SIOUX FALLS – The man who coached Pierre Governor Girls Basketball to its two state championships has passed away.
Don Shields died on Monday in Sioux Falls at age 82. He had been in home hospice care for around a year’s time.
Shields’ coaching career spanned five decades, starting in 1963, and most of those years were spent with Pierre, coaching basketball, football and track & field. He also had two stints as boys’ basketball head coach at Stanley County, including leading the Buffaloes to the 1997 Class A state tournament, only the second boys state tournament appearance in school history and SC’s most recent to date..
The bulk of Shields’ success, though, was as Governor Girls Basketball head coach. He remains as the program’s winningest head coach, compiling 236 wins in two stints (1979-94 & 2004-06).
In Shields’ fourth season, 1982, Pierre tied Yankton for the ESD title as the Governors and Gazelles split their regular season meetings. Pierre then won the game that counted the most, the Class A championship over Yankton at Huron Arena.
Shields’ 1991-92 team finished below .500 in the regular season, but still finished second in district, won the regional title, then swept to a state championship victory over Mitchell.
Shields also led the Governor girls to 11 other state tournament appearances.
He also spent six seasons (1970-75) as Governor Football head coach.
In 2014, Shields became just the fourth Pierre coach to be inducted into the South Dakota Coaches Association Hall of Fame, joining Phil Trautner, Bob Judson and Paul Marschalk.
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