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Editor's Note: A story that appeared in the Watertown Public Opinion and Aberdeen News print editions incorrectly stated that Bill Weber, Kim Nelson, Jerome Garry and Jeff VanLeur were going into the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. They are actually going into the South Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in July. This story below has the four men that were inducted into the SDFBCA Hall of Fame on Friday.
BROOKINGS — Four South Dakota high school coaching greats were inducted into the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Friday.
Aaron Beavers of Sioux Falls, Wayne Sullivan of Rapid City, Kerwin Hoellein of Aberdeen and the late Mark Senftner of Onida were honored during a hall of fame banquet and coaches social held during the 2025 SDFBCA-Sanford Sports Football Academy Clinic at South Dakota State University.
The clinic concludes today (Saturday).
Beavers' journey in football coaching has been both extensive and impactful, rooted in his upbringing in Hemet, California, as one of nine children. He earned letters in football, baseball, and track at Sioux Falls College (now the University of Sioux Falls). His coaching career began at his alma mater, where he served as an assistant coach from 1989 to 1992.
Beavers moved to Gregory High School, where he served as head football coach from 1995 to 1999. During his tenure, he led the team to multiple Southeastern South Dakota Conference titles and back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state Class 11B championships in 1996 and 1997, ultimately securing a state title in 1998.
In 2000, Beavers took an assistant coaching position at Luther College in Iowa, but soon returned to Sioux Falls to coach at Lincoln High School, first as an assistant and then as head coach beginning in 2002. His time at Lincoln was marked by success, with Greater Dakota Conference titles in 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2014, along with state championships in 11AA (2008) and 11AAA (2013 and 2014).
Since 2017, he has been an assistant coach at Bishop O'Gorman High School, a role he continues to hold through 2024. Over his career as a high school head coach, Beavers boasts a record of 138-58, reflecting both his skill and dedication to the sport.
Beavers and his wife Jessica have two sons (Beau and Easton). He coached both sons.
Sullivan spent his entire coaching career (32 years, 1991-2022) as the head coach at St. Thomas More High School in Rapid City, compiling a 231-95 record that included 20 conference titles and six state runner-up finishes.
Under Sullivan, the Cavaliers were a nine-man program for four years before moving up to 11-man for the final 28 years.
He led St. Thomas More to the Tri-Rivers Conference title in nine-man (1994), two Western Plains Conference titles in 11-man (1995 and 1996) and 17 Black Hills Conference titles in 11-man (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).
St. Thomas More finished as the state Class 11B runner-up in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2014 and the state Class 11A runner-up in 2007 and 2009.
Coaching honors for Sullivan include Region 4 Coach of the Year three times (2005, 2007 and 2013) and Black Hills Conference Coach of the Year 17 times (each of the conference title years). He received a 30-year coaching award in 2020 and coached in the South Dakota High School All-Star Football Games in 2003 and 2014.
Sullivan and his wife Lorrie have five children (sons Jakeb, Jedidiah and JonPaul and daughters Savannah and Skylar). He coached all three sons.
30 FAVORITES COACHES: Writer Roger Merriam focuses on the top high school coaches he's worked with in Watertown
Hollein coached nine-man high school football in South Dakota for 39 years (10 years as an assistant and 29 as a head coach) before stepping down after the 2023 season. He finished with a career win-loss record of 179-100.
His coaching stops included two years at Andes Central and Wolsey-Wessington and 21 years at Eureka-Bowdle before spending his final 14 years at Warner, where he led the Monarchs to state Class 9A runner-up finishes in 2016, 2020 and 2022 and a state Class 9A championship in 2023.
His Eureka-Bowdle teams won Yellowstone Trail Conference titles in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and his Warner teams won the Lake Region Conference in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Hoellein was named the Region 1 Coach of the Year in 2016 and the Class 9A Coach of the Year in 2022. He also served as coach for the South Dakota All-Star high school football games in 2010, 2015 and 2017.
He and his wife Julie have four children (sons Derek, Mitchell and Micah and daughter Desha). He coached all three of his sons.
DENIS LATHER TRIBUTE COLUMN: Paying special tribute to former Watertown teacher and coach Denis Lather
Note: Senftner, who is being inducted posthumously, was a 2024 SDFBCA inductee. His wife Lynn will accept the honor is his behalf on Friday.
Senftner's long and successful high school coaching career included a three-year run as an assistant football coach at Gregory and 14 more years as the head coach at Sully Buttes High School in Onida.
The McLaughlin native and Northern State University graduate guided the Chargers to a combined 101-42 record with 11-man and 9-man teams. The run of success included numerous Yellowstone Trail Conference championships and three state runner-up finishes — Class 9A in 2015 and Class 9B in both 2017 and 2018.
Senftner earned Region Coach of the Year honors from the South Dakota Football Coaches Association in 2018 and 2019 and served as an assistant coach in a South Dakota High School All-Star Football Game.
He coached both his sons (Tate and Scott) and credits long-time assistants Tom Moore and Brian White for their help in Sully Buttes and Dan Whalen, Aaron Beavers and Mike Gassen for being excellent mentors in Gregory.
Senftner, who was diagnosed with brain tumor in 2020 and died two years later, also coached Sully Buttes' girls’ basketball teams for many years, leading the Chargers to 11 state tournament appearances and four state championships (2007, 2008, 2016 and 2017).
