A longtime track and field coach in the state of South Dakota, Central College track and field’s associate head coach Jim Fuller was inducted into the South Dakota Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame Saturday. The ceremony was held in Sturgis on Saturday during the high school state track and field championships. He was one of five coaches inducted into the 2021 class.

Jim Fuller was the Northern State University cross country coach from 1988-2003 and the head men’s and women’s track and field coach from 1988-2012. Northern State is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Fuller’s Northern State athletes received 54 NAIA or NCAA all-American awards during his tenure, with 815 all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference awards and 27 league MVP trophies. His squads captured six NSIC team championships and he was named the league’s track and field coach of the year six times and five times in cross country. He is a past president of the NCAA Division II Cross Country Coaches Association and served as head referee for the NAIA national meet.

Since joining the Central staff prior to the 2013 season, Fuller has coached 10 conference multi-event champions. His athletes have captured five NCAA Division III multi-event champions with eight all-America awards. He was named the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Division III national assistant coach of the year in indoor track and field in 2018 and was twice named the Central Region assistant coach of the year.