Kieth Skogman is more than likely a Dana College Football coach that you never heard anything about but his contributions to the college and the program lived on for year’s after he left the sideline.
If you glance through the year by year records there is no doubt there weren’t an over abundance of winning seasons. The majority of them coming during the Leo McKillip era and a few others scattered around the history of the program. Often overlooked are the year’s Kieth Skogman spent coaching the Vikings where he was able to produce a winning record in three of his seven seasons.
Skogman, a native of Hopkins, Minn., finished his career at Dana 25-30-2, a winning percentage only eclipsed by McKillip. From 1950-53 he was the head coach of the Vikings before leaving the hill to become the head coach for rival Nebraska Wesleyan. One of the reason’s for the departure to Lincoln was not only to coach but to obtain his PHD from the University of Nebraska in Education. While at Wesleyan he guided the then “Plainsmen” to a 21-32-3 record. After completion of his doctorate work, Skogman came back to Dana College to be the head of the Physical Education department and eventually the Dean of Students. Skogman returned to the sidelines to coach the Vikings from 1962-64 before stepping aside to focus on his other duties.
In 1966, he left Dana College for Texas Lutheran and served the university as Professor of kinesiology, Athletics Director, and Coach for men’s golf and men’s/women’s tennis. For 21 years, he guided the Bulldog men’s and women’s tennis teams. Kieth was awarded professor emeritus status at TLU upon his retirement in 1994 and was inducted into the Texas Lutheran Athletics Leadership Wall of Honor in 2004. After his retirement from Texas Lutheran, Kieth coached golf at Briesemeister Middle School in Seguin for 10 years.
A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus University in Saint Peter, Minn., Skogman was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Graduating in 1949, he lettered four years in both football and hockey, and two years in track. He played guard on the football team and is the only Gustavus graduate to be named All-Conference for four consecutive years. He was co-captain in 1947 and 1948 and was selected a member of the 1948 college All-Star team which played in the Clipper International Bowl in Gilmore Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif. (The U.S. team played against teams from Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico.)
Skogman not only left a mark on Dana College but seemingly at every college he stopped at along the way. He passed away in 2014.
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