The imprint of longtime Winner football coach Harvey Naasz is lasting and still can be felt today.
Naasz was one of several persons inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame Saturday in Sioux Falls.
When growing up, Naasz wanted to be a football coach like his brother. Naasz compiled a record of 169-58-3 in 24 seasons as a head coach including 17 seasons as the head coach in Winner.
“In my opinion, some of the people in there (hall of fame) are the finest people around,” Naasz told the Mitchell Daily Republic. “It was a surprise and a great honor, especially because my brother is there, too,” said Naasz.
In his 17 years in Winner, Naasz helped turn the Warriors into a high school football powerhouse.
Under his direction, Winner won three state championships in 1981, 1987 and 1989. Winner had undefeated seasons 1980, 1981 and 1987. Naasz was named South Dakota high school football coach of the year 1976, 1980, 1981 and 1987.
“It is really great watching a program grow,” Naasz told the Daily Republic. “Year after year, we kept getting better and then pretty soon Winner had the reputation that is still going on today. It’s still going because we had some hard working athletes.”
Looking back at his time as head coach, he still remembers his team in the fall of 1970 that defeated Pierre for the first time in more than 20 years. He was also proud of games when Winner topped Rapid City Central in an overtime thriller in Winner and then the following year beat them in Rapid City.
Originally from Mobridge, Naasz played his college football at the University of South Dakota.
In addition to his time in Winner, Naasz coached in Custer for one year, Gettysburg for two years and Gregory for four years.
Naasz has enjoyed watching the Winner football teams have success and watch his grandsons play for the Warriors.
The Warriors had back to back undefeated seasons and won back to back state football titles, the first in the school’s history.
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