He was inducted into the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Hall of Shrine in 2022.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: The 2025 S.D. Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductees
Continue reading...
BROOKINGS — Four South Dakota high school coaching greats were inducted into the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Friday.
Aaron Beavers of Sioux Falls, Wayne Sullivan of Rapid City, Kerwin Hoellein of Aberdeen and the late Mark Senftner of Onida were honored during a hall of fame banquet and coaches social held during the 2025 SDFBCA-Sanford Sports Football Academy Clinic at South Dakota State University.
The clinic concludes today (Saturday).
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Aaron Beavers
Beavers' journey in football coaching has been both extensive and impactful, rooted in his upbringing in Hemet, California, as one of nine children. He earned letters in football, baseball, and track at Sioux Falls College (now the University of Sioux Falls). His coaching career began at his alma mater, where he served as an assistant coach from 1989 to 1992.
Beavers moved to Gregory High School, where he served as head football coach from 1995 to 1999. During his tenure, he led the team to multiple Southeastern South Dakota Conference titles and back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state Class 11B championships in 1996 and 1997, ultimately securing a state title in 1998.
You must be registered for see images attach
In 2000, Beavers took an assistant coaching position at Luther College in Iowa, but soon returned to Sioux Falls to coach at Lincoln High School, first as an assistant and then as head coach beginning in 2002. His time at Lincoln was marked by success, with Greater Dakota Conference titles in 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2014, along with state championships in 11AA (2008) and 11AAA (2013 and 2014).
Since 2017, he has been an assistant coach at Bishop O'Gorman High School, a role he continues to hold through 2024. Over his career as a high school head coach, Beavers boasts a record of 138-58, reflecting both his skill and dedication to the sport.
Beavers and his wife Jessica have two sons (Beau and Easton). He coached both sons.
Wayne Sullivan
Sullivan spent his entire coaching career (32 years, 1991-2022) as the head coach at St. Thomas More High School in Rapid City, compiling a 231-95 record that included 20 conference titles and six state runner-up finishes.
Under Sullivan, the Cavaliers were a nine-man program for four years before moving up to 11-man for the final 28 years.
He led St. Thomas More to the Tri-Rivers Conference title in nine-man (1994), two Western Plains Conference titles in 11-man (1995 and 1996) and 17 Black Hills Conference titles in 11-man (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).
You must be registered for see images attach
St. Thomas More finished as the state Class 11B runner-up in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2014 and the state Class 11A runner-up in 2007 and 2009.
Coaching honors for Sullivan include Region 4 Coach of the Year three times (2005, 2007 and 2013) and Black Hills Conference Coach of the Year 17 times (each of the conference title years). He received a 30-year coaching award in 2020 and coached in the South Dakota High School All-Star Football Games in 2003 and 2014.
Sullivan and his wife Lorrie have five children (sons Jakeb, Jedidiah and JonPaul and daughters Savannah and Skylar). He coached all three sons.
30 FAVORITES COACHES: Writer Roger Merriam focuses on the top high school coaches he's worked with in Watertown
Kerwin Hoellein
Hollein coached nine-man high school football in South Dakota for 39 years (10 years as an assistant and 29 as a head coach) before stepping down after the 2023 season. He finished with a career win-loss record of 179-100.
His coaching stops included two years at Andes Central and Wolsey-Wessington and 21 years at Eureka-Bowdle before spending his final 14 years at Warner, where he led the Monarchs to state Class 9A runner-up finishes in 2016, 2020 and 2022 and a state Class 9A championship in 2023.
His Eureka-Bowdle teams won Yellowstone Trail Conference titles in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and his Warner teams won the Lake Region Conference in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Hoellein was named the Region 1 Coach of the Year in 2016 and the Class 9A Coach of the Year in 2022. He also served as coach for the South Dakota All-Star high school football games in 2010, 2015 and 2017.
He and his wife Julie have four children (sons Derek, Mitchell and Micah and daughter Desha). He coached all three of his sons.
DENIS LATHER TRIBUTE COLUMN: Paying special tribute to former Watertown teacher and coach Denis Lather
Mark Senftner
Note: Senftner, who is being inducted posthumously, was a 2024 SDFBCA inductee. His wife Lynn will accept the honor is his behalf on Friday.
Senftner's long and successful high school coaching career included a three-year run as an assistant football coach at Gregory and 14 more years as the head coach at Sully Buttes High School in Onida.
The McLaughlin native and Northern State University graduate guided the Chargers to a combined 101-42 record with 11-man and 9-man teams. The run of success included numerous Yellowstone Trail Conference championships and three state runner-up finishes — Class 9A in 2015 and Class 9B in both 2017 and 2018.
Senftner earned Region Coach of the Year honors from the South Dakota Football Coaches Association in 2018 and 2019 and served as an assistant coach in a South Dakota High School All-Star Football Game.
You must be registered for see images attach
He coached both his sons (Tate and Scott) and credits long-time assistants Tom Moore and Brian White for their help in Sully Buttes and Dan Whalen, Aaron Beavers and Mike Gassen for being excellent mentors in Gregory.
Senftner, who was diagnosed with brain tumor in 2020 and died two years later, also coached Sully Buttes' girls’ basketball teams for many years, leading the Chargers to 11 state tournament appearances and four state championships (2007, 2008, 2016 and 2017).
He was inducted into the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Hall of Shrine in 2022.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: The 2025 S.D. Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductees
Continue reading...
