Dean Pryor
Head Track/Cross Country Coach, 1957-62

Dean came to Coffeyville College in the fall of 1957 as Track Coach and Assistant Football Coach. Upon his arrival he found that Delmar Ferrell, a distance runner, was his only returning letterman. At this point Coffeyville wasn’t exactly a power in Kansas JUCO track having won only one State Championship (1953) to that date. The powerhouse of Jr. College track in Kansas was Hutchinson who had won 9 out of the last 12 State Championships and one National Championship in 1954. Although Coffeyville had 3 individual National Champions through the years: Paul Good – Pole Vault 1955; Mark White – High Jump 1956; and Bob Fischer – 220 Yard Dash 1957; they had never been a contender for the National Team Championship.

Dean was no stranger to SE Kansas having grown up and graduating from high school in Fredonia, KS. He was a three-sport lettermen in football, basketball, and track for four years and his father was the high school track coach. At the University of Arkansas he was a 3-year starter on the football team and was co-captain in 1952. In track, he lettered 3 years and won the decathlon at the Kansas Relays and placed eighth in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1953. After 2 years in the Army where he played and coached football and track at Fort Monmouth, he accepted his first coaching job at Lakeland, FL high school as Assistant Football and Track Coach. A year later he received a call from Bill Jurney, Coffeyville College Head Football Coach and his teammate at Arkansas, to come to Coffeyville.

From Dean’s first Track season in the spring of 1958 to his final Track season in the Spring of 1961 the Red Ravens were among the country’s elite track programs. Six Red Ravens scored points in the 1958 National Track meet led by Larry Wagner’s 2^nd place finish in the 880 and a 2^nd place finish in the Mile Relay. The team finished 5^th. Again in 1959 the team finished 5^th led by Larry Wagner winning a National Title in the 880. Coach Pryor established Cross Country in the fall of 1958 to give his runners some off track season training. Balance and depth were at an all-time high as the Ravens prepared for year three at the 1960 National Track Meet. The Red Ravens blew away the competition as Coffeyville won the National Championship in Big Springs, TX. National Titles were won by Mike Fulghum in the Mile and  2 Mile, Bill Thornton in the 880 and Robin Oliver in the Javelin. The Cross Country team led by Mike Fulghum and Bill Thornton won the 1960 National Championship the following fall. Coach Pryor’s final track season at Coffeyville in 1961 resulted in a runner-up finish at Nationals highlighted by Freddie Madkin’s National Title in the 880 as well as Mike Fulghum’s in the Mile. Don Hawk tied for 1^st in the Pole Vault. The meet culminated with the Sprint Medley team of Cale Hudson, Gary Thornton, Cecil Maddox and Paul Taylor winning a National Title.

Coach Pryor accepted the Head Football Coaching position at Coffeyville for the 1960 and 61 seasons as well as continuing to coach Track and Cross Country. Shortly after the 1961 football season Dean accepted an Assistant Football position with Wichita State University. He was also the Head Football Coach at Hastings College in Nebraska as well as the Athletic Director at Arkansas State University for 5 years.