South Dakota co-defensive coordinator Tyler Yelk has been a part of Bob Nielson’s team since the 2005 football season when he led his alma mater, Minnesota Duluth, in tackles as a freshman. Yelk joined Nielson’s coaching staff at UMD following his senior season, moved with Nielson to Western Illinois, and in December of 2015 became a part of Nielson’s staff at USD.
Yelk coached defensive backs at Western Illinois and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator ahead of the 2015 campaign. In addition to his coordinator duties at South Dakota, Yelk coaches the safeties.
Yelk led Minnesota Duluth in tackles for three consecutive seasons and became the program’s all-time leading tackler (323) during a senior season in which the Bulldogs captured their first national championship and finished with a 15-0 record. Yelk earned three different All-America honors and was a two-time first-team all-NSIC/NCC selection during his career. He also competed in the 2008 Cactus Bowl, an all-star game for Division II seniors.
Yelk became the only Bulldog to win a national title as both a player and a coach in 2010 when Minnesota Duluth finished 15-0 to capture the program’s second national title. Yelk served as special teams coordinator, defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator for the Bulldogs for four seasons. His players received two All-America awards, five all-region honors and 11 all-conference selections.
Yelk joined Western Illinois’ staff when Nielson became head coach there in 2013. In year three, Western Illinois returned to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2010 and advanced to the second round to culminate a seven-win season. The Leathernecks’ intercepted a Valley-leading 19 passes in 2015, which ranked seven nationally. Western Illinois intercepted 35 passes in three seasons with Yelk as its secondary coach.
A native of Arlington, Wis., Yelk earned both a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master of education degree from UMD. He and his wife, Elyce, have a daughter, Leighton.
