Starting this fall (2008), Trent Mack will begin his first season as the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Head Coach at Dakota State University.  He arrived in January 2008 to become the new Women’s Track and Field Head Coach for the Trojans.  Prior coming to Dakota State, Mack served as the Assistant Coach at Black Hills State University for the past four years.  He spent his last year at Black Hills State working primarily with the middle distance runners where he guided the group to 14 All-Conference performances, 6 All-American honors, 3 school records, and a National Champion.

At Dakota State this past track season, Buzz Stevenson and Mack guided the men’s and women’s programs to their highest point finishes ever at the outdoor conference championship meet since the start of the Dakota Athletic Conference.  Throughout the 2008 season, the Trojans established 12 new school records and qualified 8 student-athletes to the NAIA National Championship Meet.

Mack, a native of Watertown, SD, captured a state title in the 300 hurdles in his senior season before enrolling at Northern State University.  He competed one season for the Wolves before transferring to Black Hills State University.  Before finishing his running career, Mack earned four All-American honors, competing on three relay teams that established school records.  In addition, Mack was a member of a National Runner-Up Cross Country Team in his senior season.

Mack graduated from Black Hills State University with a degree in Business Administration and continued his education by obtaining a Master’s in Business Service Management.

Trent and his wife Kendra reside in Madison, SD.

Assistant Coach

Dakota State University Men's Track & Field Head Coach and Assistant Cross Country Coach, Buzz Stevenson, has been involved in sports since his high school days in Ipswich, SD and has been a coach and teacher for 43 years.

A 1961 graduate of Ipswich High School, Buzz was an All-State running back, track & field athlete and basketball player. He placed in the 100 yard and 220 yard events at the state track meet his junior and senior years.

Buzz started his college career at Yankton College. He was an all-conference wide receiver and a member of a track & field team that won two conference championships from 1964-65.

After graduating from Yankton in 1965, Buzz received his Master of Education degree from South Dakota State University in 1973. He coached at the high school level for 14 years, including 10 at Huron High School. While there he led the boys track and field team to their first ever ESD Conference championship in 1976. He then guided them to two more conference championships in 1977 and 1978. In 1977 his boy’s team was the state runner up, and his girl’s cross-country team finished as state champions. In 1978 he was named South Dakota boys track coach of the year.

Before coming to Dakota State, Buzz coached at his alma mater for two years and has spent the past 24 years as head coach at DSU. While at Dakota State Buzz’s teams have accumulated 14 South Dakota Iowa Conference championships and his athletes have produced 36 All-American honors.

While at DSU, Buzz has garnered 14 SDIC coach of the year titles and two NAIA Great Plains Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year awards.

Buzz lives in Madison with his wife Diane of 21 years.

Student Assistant Coach Chris Heezen