The University of South Dakota football program announced that head coach Bob Nielson is stepping down with plans to retire after coaching 32 seasons, including the last nine at USD. The school also that defensive coordinator Travis Johansen will take over as head coach.

Last season was the program’s most successful in the Division I FCS era.

“Coaching football is all I have known for the past 42 years and while coaching has been a true blessing it has also been all-encompassing,” Nielson said in a press release. “This decision will allow me to focus on other priorities in my life and while I will deeply miss walking that sideline in the Dome, I look forward to the opportunities ahead.”  

The 2024 season will go down in history as one of the best Coyote teams ever. Nielson led USD to its first-ever MVFC title after a 7-1 campaign and a win over then-No. 1-ranked North Dakota State to conclude the regular season. He also led the program to the FCS semifinals with an 11-3 overall record, tying the program’s most wins in a single season.

“I want to thank Coach Nielson for his incredible nine years of leadership of our Coyote Football program. Bob has built USD into a championship program that is positioned for success and able to withstand the ongoing challenges in the ever-changing landscape of Division I athletics,” South Dakota athletics director Jon Schemmel said in a press release. “While the thought of Coyote football without Bob and his shirt and tie on the sideline is hard to imagine, I respect his decision to retire at this time and his legacy is cemented at USD. I am so excited for Bob to be able to spend more time with Terri, their children, and grandchildren!”

Nielson posted a 53-48 record as South Dakota’s head coach, which ranks fourth all-time in program history. He led the Coyotes to all four of their FCS Playoff appearances, holding a 4-4 record in playoff games.

“I want to thank Coyote Nation for all the support they have shown Terri and I over the past decade and for the relationships and friendships that we have made and will forever cherish,” Nielson said.

Johansen has been named the 31st head coach of the South Dakota football program, following six seasons as the program’s defensive coordinator.

Johansen, a native of Blaine, Minnesota, joined the USD football program in February 2019. He coached a pair of Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Defensive Players of the Year in back-to-back seasons (Brock Mogensen, 2023; Mi’Quise Grace, 2024) and a pair of Buck Buchannan Award Finalists (Mogensen, 2023; Grace, 2024).

“Being the next head football coach at The University of South Dakota is an honor. Thank you to President Gestring, Jon Schemmel, and all our administration for entrusting me to continue the success we’ve built,” Johansen said in the release. “Their leadership and vision is uncommon. When I arrived in 2019 aspirations were high. Over the past six seasons this program has turned those aspirations into expectations.”

The 2024 season saw Johansen lead a unit that ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense and top 20 in rushing defense.

“Although our 2024 season was one to remember, everyone would agree, Coyote Football has our sights set on more,” Johansen said. “We will work tirelessly to bring a National Championship to Vermillion and call on all of Coyote Nation’s support to accomplish that goal. Get your season tickets now, we’ll be back in the dome before we know it. Fight South Dakota!”

An anti-smoking group is warning of “devastating effects” if South Dakota lawmakers approve Gov. Kristi Noem’s proposal to reduce funding for a tobacco use prevention fund by more than half.

A bill backed by Noem’s administration would drop the Tobacco Prevention and Reduction Trust Fund’s annual allocation from $5 million to $2 million. Legislators will consider the bill during the annual legislative session that began Tuesday in Pierre.

The fund sustains the South Dakota Tobacco Control Program, aimed at preventing South Dakotans from using tobacco products and helping residents quit through the South Dakota QuitLine.

Much of the funding goes toward contractual services for QuitLine. The state currently holds a one-year, $824,000 contract with Avera Health to provide telephone and other tobacco counseling services for Quitline and a one-year, $1 million contract with Pierre-based Vilas LTC Pharmacy to provide medication for QuitLine participants. The state allocated nearly $400,000 toward grants and subsidies last fiscal year for other prevention and counseling initiatives, according to the Bureau of Finance and Management. 

Ben Hanson, North and South Dakota government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said the cut “robs” money that was “promised” and overwhelmingly supported by South Dakota voters in 2006, when they passed an initiated measure to increase the tax on tobacco products and create the fund.

“We think it’d have long-term pretty devastating effects on respiratory health and eventually youth smoking rates,” Hanson said.

The trust fund receives revenue from the tobacco tax on cigarette, cigar and chewing tobacco sales. State law currently requires that the first $30 million from the tax goes to the state’s general fund, the next $5 million goes to the trust fund, and any further revenue goes to the general fund. Noem’s bill would keep that formula but change the $5 million trust fund allocation to $2 million.

Noem’s proposal comes as the state faces a tight budget year due to lower-than-anticipated sales tax revenues. Tobacco tax revenues are also falling. Noem’s administration projects the state will collect about $42 million in tobacco taxes this fiscal year, its lowest amount since 2006.

The QuitLine and other funded prevention efforts extend to non-tobacco nicotine products that have grown in popularity, including e-cigarettes, vape pens and nicotine pouches. But the tax doesn’t include those products. The state Department of Revenue cannot track non-tobacco nicotine product sales, a spokesperson told South Dakota Searchlight in an email.

