Jim Haar
Kretchman Coaching Award Winner

Jim Haar, longtime Eureka, Aberdeen Central and Rapid City Central coach and athletic director, will be honored with the second annual Jim Kretchman Coaching Award during this year’s homecoming festivities.

The purpose of the Jim Kretchman Coaching Award is to recognize those Northern State University alumni who have made significant contributions to the coaching profession and have demonstrated throughout their career the humane and ethical characteristics exemplified by Jim Kretchman during his years of service to intercollegiate athletics at Northern State University.

Kretchman’s athletic, coaching and administrative career at Northern spanned 37 years, ending with his retirement as athletic director in 1999. From his highlights as an all-American running back in the 1950’s to his days on the sidelines as a head football coach in the 60’s and 70’s to his move to athletic director in 1980, the Kretchman legacy at Northern is providing students with educational experiences and life lessons through athletics.

Following his graduation from Northern State, Haar was hired at Eureka High School in 1968 where he served as head coach for boy’s basketball and cross country and was an assistant in football and track & field before eventually becoming the athletic director at EHS.

After an 11-year stint at Eureka, Haar came back to the Hub City where he took over as an assistant basketball coach and an assistant for track & field at Aberdeen Central High School. Haar also served as the Golden Eagles’ head football coach for three seasons before being named as the athletic director in 1984.

Haar moved to Rapid City in 1990 where he is currently in his 13th year at Central High School.

“I think that the greatest thing about all of the years in athletics is that the students, fellow coaches, and parents have been fabulous,” said Haar of his coaching career. “I have enjoyed it all.”

Haar follows Larry Luitjens who received the first-ever Kretchman Coaching Award a year ago.