University of South Dakota Athletics

Eric Peterson was named the 19th head coach of the Coyotes in March 2022, making his second stop in Vermillion in his coaching career. He brings success with him after a conference championship and Region XIII as a head coach at the NJCAA level. As an assistant coach, he has been on staff for three different NCAA tournament appearances. 

In the 2024-25 season, Peterson guided the Coyotes to a 19-14 record and nearly unblemished 14-2 record at home in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Newcomer Chase Forte was honored as a NABC All-District Second Team selection, the Summit League’s Defensive Player of the Year, All-Summit League First Team, All-Summit League Defensive Team and the Summit League’s All-Newcomer Team. Dre Bullock and Isaac Bruns were also named All-Summit League Honorable Mentions. The trio of guards helped lead the Coyotes to the No. 3 scoring offense in the NCAA at 85.2 points per game. The Coyotes led the Summit League with 7.5 steals per game and ranked No. 16 in the NCAA in both turnover margin (+3.8) and least amount of turnovers per game (9.6). USD finished the year as the No. 1 team in the country at free throws made per game (20.0) and No. 2 with 28.0 free throws attempted per contest. During the nonconference season, the Yotes picked up an 82-81 win over Wyoming in the SCSC behind 25 points from Forte. After earning the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament, the Coyotes poured in 51 second half points to push past North Dakota State for an 85-84 win, before falling to eventual Summit League Touranment Champions, Omaha, in the semifinal round.
 
South Dakota went 12-20 and 5-11 in the conference in year two under Peterson and held an 8-6 record at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Peterson guided a pair of newcomers, Kaleb Stewart and Lahat Thioune, to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team and as Honorable Mention All-Summit League selections. In a double overtime thriller at Denver, the Coyotes put up 110 points which is tied for No. 17 all-time in program history and the most in a game since January 15, 2022 when the Yotes won 105-70 over Omaha.
 
The Coyotes went 12-19 and 7-11 in Summit League play in Peterson’s first year at the helm and earned the No. 6 seed in the Summit League Tournament. Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Tasos Kamateros were named to the All-Summit League Team for the second straight season as honorable mentions. The Coyotes earned a 69-68 win over BYU at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah behind 26 points from Perrott-Hunt.

Following the 2020-21 season, Smith brought Peterson to the University of Utah for a season (2021-22). 

Peterson followed former USD head coach Craig Smith to Utah State in 2018, remaining on his staff for three seasons in Logan, Utah. Utah State won one Mountain West regular season title, while twice winning the MWC conference tournament, punching NCAA tournament tickets all three seasons he was on Smith's staff. He was also instrumental in the development of Neemias Queta, who has seen action in 48 NBA games (through 2023-24 season). Queta was an AP All-America Honorable Mention selection for the Aggies. 

From 2014-18, Peterson served as an assistant under Craig Smith for four seasons at USD. The Coyotes won their first Summit League title in year three during the 2016-17 season and won 26 games while advancing to the championship game of the Summit League Tournament during the 2017-18 campaign.
 
The Coyotes are Peterson’s second head coaching position. He was the Athletic Director and head men’s basketball coach at Williston State College in western North Dakota for two seasons from 2012-14. In that time, the Tetons were 52-15 with a 2014 Mon-Dak Conference championship and a 2013 Region XIII championship. He coached two NJCAA All-Americans and was named Region XIII and Mon-Dak Coach of the Year.
 
Peterson served as an assistant coach at Williston from 2005-09. He spent two years at Minnesota State University Moorhead from 2009-11 before returning to Williston to serve as athletic director and head coach.
 
Peterson hails from West Salem, Wisconsin, and graduated from UW-La Crosse in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He earned a master’s degree at USD in 2016 in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in sports management and education.
 
Peterson and his wife, Lindsey, have a daughter, Flynn, and three sons, Isaiah, Briggs and Bowen.

Peterson's Accomplishments:

• Chase Forte Summit League Defensive Player of the Year (2024-25)
  • NABC All-District Second Team (2024-25)
  • All-Summit League First Team (2024-25)
  • All-Summit League Defensive Team & All-Summit League Newcomer Team (2024-25)
• Isaac Bruns & Dre Bullock All-Summit League Honorable Mentions (2024-25)
• Kaleb Stewart & Lahat Thioune All-Summit League Newcomer Team and All-Summit League Honorable Mentions (2023-24)
• Kruz Perrott-Hunt & Tasos Kamateros Summit League honorable mention (2022-23)