Between 2022 and 2023, the percentage of U.S. high school students reporting tobacco and nicotine product use — including e-cigarettes — declined from 16.5% to 12.6%, but the percentage among middle school students increased from 4.5% to 6.6%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In South Dakota, 14.7% of high schoolers reported using e-cigarettes last fiscal year, according to the Bureau of Finance and Management, which was three times higher than the percentage that reported smoking and seven times higher than the percentage that reported spit tobacco use.

The Carroll Institute in Sioux Falls received about $17,000 in funding last fiscal year from the Tobacco Prevention and Reduction Trust Fund to purchase prevention curriculum for elementary school students. About 85% of the Carroll Institute’s funding comes from state government, including grants from other sources than the trust fund, said Carroll Institute Executive Director Tiffany Butler.

A decade ago, the institute focused on alcohol. Now, it focuses on vaping education, said Kristi VanDeRostyne, prevention services program manager. She said some students vape in the school bathroom or even the classroom during the day, using devices that look like pens, water bottles or USB flash drives.

“I know our state and nation are all worried about fentanyl and meth. It’s everywhere,” VanDeRostyne said. “Where do you prevent that from happening? By building those prevention skills at a young age while you still have that captive audience.”

Instead of reducing contributions to the trust fund, Butler said she’d prefer to see the fund’s grants expanded to cover more costs, including reimbursing staff time.

GRAND FORKS — When UND women’s basketball starters Walker Demers, Jocelyn Schiller and Nevaeh Ferrara Horne left the floor with a minute and a half left to play against South Dakota, the crowd of 1,800 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center stood and cheered as the trio headed to the bench.

The fans watched the Fighting Hawks dominate South Dakota in an 80-54 win Wednesday night, UND’s largest win over the Coyotes since Jan. 15, 2005 – exactly 20 years ago – when the Hawks beat South Dakota 89-62 in Grand Forks.

“It’s obviously something that makes the Betty special,” UND coach Mallory Bernhard said. “We have a very loyal fan base. I feel like it’s our job to give them something to get on their feet about and get them excited. We’ve known for a long time that we have to get the wins, and we have to put a product on the floor that they’re proud to watch. Win or lose, just play our butts off, play hard, and play basketball the right way, and they’ll show up.

“I’m happy (the fans) got to see a night like tonight. I’m happy for our team, obviously, but we have some absolutely fantastic fans, and I hope they enjoyed tonight and keep coming out.”

UND led all 40 minutes of its 26-point win, its first over South Dakota since Feb. 4, 2023. The Hawks (8-10) have won two Summit League games over a four-day span, and are less than a week removed from a double-overtime loss to Oral Roberts.

“I think the fans are really starting to appreciate just what we’re doing out there,” Schiller said, “and I think the time we’re putting in behind the scenes is really helping, too. We’re shooting the ball better and less turnovers — taking care of the ball — so that definitely is helping.”

South Dakota, which has now won 15 of its last 17 games against UND, watched as the Hawks limited Coyotes star Grace Larkins to 14 points — her lowest total since scoring 12 at Wyoming on Dec. 15.

Larkins still ended with a double-double (13 rebounds) — her fifth-straight. But Larkins averaged 32.8 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game over her last five games entering Wednesday’s matchup.

She dropped 45 points against Omaha on Saturday, earning her both AP national player of the week and Ann Meyers Drysdale national player of the week honors.

“Defensively, I really liked our intensity,” Bernhard said. “I thought we did a great job — Grace Larkins is obviously someone who can put up some pretty big numbers. I thought we did a really good job trying to contain her, especially off that flat screen, which we had a little bit of trouble with this last weekend. It felt like a team effort on both sides of the ball, and really loved the fight from our team.”

Demers, who transferred to UND this spring after two seasons at South Dakota, played her former team for the first time, putting up seven points and 13 rebounds.

“I got a lot of questions asked before the game, like, ‘Are you nervous?’” she said. “I was like, ‘Why would I be?’ I have an amazing team behind me, and I was excited more than anything. That (win) was just the best feeling.”

Mikayla Aumer led UND with 17 points, and Schiller added 14. Ferrara Horne had 12 points off 4-for-6 3-point shooting.

Fatima Ibrahim’s double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) came off a 5-for-7 shooting night.

One month ago, on Dec. 17, UND hosted Mayville State. The Hawks trailed by three points at halftime before coming back to win.

Four days later, the Hawks traveled to Wyoming and scored just three points in the final quarter of a 73-41 loss.

But “something definitely clicked with our team,” after that game, Bernhard said. UND has gone 3-1 over the last four games, signaling a change of direction for a team that struggled in the first half.

“Everyone wants instant gratification,” Bernhard said. “That’s just not the reality, so it’s nice to have nights like tonight where they do get to see a little bit of the fruits of their labor. I really just love the mindset our team has right now. Our record maybe isn’t glamorous to a whole lot, but I don’t think they’re being dissuaded from putting in the work and continuing to fight to see if our team can get better.”