VERMILLION, S.D. — Following the program's most successful season in the Division I FCS era, University of South Dakota head football coach Bob Nielson is stepping down with plans to retire after coaching 32 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including the last nine seasons at South Dakota.
 
"Coaching football is all I have known for the past 42 years and while coaching has been a true blessing it has also been all-encompassing," commented Nielson. "This decision will allow me to focus on other priorities in my life and while I will deeply miss walking that sideline in the Dome, I look forward to the opportunities ahead."  
 
"I want to thank Coach Nielson for his incredible nine years of leadership of our Coyote Football program. Bob has built USD into a championship program that is positioned for success and able to withstand the ongoing challenges in the ever-changing landscape of Division I athletics," said Schemmel. "While the thought of Coyote football without Bob and his shirt and tie on the sideline is hard to imagine, I respect his decision to retire at this time and his legacy is cemented at USD. I am so excited for Bob to be able to spend more time with Terri, their children, and grandchildren!"
 
Known for building programs, Nielson took the reins of the USD program ahead of the 2016 season. Nielson's career is a storied one being a two-time NCAA Division II national champion (Minnesota Duluth, 2008 & 2010), three-time national coach of the year, and three-time Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Coach of the Year honors (Western Illinois, 2015; South Dakota, 2023 & 2024). Nielson chaired the NCAA football rules committee from 2015 to 2017, and prior to the 2024 season, he was named to the FCS Oversight Committee.
 
"Bob Nielson has been an outstanding leader for our football program. His commitment to the student-athletes and the university community is unwavering. Bob came to USD with a goal of making our football program a consistent national contender in FCS football," commented University of South Dakota President, Sheila Gestring. "He has done that and under his leadership, the Coyotes competed in the playoffs three of the past four seasons, each time making a deeper run. In 2024, the Coyotes earned a share of the MVFC title, a first for the program. Bob was named the MVFC Coach of the Year three times, two of which at USD. Bob built an outstanding football program, laid the foundation for which to build on, and is leaving our program better than he found it. We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement."
 
In 2018, Coach Nielson surpassed the career milestone of 200 wins as a head coach with the 31-24 win over Southern Illinois. He needed less than 300 games to accomplish the feat, becoming the 91^st coach in college football to achieve 200 wins.
 
Nielson posted a 53-48 record leading the South Dakota football program, which sits him fourth all-time in program history. He led the Coyotes to all four of their FCS Playoff appearances, holding a 4-4 record in playoff games with a 3-2 record in playoff games inside the DakotaDome. He cemented his legacy as one of the best coaches in program history, taking the program to new heights at the Division I level with taking the Coyotes to the quarterfinals in 2023 and a step further with a semifinal appearance in 2024.
 
This past season in 2024 will go down in the record books as one of the best Coyote teams in program history. Nielson led USD to their first-ever MVFC title after a 7-1 campaign and a win over then No. 1-ranked North Dakota State to conclude the regular season. Leading the program to the FCS semifinal also came with an 11-3 overall record, tying the most wins in a single season for South Dakota with the 1986 team that made an appearance in the Division II national title game.
 
Furthermore, the first-ever win over North Dakota in the Alerus Center – and first win over UND in Grand Forks since 1985 – on November 16, 2024, also proved to be Nielson's 50^th win leading the South Dakota football program.
 
In the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Nielson was an impressive 14-2 inside the Dome. He led the Coyotes to a perfect 8-0 record at home, marking the first season being undefeated at home since 2011.
 
The three-time national coach of the year amassed an 239-128-1 record in 32 seasons, leading 14 teams to national playoff appearances. The 239 wins ranks him 42^nd all-time amongst college football coaches across all levels. On top of his two national titles at the Division II level, Nielson won a total of nine conference titles in his career, picking up titles at all three NCAA Divisions (Wartburg & UW-Eau Claire, DIII; Minnesota Duluth, DII, and South Dakota DI).
 
During his years at Minnesota Duluth, he also served as the Athletic Director for the Bulldogs from 2004 to 2012. During his time as AD, Nielson's athletic department won a total of five NCAA national titles.
 
"I want to thank Coyote Nation for all the support they have shown Terri and I over the past decade and for the relationships and friendships that we have made and will forever cherish," concluded Nielson.