Biesiot humbled by BAC being renamed in his honor

• Hank Biesiot

Dickinson State football coach Hank Biesiot watches his team’s game against Valley City State Sept. 10 at the Badlands Activities Center. The stadium will be renamed in honor of Biesiot as part of this year’s DSU homecoming festivities.

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Hank Biesiot is a man of great accomplishments, but perhaps even greater humility.

So, what was his reaction to learning the stadium in which he coaches football will soon be named in his honor?

“A surprise, a little embarrassed,” Biesiot said with a humorous tone.

On Friday, it was announced that Badlands Activities Center football and track and field stadium at Dickinson State University is being renamed after the school’s legendary head football coach, who enters his 37th season this fall and is already enshrined in the NAIA Hall of Fame.

The State Board of Higher Education approved DSU’s proposal to rename the stadium in Biesiot’s name on Friday. The Associated Press reported that Higher Board of Education policy frowns on naming college facilities for people who are still working there, but the board agreed to make an exception for Biesiot.

The renaming efforts were spearheaded by DSU athletic supporters and the DSU Alumni & Foundation.

“It’s a surprise and, I guess there’s a lot of people that have been involved with any success we’ve had there,” Biesiot said Saturday. “That’s the first thing you think about.”

Biesiot has 255 career victories, two short of breaking the NAIA football coaching wins record. The Blue Hawks have had just three losing seasons in Biesiot’s 36 seasons as head coach, his second year in 1977, a three-win season in 2007 and last season’s four-win effort.

The Blue Hawks enter the Frontier Conference this season and are scheduled to play five home games, starting with a league game against Rocky Mountain College at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1.

Though the stadium’s exact name has not been announced, official renaming ceremonies will take place during homecoming. The Blue Hawks’ homecoming game is against Montana Tech at 1 p.m. on Oct. 6.

It will be the sixth game of their season and fourth home game, meaning Biesiot will coach one additional game next season in the stadium of his namesake.

Biesiot has spoken little about approaching the record and stayed that course when asked about possibly setting the NAIA wins record in a stadium named in his honor.

“You’ve heard the one game at a time line,” Biesiot said. “That’s worked for a few years. I hope that’s what everybody involved in each game is thinking about.”

The football field at the stadium is named Fisher Field, in honor of Dickinson’s Fisher family, which donated $1 million to the building efforts of the facility.

The track is named after Roger Huffman, who spent more than 30 years as DSU’s track and field and cross country head coaches as well as athletic director.

DSU President D.C. Coston and DSU Alumni & Foundation CEO Kevin Thompson were not available for comment.

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