Coaches
Bob Nielson
His career from Wikipedia, each job checked against the team-season pages (✓ = a second source agrees, ≠ = they disagree)
Bob Nielson
Source: Wikipedia, read 2026-10-28
| Years | Team | Role | Title | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-1986 | Wartburg | Position | OL | not known |
| 1987-1988 | Wartburg (DC) (unknown) | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 1989-1990 | Ripon | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 1991-1995 | Wartburg | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 1996-1998 | Wisconsin Eau Claire | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 1999-2003 | Minnesota Duluth | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 2008-2012 | Minnesota Duluth | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 2013-2015 | Western Illinois | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 2016-2024 | South Dakota | Head coach | Head coach✓ | himself |
Record
Confirmed coordinator seasons since 2005. FBS rankings
| Season | Team | Job | EPA/play | Points/poss. | Success | Year before | Teams |
|---|
| Season | Head coach at | Record | AP before → after | Off EPA/play | Def EPA/play | SP+ | Team year before | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | South Dakota (FCS) | 4-7 | - → - | - | - | - | 46% wins | - |
| 2017 | South Dakota (FCS) | 8-5 | - → - | - | - | - | 36% wins | - |
| 2018 | South Dakota (FCS) | 4-7 | - → - | - | - | - | 62% wins | - |
| 2019 | South Dakota (FCS) | 5-7 | - → - | - | - | - | 36% wins | - |
| 2021 | South Dakota (FCS) | 7-5 | - → - | 46 | 4 | - | - | 128 |
| 2022 | South Dakota (FCS) | 3-8 | - → - | 84 | 102 | - | 58% wins | 130 |
| 2023 | South Dakota (FCS) | 10-3 | - → - | 11 | 57 | - | 27% wins | 128 |
| 2024 | South Dakota (FCS) | 11-3 | - → - | 3 | 36 | - | 77% wins | 129 |
| Season | Head coach below FBS | Level | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Ripon | Division III | 2-6-1 |
| 1990 | Ripon | Division III | 7-2 |
| 1991 | Wartburg | Division III | 6-4 |
| 1992 | Wartburg | Division III | 5-5 |
| 1993 | Wartburg | Division III | 9-2 |
| 1994 | Wartburg | Division III | 10-2 |
| 1995 | Wartburg | Division III | 9-1 |
| 1996 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Division III | 5-5 |
| 1997 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Division III | 7-3 |
| 1998 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Division III | 10-3 |
| 1999 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 3-8 |
| 2000 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 7-4 |
| 2001 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 9-3 |
| 2002 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 11-1 |
| 2003 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 8-3 |
| 2008 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 15-0 |
| 2009 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 11-2 |
| 2010 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 15-0 |
| 2011 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 11-3 |
| 2012 | Minnesota–Duluth | Division II | 10-2 |
| 2013 | Western Illinois | FCS | 4-8 |
| 2014 | Western Illinois | FCS | 5-7 |
| 2015 | Western Illinois | FCS | 7-6 |
| 2020 | South Dakota | FCS | 1-3 |
Worked under
None found (his assistant years may be outside the FBS seasons we hold).
His tree
Coaches who were on his staffs
No one on his staffs among the coaches we hold.
Coached together
- Jake Landry · Minnesota Duluth 2011-2012 · him Head coach, them GA
- Brian Ward · Western Illinois 2013-2014 · him Head coach, them DC, Position
- Matt Entz* · Western Illinois 2013 · him Head coach, them DC, Other, Position
- Rob Aurich · South Dakota 2018-2021 · him Head coach, them Position, ST coord.
- Travis Johansen · South Dakota 2019-2024 · him Head coach, them DC, Other
- Ted Schlafke · South Dakota 2021-2022 · him Head coach, them OC
- Josh Davis · South Dakota 2023-2024 · him Head coach, them OC
- Matt Vitzthum · South Dakota 2024 · him Head coach, them Position