Five-time Summit League women's cross country coach of the year Dan Fitzsimmons took over as the head coach of the South Dakota cross country teams on July 9, 2008. He also serves as an assistant coach for the Coyote men's and women's track and field teams, working with the distance runners. Fitzsimmons enters his 14th season with the Coyotes in 2021-22.
South Dakota has captured five-straight Summit League women's cross country titles from 2014-18 as Fitzsimmons garnered coach of the year honors.
The Coyote women snuck away with their fifth consecutive league title at the 2018 Summit League Championships by one point. South Dakota went on to take sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional, the program’s second-highest finish since the move to NCAA Division I. The Coyotes were fifth in 2017. On the men’s side, Eldon Warner became the first Coyote to win a Summit League cross country title in 2018. He received Summit League Championship MVP and Summit League Runner of the Year honors.
Under the guidance of Fitzsimmons, the Coyote cross country programs have seen a lot of success in transitioning to the Division I level. The Coyote women won Summit League titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, there have been three runner-up team finishes (women's team in 2012, men's team in 2012 and 2013), one Summit League Runner of the Year (Eldon Warner in 2018), one individual Summit League champion (Eldon Warner in 2018), four individual Summit League runner-ups (Jeff Mettler in 2012, Mubarik Musa in 2013, and Amber Eichkorn in 2014 and 2015), four league newcomers of the year (Amber Eichkorn and Mubarik Musa in 2012, Bethany Kozak in 2014, Julia Noah in 2016), and 51 all-Summit League honorees. During three seasons in the Great West Conference, the Coyotes recorded two runner-up team finishes (women's team in 2008 and 2009), one individual champion (Ramsey Fitzsimmons in 2008), one Great West runner-up (Kelsey Maloney in 2008), one conference freshman of the year (Jeff Mettler in 2010) and 11 all-Great West Conference selections.
Eichkorn became the first Coyote to qualify for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in 2014 and made a repeat appearance in 2015. She also advanced to the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10,000 meters.
Since Fitzsimmons began as an assistant coach on the track team during the 2008-09 season, the distance squad has helped the track program to 11 conference championships and 25 runner-up finishes. The distance program has earned 48 conference individual titles. During the seasons spent in the Great West, the Coyotes had three GWC Most Valuable Performers in Ramsey Fitzsimmons (2009, 2010) and Rob Gregoire (2010). In the Summit League, Jeff Mettler was named Track Championship MVP three times (indoor 2013, indoor 2014, outdoor 2014), Mach Dojiok earned the honor outdoors in 2015, Amber Eichkorn swept the Track Championship MVP awards in 2017 (indoor 2017, outdoor 2017) and Eldon Warner earned the honor indoors in 2018.
Prior to coming to South Dakota, Fitzsimmons built the Yankton cross country and track and field programs into state and regional powers.
In 1997, Fitzsimmons was named head coach of the Yankton High School cross country team and then in 2002 he was named the track and field head coach. He began working with the cross country team in 1989 and the track and field team in 1990 as an assistant coach. Fitzsimmons also was the head coach of the Yankton gymnastics team since 1986.
In his time with the cross country team, Fitzsimmons led five teams that were ranked in the top 20 in the nation. He guided four teams to the South Dakota AA combined boys and girls state championship. He also coached eight South Dakota AA championship teams, three-straight boys championships (2005-07) and five-straight girls titles (2003-07). Fitzsimmons was named South Dakota Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2003 (girls), 2004 (girls), 2005 (boys) and 2006 (boys and girls). The South Dakota NHSACA Gatorade Circle of Champions named him coach of the year for four-straight years (2004-07). He was also the South Dakota Sportswriters Prep Girls Coach of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Fitzsimmons was also successful with the Yankton track and field team. He guided the team to five state championships and six relay team championships while also coaching 20 individual champions. Two of his athletes were named South Dakota Gatorade Track and Field Performers of the Year. Fitzsimmons was named the South Dakota NHSACA Gatorade Circle of Champions Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2005.
During his four-year career at South Dakota, Fitzsimmons was a three-time NCC place winner in the 3,000m steeplechase, setting the USD record in the 3,000m steeplechase which stood from 1985 to 2000. He graduated in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and earned a master's degree from USD in exercise science in 1999. His wife, Cecilia, was a seven-time NCC track and field champion and former record holder in the long and triple jump. She was inducted into the USD Hall of Fame in 2000.
Fitzsimmons and his wife, Cecilia, have four children, Sean, Shannon, Connor and Brenna, and four grandchildren, Aurora, Callum, Kieran and Conley. Sean, Shannon and Connor are Coyote track and field alumni.
Fitzsimmons File:
- Five-time Summit League Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
- Head coach of five Conference Cross Country Championships
- Assistant coach of 11 Conference Track and Field Championships
- One Summit League Cross Country Runner of the Year
- Seven Summit League Track Championship MVPs
- One Summit League Cross Country Championship MVP
- 51 All-Summit League honorees in cross country
- 48 Summit League Champions on the track
- 121 All-Summit League honors on the track
- 53 Academic All-Summit League honors
