South Dakota (FCS) has announced that Bob Nielson is stepping down, "with plans to retire from collegiate coaching."
The announcement comes after nine seasons leading the South Dakota program.
Nielson's replacement is expected to come from within the staff, sources said.
The news comes as the Coyotes are fresh off one of the best seasons in school history. South Dakota won a share of its first Missouri Valley Football Conference championship, claiming the program's first conference title since sharing the 2005 North Central Conference championship. USD also reached the FCS semifinals, the furthest the program has advanced in its four FCS playoff appearances and its deepest overall postseason run since reaching the Division II National Championship in 1986.
South Dakota's head coach since 2016, Nielson went 33-42 with two playoff appearances in his first two seasons, but went 21-6 in 2023 and '24.
He was 53-48 overall with the program.
South Dakota is the sixth program Nielson has headed. He first became a head coach at Ripon College in 1989, and in total has won 239 games at Ripon, Wartburg College, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Minnesota-Duluth, and Western Illinois before his near-decade at South Dakota.
He won two national titles at Minnesota Duluth (D-II), in 2008 and 2010, was named a national coach of the year three times, and has a number of conference coach of the year honors to his credit as well.
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