Rich Greeno

Born near Amherst, S.D., Greeno is an iconic figure in South Dakota track and field.  Greeno was track and cross country coach at the University of Sioux Falls from 1991-2004.

At USF, his teams won conference cross country championships four times and six times he was named coach of the year. A 1946 Langford High School graduate, Greeno, who won a S.D. prep 440 yard individual title in 1946, earned an undergraduate degree from Northern State in 1950.  A cross country and boys track coaching legend at Lincoln High in Sioux Falls, Greeno, who coaching career spanned six decades, was at Sioux Falls Lincoln from 1968-90. While at LHS, the Patriots won 11 state cross country titles, including all but one in the 1970s, and the track team won eight state titles, including all but one from 1969-76. Six times in each sport his teams finished second at state. His teams put together win streaks of 87 cross country duals and 52 track duals.

Greeno, who began coaching in 1950 at Philip, also coached from 1954-68 at Yankton, where he was athletic director and track and cross country coach. Greeno’s record includes 36 conference titles, 31 regional titles and 19 state titles in cross country and track, 76 relay or individual state champions and 13 individual cross country gold medal winners. Greeno was named to the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 and later selected to the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. He was named national high school track coach of the year in 1974 and national cross country coach of the year in 1990.