Northern State Athletics Hall of Fame
Francis Zacher graduated from Northern State College in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Health and Physical Education. In 1972, he returned to NSC to complete his master's degree and served as a graduate assistant at Northern State under the direction of legendary coach, Bob Wachs. Zacher spent his professional career as a teacher and football and basketball coach at high schools across South Dakota. He led the boys' basketball programs at Fort Pierre, Eagle Butte, Gettysburg, and Roncalli posting a career record of 250-95. Zacher led Roncalli to the South Dakota State 'A' Basketball Championship in 1975; the first parochial school and smallest school in the division to win a state title. On the gridiron, Zacher's teams from Fort Pierre, Gettysburg, and Roncalli went 51-21 overall.
Zacher's honors throughout the years include: 1975 National Association of Basketball Coaches Achievement Award, 1975 South Dakota Sportswriters High School Coach of the Year, 1998 Lakota Invitational Community Award, and induction into the South Dakota High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009. Following his coaching career, Zacher continued his passion for athletics as a high school official for both basketball and football in Western South Dakota. He is also an Army Veteran having been drafted shortly into his initial coaching job in Ft. Pierre.
Francis Zacher's late wife, Geraldine Payne Zacher was also a Northern State College graduate, earning an education degree. They had 4 children: Jeff Zacher, MD (Phoenix, Ariz.), Lisa Zacher, MD (Orlando, Fla.), Scott Zacher, MFA (Chicago, Ill.), and Stacey Zacher Grajeda, RPh (El Paso, Texas). He has 7 grandchildren. Zacher's siblings Bill, Sylvester, Clarence, James and Mary Jean attended NSC; Bill is a 1976 member of the Northern State Athletics Hall of Fame.
