08/28/2026
Good morning, Crusaders,
Forgive me in advance for a longer than usual story, but for some people Heelan is part of their D.N.A., and their Crusader story just continues to grow.
For Dan Kelly ’77, nearly five decades have passed since he walked across the stage at Heelan. His journey took him from Sioux City to Briar Cliff College, where he continued his basketball career, and eventually into coaching and athletic administration in Iowa, North Dakota and Houston, Texas.
Basketball was always a big part of of Dan’s life. After graduating from Briar Cliff, he began building a coaching career with stops at Iowa City Regina, West Des Moines Dowling and North Dakota State before eventually making his way to Houston and Rice University.
Those early experiences helped shape the coach and educator he would become. At every stop, Dan had the opportunity to work with young people, build relationships and develop a coaching philosophy that has always put student-athletes first.
Houston eventually became home for Dan and his family wife Jamie and son Knox, and it was there that he built a remarkable career in education and athletics. Dan became a longtime basketball coach at Waltrip High School, taking over the boys program in 2004 after previously coaching the girls team. He inherited a program that had experienced instability, but Dan believed in building something that would last. And he did.
Under Dan, Waltrip returned to the postseason and became a consistent playoff program. The Rams finished 21-10 in 2007, ending more than a decade-long postseason drought, and by 2015 had reached the playoffs seven times in nine seasons under his leadership.
But the statistics only tell part of the story. Dan wasn’t just interested in building a winning basketball team. He wanted to build young men. He believed coaching was about teaching lessons that would matter long after the final buzzer. He believed students could overcome difficult circumstances and that a coach had an obligation to help them see possibilities beyond what they might see for themselves.
Former Heelan coach Ron Schultz understands that side of Dan perhaps better than anyone. “Dan is the kind of coach you would want your son or daughter to play for. ”That philosophy has followed Dan throughout his career.
Although Dan was more than 1,000 miles from Sioux City, his Heelan relationships remained close. He never forgot where he came from. One of those lifelong friendships was with fellow Crusader Todd Feltz ’77. Todd, who passed away last year, and his wife, Amy Delaney Feltz ’78, became an important part of Dan’s life in Houston.
Waltrip served a community where many families faced significant financial challenges. Dan often found himself trying to help his players and their families in ways that went well beyond his responsibilities as a coach. Todd understood.
When Dan’s players needed help, Todd and Amy stepped in. They provided financial assistance and support without seeking recognition. They did it because they believed in Dan and the young people he was serving. That is the kind of friendship that began at Heelan and lasted a lifetime.
For all the years Dan has spent in Houston, Sioux City has never been far from his heart. He makes frequent trips back home and takes time to see people who were important to him during his Heelan years, including former coaches Ron Schultz and Brendan Burchard. Whether a reunion, wedding or funeral, you can often see Dan in the crowd and think “ Dan made it back again!”
Those visits aren’t simply trips down memory lane. Dan genuinely wants to know how people are doing. He asks about Heelan. He asks about families. He asks about the people he grew up with. He remembers. “Dan is instrumental to this day to keeping Crusaders of his era connected,” Schultz says. After nearly 50 years, Dan’s roots still matter to him.
Just a few years ago, Dan graciously participated in the inaugural Bishop Heelan Hall of PRIDE Ceremony, accepting the honor on behalf of his longtime friend and fellow Crusader, the late Mike Courey ’77. Dan has often shared Mike’s inspirational story with his Waltrip teams, bringing a piece of his Heelan experience—and the lessons of a fellow Crusader—to young people in Houston.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Dan’s Heelan story is that the connection didn’t stop with his own generation. Enter Trenton Solsma ’14. Solsma was an outstanding football player at Heelan before continuing his career at Morningside University, where he graduated in 2019. He wanted to begin his career in education and coaching in Texas, and Dan and his Houston connections helped open a door.
Solsma began his coaching career at Waltrip High School in 2019, the same school where Dan had spent so many years coaching basketball. Think about it. Different generations. Different sports. Same Crusader connection.
Solsma later moved to Cinco Ranch High School and, in 2023, to Bridgeland High School, where he serves as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. It is another example of how the Heelan family can create connections that reach far beyond Sioux City.
Dan’s career has continued to evolve. His years of coaching eventually led him into athletic administration, where he could influence athletics on an even broader scale. Today, Dan serves in athletic administration for Houston-area public schools, overseeing athletics across a large network of high schools and middle schools. It is a fitting role for someone who has spent his career understanding that athletics is about far more than games and competition.
“Heelan High School played a significant role in shaping who I am today. We were fortunate to have wonderful role models who inspired us both in the classroom and through athletics. It was a great experience—one grounded in a proud tradition and a strong sense of Heelan PRIDE and Catholic values that has stayed with me throughout my life.
“The lifelong friendships formed at Heelan and the many memories we created together remain among the things I cherish most. It was an important chapter in my life, and one for which I remain deeply grateful.” Said Dan, whose siblings Pat, 76, Tim ’80, and Martha ’83, are all Heelan graduates.
Nearly 50 years after graduation, Dan Kelly is still carrying Heelan with him. He carries it in the way he coaches. He carries it in the way he mentors young people. He carries it in friendships he has never allowed distance or time to erase. And he carries it every time he comes home to Sioux City.
For Dan Kelly ’77, Sioux City will always be home. And Bishop Heelan will always be part of who he is. Once a Crusader. Always a Crusader.
-Tom Betz, '85
