The University of South Dakota is signing three of its top coaches to contract extensions. Football coach Bob Nielson, women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit, and volleyball coach Leanne Williamson will all see their contracts renewed.
According to both the Argus Leader and Volante, the South Dakota Board of Regents approved the new deals on June 27th. The trio of coaches will all receive a five-year extension.
Bob Nielson, who has spent the last three years coaching football at USD, has an overall record of 16-19 with the program, which includes an FCS playoff win in 2017 over Nicholls State.
Coyotes women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit has also spent the past three seasons coaching in Vermillion. She’s a two-time Summit League Coach of the Year with an overall record of 80-22 over that time. In March of 2019, despite not winning the Summit League tournament, the University of South Dakota earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
USD Volleyball Coach Leanne Williamson has also seen recent success with national exposure. In November of 2018, the Coyotes volleyball team achieved the Summit League Tournament Championship to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Williamson has spent the last five years coaching at USD with an overall record of 97-56.
The new terms of the contract are yet to be released, but here is their current annual salary: Bob Nielson - $280,000, Dawn Plitzuweit - $214,700, and Leanne Williamson - $86,000.
While these new extensions don’t guarantee that these coaches will remain at the University of South Dakota throughout the length of the contracts, it does show the faith that USD has in all three individuals to the success of their programs.
