His accomplishments are many during a 46-year (and counting) coaching career, and 1974 Britton High School graduate Arlin Likness has an incredible drive to win.
But topping his head football coaching record of 261-101, seven state championships, and three more state runner-ups, he is most proud of his efforts to help his players win in life.
In recognition of all these things Likness has been named to the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s (NHSACA) National Hall of Fame. This year’s induction ceremony will be held at the NHSACA national convention in Rapid City on June 24 when 39 coaches from 20 states across the national will be recognized. Likness’ former assistant coach at Yankton, Dan Mitchell, is the NHSACA president and will present the award.
This latest recognition tops the long list of honors received by the long-time coach that includes being named South Dakota’s Football Coach of the Year four times, the South Dakota Sportswriter’s Coach of the Year, and he is a member of three other Hall of Fames.
“My desire to become a coach started when I was at Northern State University,” said Likness. “I loved being able to help kids kind of find themselves, set some goals, and make good decisions. Football is a lot like life with lots of ups and downs. The most important thing is how you deal with those things and how you grow from those experiences. It’s not if you win or lose, but have you given your best effort and do you get up and go at it again.”
Orginally Was Going To Coach Basketball
Likness had initially planned to be a basketball coach and began his career at Hamlin in 1979 as an assistant basketball and football coach. He calls becoming an assistant before taking a head job the best decision he could have made and credits Hamlin’s head basketball coach Wayne Carney as a key mentor for him, taking a lot of basketball things he learned and putting them into practice on the football field.
In any endeavor, whether it be athletics or in life, working together as a team is paramount, and Likness is a master team-builder.
“I think it comes down to showing he truly cares,” said Tanner Frick, who played for Likness at Yankton from 2014-16,” and knowing that the game is bigger than just football. He cares about you as a person first and winning is the byproduct. He wants you to be successful and has higher expectations for the players than they have for themselves.”D Part of that success formula was spending time together. Likness would orchestrate team-building activities, including summer getaways at Roy Lake and Pickerel Lake, something he “stole” from long-time coaches Dale McElhaney of Watertown and Britton native and Custer and De Smet coach Larry Luitjens.
“I did a lot of things to try and make the team a true family,” stressed Likness. “To be successful you have to trust each other and grow with each other.”
Likness is also an innovator, and although he has retired from his head coaching duties, he is still the offensive coordinator at Beresford and is working to install a new offense for that squad for next season.
“He’s a mastermind in offense,” said Mitchell, who served as a Likness’ assistant at Yankton during his entire tenure there. “A lot of teams have a package they run and try to mold kids into that package. Arlin molds the package around the talent of the student-athletes. He’s great at getting the right kids in the right places. Arlin is also an outstanding leader and a life coach. He takes kids and molds them into great persons.”
Part of that innovative mind-set can be traced back to a 9-3 loss in the playoff semifinals while coaching at Hamlin. Assistant Coach Doug Strande remembers finding Likness in the locker room with tears in his eyes following that loss.
“We had a really good team and had snow and ice on the field for that game,” recalled Strande. “Our guys couldn’t get any traction. Arlin just wept in the locker room because he felt so bad for the boys. He vowed from then on he was going to learn how to score points.”
Camp Career-Changing Likness attended a camp run by Steve Kieter of Sioux Falls O’Gorman and Jim Utecht of West Central, whose team won 10 state championships in a 12-year stretch, and it was career-changing.
“I fell in love with the unbalanced double wing offense and it became my bread and butter,” said Likness.
“When he got back from that clinic I went over to Arlin’s house and we were there digesting that offense until way early in the morning,” Strande remembered. “And we went on to win three straight titles and a runner-up. It’s amazing how he can figure out how to beat you. He wants to create good, solid young men but doggone it, he wants them to win, too.”
Frick cited an example of Likness’ ability to think outside the box and adapt to situations.
“When I was a junior we went undefeated and won the state title. But my senior year we were struggling and had four losses early in the season. However, Coach Likness was always willing to try new things and make adjustments when needed. I had never played quarterback but he end up putting me at quarterback in a wildcat formation, moved some other people around, and we ended up going on a winning streak the rest of the season and won another state title. No matter what, he just always seems to find a way to win.”
Tied into that innovation was when Likness saw early-on, when it wasn’t part of most every football program, that weight training was a key cog in football success.
“When we went to the Dome in 1982 I realized that the older the teams the better their chances of getting to the dome, so strength and maturity was a factor,” said Likness. “The school board wouldn’t approve buying any weights, so I took my own money and my wife said I could spend up to $1,000, so I spent $999.99. After the school board saw what it did for our program they paid me back a year later.”
Good coaches also seem to have a knack for bringing out the best in their athletes, and Likness shines in that area.
Described As ‘Intense’
“I would describe Coach Likness as intense,” said Bryon Noem, who played for Hamlin from 1985-89, starting at quarterback for three seasons. “You would run through a wall for him and he had that way of really pushing you and not settling for less than what you could give. His personality was such that you were just drawn to him and wanted to play hard for him. He made you better, and when you work hard together it really draws you closer together as a team. There’s just a confidence that grows in you.”
Once in a while Likness would even put on the pads.
“Of course he didn’t think we were working hard enough so sometimes he would put his pads on or even get in there without pads,” noted Noem. “He was just so intense and that rubbed off on you.”
“If I had to pick out Arlin’s biggest strength it would be that he could get on you and give you an earful and then put his arm around you and say, ‘I’m not going to let you fail,’” added Strande.
For Likness it is all about working to help kids reach their potential.
“Everybody thinks about championships, but for me it’s about being the best team we can be. If you get the most out of the kids, they are still winners. And it’s gotta be fun.”
Another character trait of Hall of Fame coaches is their willingness to delegate responsibilities and share credit for success
“I remember each of the coaches getting a piece of paper out before the season started and writing down what we thought should be the starting offensive and defensive lineups,” recalled Strande. “When we were done we would compare and discuss any differences, but you better have a reason for everything you did. Arlin just wanted to have an honest, open discussion and let all the coaches have a voice. But when we decided on what we were going to do it was all hands on deck. This was the game plan and everybody had to get on board, but he just had a way of keeping coaches and players engaged and motivated.”
“Having the right coaches and really good athletes helps all of it,” stressed Likness. “But you have to keep growing so that you believe. You have to believe to achieve. That’s just how it is.”
Likness also has the unique distinction of playing a small role in an engagement off the field. Noem, who played for Hamlin in the 1980’s, and Frick, a 2016 Yankton grad, were destined to be related when Frick married Noem’s daughter.
“When we (my wife and I) discovered that her Dad and I both played for Coach Likness we knew it was meant to be,” concluded Frick. “We were both coached by the greatest coach ever!”
