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Dakota State Hosts Annual Hall of Fame

Dakota State Athletics will host the annual Hall of Fame banquet Friday, June 8 at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse.  The event begins at 6:30.  

Three individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with the members of the undefeated 1977 Trojan Football team.  Individuals include Linda Collignon, Gene Danielsen, and Fred Tibbets.  Holly Gill Lynch will be recognized as the Alumni Coach of the Year. 

 Linda Collignon

The name of Linda Collignon is synonymous with gymnastics in eastern South Dakota. As coach of the Madison Lady Bulldogs, she led the team to the state gymnastics title for seven consecutive years.   

Linda completed her B.S. in Elementary Education & Middle Endorsement in 1978 at Dakota State University. 

She is a health education teacher at Madison Middle School, a position she has held for the past 5 years. Linda has also taught seventh grade physical science, sixth grade, second grade, and junior high school students. Her entire teaching career has been spent in the Madison school district.

Linda enjoys mentoring, educating, inspiring, and challenging individuals and teams to exceed goals and expectations. She has authored grants to allow expansion of middle school health programs and coordination of the school district’s Health Committee, garnering well over $7,000.00.

Linda was awarded the DSU Alumni Coach of the Year in 1997.   In 1994, 1999 and 2000, she was named State Gymnastic Coach of the Year.  Linda’s family includes her husband John, son Scott, and daughters Susan and Sarah.  

Gene Danielsen

Gene Danielsen graduated from Viborg High School in 1964. One of his high school teachers, Gene Iverson, inspired him to be a math teacher and coach of track and field, so he enrolled at General Beadle State College in the fall of 1964 to become a teacher/coach. He participated in track and cross-country at General Beadle. He received a teaching degree in mathematics and physical education in 1968. In January of 1968 Gene began teaching math and physical education at Salem Public School. He continued to teach math there until 2004. He also taught computers and driver’s education while at Salem/McCook Central.  He received his Masters Degree in Mathematics from USD in 1973.

Gene coached track and field from 1968 through 2000. He coached cross-country from 1971 through 1999.  His teams won 38 conference championships and another 20 second place finishes. The Salem Booster Club track meet was renamed the Danielsen Relays in 1989. He was the SDHSCA coach of the year in cross country in 1993. He was the honorary referee for the Howard Wood Relays in 2002. He received the Dan Lennon award in 2003. The school athletic complex was named the “Gene Danielsen Field” in 2004. Gene was recently inducted into the South Dakota Coaches Hall of Fame as well as being honored as one of the outstanding alumni of DSU. 

Gene coached grade basketball from 1969 through 1985. He umpired baseball from 1975 to 2006, having umpired in various state tournaments. He officiated basketball from 1975 to 1984. He is currently teaching mathematics as an adjunct instructor at University Center in Sioux Falls, where he continues to enjoy working with students.

In 1966 Gene married his high school and college classmate Karen Gors. Karen was a teacher at Salem until 2004, as well. Karen and Gene have two children Jeff and Julie.  Gene is a member of SDEA and the SDHSCA. Gene and his wife continue to reside in Salem. 

Fred Tibbetts

Fred Tibbetts graduated from DeSmet High School in 1967 and from Dakota State in 1972.  As a coach he compiled a record of 551wins and 11 state titles - both state girls basketball coaching records. He was 551-101 in 29 seasons at the high school level (18 at Jefferson, 11 at Roosevelt). His teams qualified for the state tourney 19 times and reached the state finals an astounding 15 times. Seven times he had unbeaten seasons. In all, Tibbetts coached teams to 16 state titles - his girls track teams at Jefferson were state Class A champs five years in a row (1981-85). His teams were known for a fast-paced style that relied on pressure defense and rapid-fire rotation of players.  

Tibbetts guided Roosevelt to a state-record win streak of 111 games and six Class AA titles, including five in a row (1997-01). The win streak included four wins at an out-of-season tourney in Oregon that featured nationally ranked teams. Roosevelt beat 11th-ranked Buena High of Ventura, Calif., in the finals. Tibbets retired after winning the 2005 state title. Roosevelt was 227-28 in 11 seasons under Tibbetts. Before he arrived there, a Sioux Falls public school had not won the state title since 1981. The Rough Riders were 4-16 in 1993, the year before he took over. He started coaching at Jefferson in 1972, where he led the Hawkettes to a then-state record win streak of 67 games from 1978-80. His Jefferson teams were state champs in 1975 (the first year of sanctioned state tourneys), '78, '79, '80 and '85 and were twice runners-up as well.

He is the only coach to win state basketball titles in all three classes (Class B and A at Jefferson and AA at Roosevelt). In 1999 he was named National Coach of the Year in girls basketball.  

He also was the women's coach at the University of South Dakota for four years (1986-90). At USD, he was 66-47. He was named S.D. College Women's Coach of the Year in 1989, when the Coyotes were 22-7 and reached the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The Undefeated 1977 Trojan Football Team is also being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Alumni Coach of the Year Holly Gill Lynch

Holly Gill Lynch graduated from Dakota State University in 2000 with a degree in elementary and special education.  Holly played four years of volleyball at DSU and was the starter for the Trojans from 1995-1999 in the right side hitter/setter position.  Holly was also a member of the Trojan women’s fast pitch softball team in 1996.

After graduating from Dakota State, Holly taught special education at Canistota for six years from 2000-2006.  In 2002, she became the head volleyball coach, a position she held for four years.  She led Class B Canistota High School to their first volleyball state tournament appearance in 2002-2003. It was the first time any team in Canistota had been to state tournament since 1958. The team placed sixth.  In 2004-2005, she took the team to their second state appearance and finished third.  Holly compiled a career coaching record of 84-32 at Canistota. In 2006 she moved to a similar position at Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School.  In her first year coaching volleyball at Sioux Falls Roosevelt, the volleyball team placed first in the Class AA state volleyball tournament with a 20-4 record.

During her five years of coaching volleyball, Holly coached four all-state players and six all-tournament players. Her 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Canistota volleyball teams received the Academic Team Award.  She guided Canistota to the Cornbelt Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship in 2002-2003 and to the Cornbelt Conference Volleyball Regular Season Championship in 2004-2005.  In 2005, Holly was named Region Volleyball Coach of the Year.   In her first year stint with Sioux Falls Roosevelt, she coached her volleyball team to a 2006 Greater Dakota Conference Championship with three players being named to All-City team. Her Roosevelt team also earned the Academic Team Award distinction.  She also notched her 100th career coaching victory while at Sioux Falls Roosevelt this past season.

Holly is married to Brady Lynch and currently resides in Sioux Falls, SD.