Hall of Fame
Eleven-time letterwinner including four each in basketball and football, and three in track...Of the 11 teams he played on, nine won conference championships...As a forward in basketball he was honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore and All-Northern Intercollegiate Conference as a junior...For track he competed in the hurdles and competed in the weight events...As a quarterback on the football team won All-NIC honors as a sophomore and junior...As a junior he was named the recipient of the NIC's MVP Award (Glen Galligan Award) in 1952...Set a school record for single season total yardage (1,300) that lasted for 15 years...Named Outstanding Athlete in Mankato...Following graduation, he spent 1954 to 1992 (37 years) teaching and coaching at Waseca High School. He was head boys basketball 38 years and the head track coach for 35 years. As the boy’s basketball coach he won 487 games, 13 conference championships and appeared in the Minnesota State Basketball Tournament four times. Beckman was named the Minnesota Coach of the Year in 1975 and coached Minnesota’s first Mr. Basketball in Gene Glynn who went on to star in basketball and baseball at MSU and he is also a member of the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
In addition to being a member of the MSU Hall of Fame, Beckman also was inducted into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Hall of Fame in 2010.
