Sharp-Shooting Krogman Joins Coyote Elite

A local kid from White River, South Dakota, remembers his first game in a Coyote uniform very well. As a 6-1, 176-pound freshman, Louie Krogman found himself making his debut in New York against a Cornell team fresh off an Ivy League title. 

“I remember being pretty nervous for the game and hesitant to make a mistake,” recalled Krogman. 

All he needed was a quick reminder of his skill set and what his role on the team was and, as they say, the rest is history. 

Krogman remembers assistant coach Joey James grabbing him and putting in his head that he was ‘not recruited to pass the ball…so shoot it!’ Though the Coyotes ended up falling short in that game, Krogman led the team with 20 points on the night. He shot 6-of-15 from the field and nailed four of his eight three-point attempts. He earned a starting spot and tallied the second-most minutes that night with 36. 

Krogman did all of that as a freshman for a team making its debut into the Division I era. That game against Cornell instilled a confidence in him that led him to becoming one of the best shooters in Coyote history.  

South Dakota went on and finished 20-9 in the 2008-09 season. Krogman finished an impressive freshman season with 12.8 points per game on 43 percent shooting, four rebounds a game, and 26 total steals. He played in all 29 games and started 28 of them. That was the beginning of a Hall of Fame journey for Krogman.

When asked what drew him to South Dakota, the answer was easy. 

“The staff and overall atmosphere,” said Krogman. “I knew I would have the chance to play right away. It was also close to home so I knew my family would be able to attend many of our games.” 

One thing that never became a factor in the decision was the transition to the Division I level. Krogman’s first season was South Dakota’s first as a Division I program, meaning they would be ineligible for postseason tournaments such as the NCAA tournament. The ban lasted for five seasons, the entire span of Krogman’s career. The chance to play at the highest level of college basketball, however, was something Krogman embraced. 

“It was a great experience,” said Krogman when asked about the transition into Division I. “The new opportunities to go to so many places was amazing. Our first conference was called the Great West. We played conference games in New Jersey, Texas, and Utah so we were on the road quite a bit. From a competition aspect, it was great. It really pushed me to become a better all-around player.” 

A typical Great West schedule included trips to Utah Valley, Houston Baptist, Texas Pan-American (now UTRGV), Chicago State, and New Jersey Institute of Technology. North Dakota was the closest trip for the team. The Great West Conference spanned more “coast-to-coast” than anything and could provide a challenging schedule. Krogman and the Coyotes made it look easy. In the two seasons that South Dakota belonged to the Great West, they compiled an 18-6 conference record and had two straight appearances in the conference tournament championship game with Krogman earning all-Great West honors his junior season. Krogman and the Coyotes won the Great West Tournament in their first appearance, knocking off Houston Baptist in the championship game. They nearly had their second tournament championship the following year after dropping a double-overtime thriller to North Dakota in the 2011 Great West Championship game. 

After two seasons in the Great West, Krogman’s senior year came with a new conference and tougher competition. The 2011-12 season was South Dakota’s first season in the Summit League. Krogman saved his best statistical season for last. He averaged a career-best 16.8 points per game on 44 percent shooting. He led the Coyotes and ranked in the top-10 of the Summit with 80 three-pointers, dished out 107 assists, and poked away 41 steals in his final season as a Coyote. 

The move to the Summit League meant bringing back historic rivalries and familiar foes. One game in particular that Krogman regards as one of his favorites was the return of the in-state rivalry with South Dakota State. Krogman and the Coyotes avenged an early-season loss in Brookings with a 72-68 win over the Jacks in the DakotaDome in early February of 2012. It was the first meeting between these two rivals in Vermillion since the 2004 season. Krogman was the only one on either side to play all 40 minutes and dropped a team-high 22 points and eight assists. 

Krogman left behind a Hall of Fame worthy career for South Dakota basketball and remains near the top in several statistical categories. He is the sixth-leading scorer in program history with 1,644 points. His 10 three-pointers against Houston Baptist in 2011 remain a single-game record and his 292 career triples are second to Josh Mueller's 307. Krogman played in 122 games and started 100. He logged 392 rebounds, 324 assists and 120 steals. South Dakota compiled a 70-52 record with Krogman dressed in the red and white highlighted by a 46-12 record inside the Dome. 

Off the court, Krogman’s memories went to the people of USD and the relationships he developed during his time here. 

“The best memories are the downtimes of just being around teammates,” said Krogman. “Christmas breaks were always funny because the men’s and women’s basketball teams seem to be the only people on campus. I really enjoyed getting to meet so many people from such diverse backgrounds and hearing their stories.” 

Krogman graduated from USD in 2013 and moved back to his family’s ranch. He started out as a teacher at Todd County High School - just 25 minutes south from his hometown of White River. He later found a teaching job and stayed in White River where he resides today. Krogman continued to pursue his education path and was the White River Middle School principal from 2020-22. This past summer, he was promoted to superintendent of White River School District.

“I am so blessed to be able to work in such an amazing district in my hometown,” said Krogman. “I also stay busy helping out on the family ranch where we raise Quarter Horses and cattle.”

Krogman has been married to his wife, Ethanie, for over eight years now. Together, they have three daughters, Stevie, Avery, and Carter. 

Krogman will join five other inductees in the 2022 Henry Heider Coyote Sports Hall of Fame class. 

“It was very surprising and not something I had even thought about,” said Krogman when asked about how he felt joining this prestigious group of Coyotes. “It is a huge honor especially with this being my first year on the ballot. I am just so grateful to the committee and staff at USD for selecting me. USD and Vermillion will always be like a second home to me. I always felt embraced by the community and fellow students.” 

The class will be inducted on Friday night and recognized on Saturday during the home football game.