Dan Mitchell, former Wayne High School and Wayne State College graduate was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year for Boys’ Sports by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) at their annual convention which was held in Bismark, North Dakota from June 24 - 26.
Mitchell coached wrestling for 10 years and football for 33 years at Yankton High School in Yankton, South Dakota where he also taught Career and Technical Education (CTE) for 34 years. He has been an instructor in Wayne State’s Technology and Applied Sciences Department since 2019 when he retired from Yankton High School.
Mitchell was, also, installed as President of NHSACA at the close of the convention. The 2025 convention will be held in Rapid City, SD next June.
Mitchell was serving as a volunteer football coach at Beresford High School in Beresford, SD when he won the award.
Mitchell is the past president of the South Dakota High School Coaches Association (SDHSCA) and the South Dakota Football Coaches Association (SDFBCA).
He has been inducted into the SDFBCA Hall of Fame as well as the Wayne High School Hall of Fame.
Mitchell’s wife, Laura (Lessmann), who is also a Wayne High School and Wayne State College graduate and daughter, Abbie, attended the convention with him.
