# Bob Nielson

Bob Nielson (born September 28, 1959) is an American former college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Ripon College (1989–1990), Wartburg College (1991–1995), the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (1996–1998), University of Minnesota–Duluth (1999–2003, 2008–2012), Western Illinois University (2013–2015), and the University of South Dakota (2016–2024). His Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs won the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 2008 and 2010.
Nielson grew up in Marion, Iowa, and is a 1982 graduate of Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He received his master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1988. He began his coaching career in 1981 as an assistant at Wartburg and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1986. Nielson retired from coaching after the 2024 season, and was succeeded by Travis Johansen as head coach of the South Dakota Coyotes football program.

## Head coaching record

| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches$^#$ | STATS/TSN$^°$ |
| Ripon Redmen (Midwest Conference) (1989–1990) ||||||||
| 1989 | Ripon | 2–6–1 | 1–5 | T–4th (North) | | | |
| 1990 | Ripon | 7–2 | 4–2 | T–2nd (North) | | | |
| Ripon: | Ripon: | 9–8–1 | 5–7 | | | | |
| Wartburg Knights (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1991–1995) ||||||||
| 1991 | Wartburg | 6–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | | | |
| 1992 | Wartburg | 5–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd | | | |
| 1993 | Wartburg | 9–2 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III First Round | | |
| 1994 | Wartburg | 10–2 | 7–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | | |
| 1995 | Wartburg | 9–1 | 7–1 | 2nd | | | |
| Wartburg: | Wartburg: | 39–14 | 32–8 | | | | |
| Wisconsin–Eau Claire Blugolds (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1996–1998) ||||||||
| 1996 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 5–5 | 3–4 | 5th | | | |
| 1997 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 7–3 | 4–3 | 4th | | | |
| 1998 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 10–3 | 5–2 | T–1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | | |
| Wisconsin–Eau Claire: | Wisconsin–Eau Claire: | 22–11 | 12–9 | | | | |
| Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) (1999–2003) ||||||||
| 1999 | Minnesota–Duluth | 3–8 | 3–5 | T–6th | | | |
| 2000 | Minnesota–Duluth | 7–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | | | |
| 2001 | Minnesota–Duluth | 9–3 | 7–2 | 2nd | | 24 | |
| 2002 | Minnesota–Duluth | 11–1 | 9–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division II First Round | 11 | |
| 2003 | Minnesota–Duluth | 8–3 | 6–2 | 3rd | | | |
| Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) (2008–2012) ||||||||
| 2008 | Minnesota–Duluth | 15–0 | 10–0 / 6–0 | 1st / 1st (North) | W NCAA Division II Championship | 1 | |
| 2009 | Minnesota–Duluth | 11–2 | 10–0 / 6–0 | 1st / 1st (North) | L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal | 5 | |
| 2010 | Minnesota–Duluth | 15–0 | 10–0 / 6–0 | 1st / 1st (North) | W NCAA Division II Championship | 1 | |
| 2011 | Minnesota–Duluth | 11–3 | 8–2 / 5–1 | T–1st / T–1st (North) | L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal | 6 | |
| 2012 | Minnesota–Duluth | 10–2 | 10–1 / 6–1 | 2nd / T–1st (North) | L NCAA Division II First Round | 12 | |
| Minnesota–Duluth: | Minnesota–Duluth: | 100–26 | 78–15 | | | | |
| Western Illinois Leathernecks (Missouri Valley Football Conference) (2013–2015) ||||||||
| 2013 | Western Illinois | 4–8 | 2–6 | 9th | | | |
| 2014 | Western Illinois | 5–7 | 3–5 | T–7th | | | |
| 2015 | Western Illinois | 7–6 | 5–3 | T–3rd | L NCAA Division I Second Round | | |
| Western Illinois: | Western Illinois: | 16–21 | 10–14 | | | | |
| South Dakota Coyotes (Missouri Valley Football Conference) (2016–2024) ||||||||
| 2016 | South Dakota | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th | | | |
| 2017 | South Dakota | 8–5 | 4–4 | T–5th | L NCAA Division I Second Round | 16 | 15 |
| 2018 | South Dakota | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th | | | |
| 2019 | South Dakota | 5–7 | 4–4 | 6th | | | |
| 2020–21 | South Dakota | 1–3 | 1–3 | T–7th | | | |
| 2021 | South Dakota | 7–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd | L NCAA Division I First Round | 20 | 18 |
| 2022 | South Dakota | 3–8 | 2–6 | 9th | | | |
| 2023 | South Dakota | 10–3 | 7–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division I Quarterfinal | 4 | 4 |
| 2024 | South Dakota | 11–3 | 7–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I Semifinal | | |
| South Dakota: | South Dakota: | 53–48 | 33–32 | | | | |
| Total: | Total: | 239–128–1 | | | | | |
| National championship  Conference title  Conference division title or championship game berth ||||||||