Hall of Fame
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – On Wednesday, the Alaska Nanooks Department of Athletics officially announced that former Alaska rifle student-athlete and head coach Dan Jordan will be the second inductee in to the Nanook Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017. Jordan was a shooter for the Alaska rifle team from 1997-99 and served as the program’s head coach from 2005-16.
Jordan immediately made an impact to the Alaska Nanooks rifle team when he arrived on campus in fall of 1997, becoming a NRA First Team All-American in both smallbore and air rifle after helping the Nooks to become the NCAA Rifle National Runners-Up, falling to West Virginia by a margin of only three points (6.214-6,211).
Jordan and the Nooks continued their quest for hardware and succeeded, as the Alaska rifle team captured the NCAA Rifle National Championship in the spring of 1999, the program’s second national title since 1994. And like his rookie year, Jordan was once again honored as an NRA First Team All-American in both smallbore and air rifle. Following the 1998-99 season, Alaska went on to win six-consecutive NCAA National Championship titles from 1999-2004.
Due to a rock climbing accident, Jordan could no longer shoot collegiately for the Nanooks but continued to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks and graduated with a degree in Natural Resource Management in the spring of 2001.
Jordan continued his love for shooting and represented the United State of America in the Athens Paralympics in 2004, earning a silver medal in the men’s three-position smallbore event.
In 2005, Jordan was hired by the Alaska Nanooks Department of Athletics to become the Alaska rifle program’s new head coach, replacing Glen Dubis. Jordan’s leadership abilities meshed well with the Nooks, as the team claimed a national championship title in each of his first three years as head coach from 2006-08. Jordan was named the NCAA’s Rifle Coach of the Year from 2005-07 and earned the Alaska Nanooks Athletic Department’s Coach of the Year award in 2006, 2007 & 2014.
Under his tutelage, three Nanooks claimed individual national championship titles, including Jamie (Beyerle) Corkish (2006), Patrik Sartz (2008) and Tim Sherry (2014). Since his first season as head coach, Jordan has led 24 different shooters to 78 All-America honors and two Academic All-America selections. In 2014 and 2015, Mats Eriksson (’15) received the then-Elite 89 award, which honored the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average at an NCAA Championship.
After 11 seasons as head coach, Jordan retired from the Alaska Nanooks in the summer of 2015 to pursue other business opportunities unrelated to athletics but remains a strong supporter and alumni of the program.
The Nanook Hall of Fame induction ceremony and brunch will take place at the Patty Center Lobby on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10:30am AKT. Tickets will be available online and at the door closer to the event.
All inductees of the Nanook Hall of Fame are nominated by members of the public and elected by the Nanook Hall of Fame committee, which comprises of several former Alaska student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrators. The four newest Hall of Fame inductees were selected based on the impact each individual had on their respected program, the Alaska Nanooks Department of Athletics and what they’ve continued to contribute to their community afterward.
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