Dan Hanton

Director of Athletics - Dan Hanton

In 2008 Dan Hanton, a 1965 graduate of Graceland University, began his sixth year as the first full time Director of Athletics for the Yellowjackets.

In his first year, Hanton brought years of experience, a love for Graceland University and a passion for student-athletes to his position.  In his second year Hanton showed successful progress for the 17 varsity and eight junior varsity Yellowjacket athletic programs.

During his tenure, Hanton has structured the athletics program, created a salary schedule for athletic personnel, hired seven head coaches, three SID's and four athletic trainers, and promoted two assistant coaches to head coach status and named twelve assistant coaches.  He initiated renovations of the Closson Gymnasium, including white lights in the ceiling, a modern paint design on the gym floor, storage areas and four new scorer's tables for athletic events.  Hanton pursued the construction of a new concessions stand, new men and women's locker rooms, assisted with the initiation of the fitness major and helped create an intramural director who works directly with the student IM director.

Under Hanton's direction in 2004-05, the NAIA awarded 14 athletes All-America recognition, added to the 47 all-conference selections.  Within the same year, Yellowjacket student-athletes received 17 All-America Scholar-Athlete honors, 27 Region V Scholar-Athlete awards and 36 Heart of America Athletic Conference academic accolades.  Five athletes were recognized as NAIA Players of the Week, and the Heart of America Athletic Conference awarded Graceland with 17 player of the week awards. 

In 2005-2006 in the HAAC, Graceland had three coaches of the year, three players of the year, three conference championship teams, one post season tournament champion and one regional champion. Five athletic teams found themselves in the nation's Top 25 rankings as four of Graceland's teams received bids and high seeds for the NAIA National post season (women's soccer #2, football #12, men's soccer #12 and men's tennis #13, women's volleyball completed the season as #30 in the Nation).

The fall of 2006-2007 topped any previous honors! The men's soccer team earned the National Soccer

Title in Daytona Beach defeating highly ranked Azusa Pacific in the championship match. The women's soccer team posted an outstanding 17-1-1 record winning the Heart of America Athletic Conference for the third year in a row. For the first time in thirteen years the  women's cross country team earned a trip to the National meet in Louisville, Kentucky. Graceland's football team posted a 6-4 record and were ranked as high as 8^th in the nation during the season. And, for the first time ever, men and women's tennis each sent a representative to the ITA tennis championships, representing the NAIA placing fifth and eighth.

The  GU women's athletic program won the highly regarded Commissioner's grade point average award as they combined for a 3.32 cumulative gpa; the best overall average in the eleven team conference.  Due to the efforts of all the teams, Hanton was selected as the "Athletic Director of the Year" for 2006-07 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. He will also be inducted into the Port Huron, Michigan Sports "Hall of Fame" in late October of 2007.

The Department of Athletics is now cooperating with the Office of Development and have created a booster club for the Yellowjacket sports programs (under the leadership of Tracey Bridge), including membership and fundraising activities, meeting the needs of all aspects of the department.

Prior to his current duties, Hanton served as Graceland's Assistant Director of Athletics and head women's basketball coach.  As assistant A.D., Hanton was primarily in charge of field house scheduling, game management for athletic events and evaluation of coaches within the department. 

As head basketball coach, Hanton led the Lady Yellowjackets to an 18-win season (a tie for 5^th in the HAAC); the most wins in Graceland women's basketball history and had the first ever women's basketball player named to the All-American Team.  That player graduated from Graceland and headed to Sweden to play professional basketball for the Vaxjo Queens. 

Hanton received faculty-status in 2002 as an assistant professor in the health, physical education and recreation department at Graceland, teaching organization and administration of physical education, health and recreation.  He also serves on numerous committees on campus, including the EMC, FAC, Final Fling, Homecoming, Heart of America Task Force and the Heart of America Athletic Conference Board of Governors.

Prior to Graceland, Hanton coached basketball, football and track at Port Huron Northern High School in Port Huron, Mich. for 27 years.  He also taught science, social studies and physical education at PHHS.  Hanton was the head men's basketball coach for 25 years, and takes pride in coaching the 1991 Michigan Quarterfinals game against the #1 team in the nation, Detroit Southwestern, who was led by future Michigan "Fab Five" star Jalen Rose. Hanton's team repeated their Quarterfinal efforts in 1992 facing the nation's #5 club, Detroit Pershing.

In 1998, Hanton was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his work as an assistant football coach 26 years for the Port Huron Northern Huskies and five years for the Brown City Green Devils.  He has also been awarded the Michigan High School Coaches Association Service Award and boy's basketball Coach of the Year in his conference, region and area.

Hanton also served as the Brown City Community Schools Director of Athletics, administrator, coach and educator for six years. In Brown City, Mich., He organized and reconstructed two athletic conferences, helped design a new gymnasium and established the first athletic booster club for the school.

Hanton graduated from Graceland with a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in health and social studies in 1965, and obtained his master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from Indiana University in 1970.  Hanton married Suzanne (Fisher), a 1964 graduate of Graceland, and has three children: Kelle (GU '90), Mark (GU '92) and Brian (Michigan State '95).