Legion Coach
COACHING STAFF
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Legion Coach |
| JIM IVERSON Legion Coach Head of Baseball Administration Jim Iverson became head coach of the Pierre Post 8 Legion squad in December of 2001, and since then has given Post 8 fans plenty to cheer about. Iverson has compiled a 194-120 record in four years at the legion level, advancing to the state tournament each year. Iverson has led Post 8 to a level of success matched by few in his short tenure. Iverson joined the program in 2001, taking over the reigns of the A Teeners. The squad put together a 30-17 mark, winning a three game series at Watertown to become region champions and advance to state. The team lost two one-run games, placing seventh in the State AA 15-16 Teener Tournament. The following season, Iverson was promoted to legion coach, replacing Rick Knudson. Iverson's success was immediate, as his first two years saw many team and program records set. No coach in Post 8 history has won as many games in his first two years as Iverson. In fact, two of the three winningest seasons in Post 8 history belong to Iverson's crew, including a record 50 wins in the 2002 campaign. Pierre won the Region 3A title that year at Hyde Stadium, then placed third at the State Championship Tournament in Rapid City, losing to state champion Rapid City Post 22 and runners up Rapid City Post 320. The following season, Iverson's squad went 46-21. With Pierre hosting the state tournament, the squad was able to bypass the region tournament and gained an automatic berth into the tournament. Post 8 again fell to the top two teams, state champion Sioux Falls West and the runners up from Rapid City Post 22. Losing the core of his first two squads, Iverson's third year saw great success for a group of inexperienced players. Featuring just four players who saw action in postseason play the previous year, Iverson's squad finished with a 31-33 mark. Along the way, they knocked off Rapid City Post 320 in the region tournament, and finishing second in Region 3A, dropping two decisions along the way to Rapid City Post 22. The squad then lost close games to Brookings and Aberdeen, tying with Post 22 for 7th at state. In 2005, Iverson led an experienced Post 8 team to his second Region 3A title and victories in their first two State Tournament games. As a matter of fact, Post 8 was tied with Aberdeen 4-4 after eight innings in game three before Pierre lost that game, then the following day to Rapid City Post 22 to finish third. Last year was the first time that an Iverson-coached team failed to make the state tournament. His Legion squad, which compiled an even 27-27 mark, went 1-2 at the Region 3A Tournament. Overall, Iverson's Legion teams have posted an 12-8 postseason mark, with four of those losses coming at the hands of rival Rapid City Post 22. His teams have earned their way to state in four seasons, with the Legion hosting State in 2003 and getting an automatic berth. Along with the state championship runs of 1936-1939 and 1967-1968, and the state runners up in 1993 & 1994, Iverson's 2002 and 2003 teams were arguably the best Post 8 has ever fielded. Those two years saw Pierre post a combined 96-38 record, two third-place finishes at state, a Region 3A championship, and the most wins in a regular season in Post 8 history. During Iverson's legion tenure, his squads are a combined 77-35 in three seasons at Hyde, an amazing .687 winning percentage at home. His squads also have captured three of the program's four Doug Koester Memorial Tournament championships in its 17 years of existence, posting a 13-3 mark in those tournaments. In non-tournament action at Hyde under Iverson, Post 8 is 62-29. Iverson and his wife, Rosa, have four children (Angie, J.J., Chris, Ashley). J.J. was a pitcher for Post 8 (1996-1997) and Chris was a shortstop-pitcher (2001-2003). Chris, who is also a member of the coaching staff, just finished out his playing career at South Dakota State. IVERSON'S POST 8 COACHING CAREER |
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