Former South Dakota Head Coach Bob Nielson Joins AFCA
March 10, 2025
Bob Nielson, former head coach at South Dakota, Western Illinois, Minnesota-Duluth, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Wartburg and Ripon, is joining the AFCA staff as Director of Divisional Football. Coach Nielson will be a liaison for AFCA member coaches in FCS, Division II, Division III and the NAIA to the NCAA and NAIA national offices. He will work on the coaches’ behalf with rules and legislation that affect those divisions of football.
“I am excited to be able to join Coach Bohl and the rest of the AFCA Leadership Team,” Nielson said. “I look forward to working with coaches from across the country to help advance our great game while facing the challenges of today’s ever changing national landscape.”
Nielson joins the AFCA after serving as the head coach at South Dakota for nine seasons. He led the Coyotes to their best season in program history in 2024 as the team went 11-3 overall and won a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the first time in program history. USD also made it to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs for the first time and the 11 wins tied a single season school record. He recorded 53 victories at South Dakota and took them to the playoffs on three other occasions.
Nielson retired from coaching with an overall record of 239-128-1 in his 32 years as a head coach. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Wartburg, in 1981. Nielson served as the offensive line coach for six seasons, then became the defensive coordinator from 1987 to 1988. He got his first head coaching opportunity at Ripon from 1989 to 1990, then returned to Warburg as head coach from 1991-95, leading the Knights to a 39-14 overall record with one Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and two Division III playoff appearances. Nielson spent three years (1996-98) at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, leading the Blugolds to a 10-3 record, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and a semifinal appearance in the Division III playoffs in his final season before taking over at Minnesota-Duluth in 1999.
Nielson coached the Bulldogs in two different stints. From 1999 to 2003, he guided Minnesota-Duluth to a 38-19 record with one Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) title in 2002 and a Division II playoff appearance that same season. Nielson would step away from coaching and served as athletic director from 2004 to 2007 before coming back as head coach in 2008. In his final five years as head coach, Nielson led the Bulldogs to two NCAA Division II national titles, four NSIC titles and won at least 10 games every season. He earned AFCA Division II National Coach of the Year honors in 2010 for leading Minnesota-Duluth to their second national title and a 15-0 record.
In 2013, Nielson made the jump to FCS football when he became the head coach at Western Illinois. In three short years, he took the Leathernecks from a ninth-place finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference to a third-place finish and an appearance in the FCS playoffs in his final season in 2015.
Nielson also spent time in the governance of football during his time as a head coach. He chaired the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 2015-17 and was a part of the FCS Football Oversight Committee when he retired. He served as athletic director at Minnesota-Duluth from 2004 to 2012.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Bob Nielson, former head coach at South Dakota, Western Illinois, Minnesota-Duluth, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Wartburg and Ripon, is joining the AFCA staff as Director of Divisional Football. Coach Nielson will be a liaison for AFCA member coaches in FCS, Division II, Division III and the NAIA to the NCAA and NAIA national offices. He will work on the coaches’ behalf with rules and legislation that affect those divisions of football.
“I am excited to be able to join Coach Bohl and the rest of the AFCA Leadership Team,” Nielson said. “I look forward to working with coaches from across the country to help advance our great game while facing the challenges of today’s ever changing national landscape.”
Nielson joins the AFCA after serving as the head coach at South Dakota for nine seasons. He led the Coyotes to their best season in program history in 2024 as the team went 11-3 overall and won a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the first time in program history. USD also made it to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs for the first time and the 11 wins tied a single season school record. He recorded 53 victories at South Dakota and took them to the playoffs on three other occasions.
Nielson retired from coaching with an overall record of 239-128-1 in his 32 years as a head coach. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Wartburg, in 1981. Nielson served as the offensive line coach for six seasons, then became the defensive coordinator from 1987 to 1988. He got his first head coaching opportunity at Ripon from 1989 to 1990, then returned to Warburg as head coach from 1991-95, leading the Knights to a 39-14 overall record with one Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and two Division III playoff appearances. Nielson spent three years (1996-98) at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, leading the Blugolds to a 10-3 record, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and a semifinal appearance in the Division III playoffs in his final season before taking over at Minnesota-Duluth in 1999.
Nielson coached the Bulldogs in two different stints. From 1999 to 2003, he guided Minnesota-Duluth to a 38-19 record with one Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) title in 2002 and a Division II playoff appearance that same season. Nielson would step away from coaching and served as athletic director from 2004 to 2007 before coming back as head coach in 2008. In his final five years as head coach, Nielson led the Bulldogs to two NCAA Division II national titles, four NSIC titles and won at least 10 games every season. He earned AFCA Division II National Coach of the Year honors in 2010 for leading Minnesota-Duluth to their second national title and a 15-0 record.
In 2013, Nielson made the jump to FCS football when he became the head coach at Western Illinois. In three short years, he took the Leathernecks from a ninth-place finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference to a third-place finish and an appearance in the FCS playoffs in his final season in 2015.
Nielson also spent time in the governance of football during his time as a head coach. He chaired the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 2015-17 and was a part of the FCS Football Oversight Committee when he retired. He served as athletic director at Minnesota-Duluth from 2004 to 2012.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
