Harry Denson (2003)
Coach Denson coached at Crossett from 1952 to 1963 and built their first track. His last 7 years at Crossett saw no less than a second place finish in the State Meet and Crossett earned its first State Championship in 1958.
At UAM, from 1966 to 1988, he coached 16 All-Americans, UAM’s only two individual National Champions, and 3 athletes who competed in the Olympic Trials. Coach Denson oversaw the enlarging of the UAM track from 7 to 8 lanes and the adding of an all-weather surface which allowed UAM to host the AIC Championship Meet during his last year with the school. That meet halted UAM’s 14 year home track meet winning streak. In 1980 Coach Denson was listed as one of Arkansas’ outstanding track coaches in George S. Jones’ book “History of the First Seventy-Five Years of High School Track and Field in Arkansas.” Coached 11 years at Crossett, 1 year at West Memphis, and 23 years at UAM. He was a WWII veteran and a Deacon at 1st Baptist Church in Monticello and passed away in 1993 at the age of 66. While at UAM he coached Damon Martin who now coaches men’s and women’s track and cross country at Adam’s State College in Alamosa, Colorado and is a 12-time National Coach of the Year. Coach Denson was an all-around athlete in high school and college. He was Warren’s outstanding athlete in 1945 and started at center for LRJC’s 1949 National Champion Football Team. |