The University of Minnesota Crookston athletic department announced the hiring of Jakob Hanna as the assistant coach for track and field and cross country for the Golden Eagles. Hanna, a former cross country and track and field student-athlete at North Dakota State University and the University of Sioux Falls, comes to Minnesota Crookston after serving as a business teacher and cross country and track and field coach at Dell Rapids High School in Dell Rapids, S.D.
“I’m proud to be given the opportunity to assist the development of Golden Eagle track and field and cross country!,” Hanna stated. “I’m pumped to get started and cannot wait to serve the athletes and students of the University of Minnesota Crookston.”
During his one season at Dell Rapids, Hanna designed and implemented cross country and distance track training programs, and coordinated meet entries, travel logistics, scheduling, and event preparation. He emphasized athlete development, accountability, culture building, and academic success. In 2023-24, Hanna spent a season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Dakota Wesleyan University where he assisted with recruiting coordination, practice preparation, and gameday operations.
Hanna was a highly accomplished runner at both NDSU and Sioux Falls. For the Bison, Hanna set a Top 10 mark all-time at NDSU in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 8:18. He earned All-Summit League Second Team in cross country in 2020-21. Hanna helped the 1200m distance medley relay team win a Summit League title in indoor as a freshman in 2017-18. He was also all-conference in track at NDSU. Hanna was a cross country team captain as a senior and a five-time Dean’s List member.
At USF, he was an Academic All-American and Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction recipient. He had a GPA during his Master’s program of 3.8. Hanna was an All-NSIC pick in cross country and track and field for the Cougars.
“I am thrilled to be able to add Jakob to the staff!,” said Head Coach Steve Krouse. “This is a huge moment in our program’s history as we have never had the opportunity to hire a full-time assistant coach. Jakob’s passion and enthusiasm for the sport was apparent throughout the interview process and will be a major asset for our program moving forward. I can’t wait for Jakob to get here and start working with our team!”
Hanna is a Brandon, S.D. native. He also served as an athletic administration intern during his time with the University of Sioux Falls. Hanna earned his Master of Educational Administration in higher education from the University of Sioux Falls in 2023. He received his Bachelor of Science in physical and health education from North Dakota State University in 2021, graduating Cum Laude.
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