships.
 
Fitzsimmons joined the Coyote coaching staff in the summer of 2008. Prior to arriving in Vermillion, he had built the Yankton cross country and track and field program into regional powers. He led five cross country teams that were ranked in the top-20 of the nation. He coached 13 South Dakota AA championship teams – five in track and field, three-straight boys' cross country titles (2005-07) and five-straight girls' cross country titles (2003-07). He was named the South Dakota Cross Country Coach of the Year five times. Fitzsimmons was inducted to the Yankton High School Hall of Fame in 2015.
 
With the Coyotes, Fitzsimmons is the five-time Summit League Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year as South Dakota won five consecutive titles from 2014-18. He's also been on the coaching staff of 11 conference championships on the track. His distance squad has racked up one Summit League Runner of the Year, eight Summit Championship MVPs, 49 Summit League titles and 57 Academic All-Summit League honors.
 
Fitzsimmons, a 1986 alumni of South Dakota, married fellow Coyote track and field athlete, Cecelia. Together they have four children, Sean (Ramsey), Shannon (Michael), Connor (Katie) and Brenna (Michael), and three grandchildren, Aurora, Callum and Kieran. Sean, Ramsey, Shannon, Connor and Katie are all Coyote track and field alumni.