After a school-record 410 victories and three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last five seasons, the Scott Nagy era at South Dakota State University has come to an end.
Nagy announced Monday that he has accepted the head coaching position at Horizon League member Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, ending a 21-year run at SDSU. An introductory press conference is planned for Tuesday.
“On behalf of Jackrabbit Nation, we want to thank Scott for an incredible and memorable run as head coach of our men’s basketball program,” said SDSU Director of Athletics Justin Sell. “Between winning conference championships, developing great student-athletes and his service to the Brookings community and the state of South Dakota, Scott has put Jackrabbit basketball in a position for sustained success. We wish him and his family the best in their new endeavors.”
Nagy’s tenure spanned both the Division II and Division I eras at South Dakota State. He led the Jackrabbits to North Central Conference titles each of his first three seasons and guided SDSU to eight NCAA Division II postseason appearances in nine seasons. The 1996-97 team reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight en route to a 25-5 record.
He won a fourth NCC regular season title during the 2001-02 season also won the league’s postseason tournament championship that same season.
Starting with the 2004-05 season, SDSU endured a difficult transition to Division I. But with eventual NBA draft pick Nate Wolters leading the way, the Jackrabbits posted their first winning season at the Division I level during the 2010-11 campaign with a 19-12 record, starting their current string of six consecutive winning seasons. The 2011-12 Jackrabbit squad matched a school record with 27 wins and made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Summit League tournament championship.
The Jackrabbits won both regular season and postseason tournament Summit League titles during the 2012-13 season, and returned to the NCAA Tournament this past season with a win before record crowds in the Summit League tournament after sharing the regular season title. Nagy’s 2015-16 squad finished with a 26-8 overall record, falling to Maryland in the NCAA first round.
SDSU also played in postseason events during the 2013-14 (CBI) and 2014-15 (NIT) campaigns.
Over the last five seasons, SDSU compiled a 63-3 home record and completed four perfect seasons at Frost Arena. The Jackrabbits strung together 30 consecutive home wins from 2011-13 and will carry a 28-game home winning streak into the 2016-17 season.
Overall, Nagy coached the Jackrabbits to a 410-240 record (.631 winning percentage), reaching the 20-win mark in 12 of his 21 seasons.
Assistant coach Rob Klinkefus will oversee team activities until a successor is hired.
