Simpson College mourns loss of former coach Keith Ellingson

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Keith Ellingson, hall of fame track and field and cross country coach at Simpson College, died Friday, May 14, 2021 at the age of 63.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 20 at First Assembly of God Church. Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 19 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola with family present from 4 to 8 p.m.

Read the complete obituary at overtonfunerals.com.

Ellingson coached the Simpson men's track and field and cross country programs from 1986-2001. During that time, Simpson achieved unmatched success at the national level. Ellingson led the cross country team to ninth place at the 1986 national championships and guided the track and field team to fifth place at the 1988 national championships. Both results stand as the best in school history.

Ellingson and his family have deep ties to the College. Keith's wife, Kristi, worked at Simpson for more than 20 years before her death in 2010. Of the couple's three daughters – Jessica, Catie and Bailey – two graduated from Simpson. Jessica Ellingson Hull is a member of the Class of 2008 and Catie is a member of the Class of 2012. Catie was a standout track and cross country student-athlete, earning All-America honors six times.

"Keith's impact on his student-athletes, the coaching community – both as a coach and administrator – and the greater community is unmatched," said Dave Cleveland and Heath Moenck in a joint statement. Cleveland is the head track and field coach and assistant athletic director and Moenck is the head cross country coach. "We were lucky to have him as part of our program as a parent and had the unbelievable opportunity to coach alongside him for many years here at Simpson. Keith was beloved and well-respected by his student-athletes and coaching peers, not only because of his vast knowledge, but because of his huge heart."

Ellingson was inducted into the Simpson College Coaches Hall of Fame in 2019.

During his 15-year tenure at Simpson, Ellingson's student-athletes earned 63 All-America accolades and set more than 20 school records. He coached the most-decorated track and field athlete in school history in Kip Janvrin, a five-time national champion, 12-time conference champion and member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team. Following stints as the head cross country coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and activities director at Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Ellingson returned to the track and field and cross country programs as an assistant coach in 2013.