University of South Dakota head football coach Bob Nielson has announced his staff for the 2016 season.
Seven coached with him at Western Illinois a year ago, three are continuing in their role at USD, and one was the Division II National Coach of the Year in 2007.
Bill O’Boyle is the Coyotes’ run game coordinator and Ted Schlafke is the pass game coordinator. Co-defensive coordinators are Tyler Yelk and Atiba Bradley. The special teams coordinator is Phil Ockinga and the assistant head coach is Brian Mohnsen.
Matthew Middleton will continue in his role as wide receivers coach, a position he has held with the Coyotes since 2013. Collin Prosser, who earned his master’s degree at USD, will begin his second season as the team’s tight ends coach and assistant offensive line coach. Luke Groth will resume in his role as director of operations, a position he has held since 2012.
Mark Watson will coach the Coyotes’ cornerbacks and Andrew Prevost will assist with defensive linemen. Both coached with Nielson at Western Illinois the last three seasons.
O’Boyle spent the last three years at Southern Illinois where he was named co-offensive coordinator in 2014 and assistant head coach in 2015. He served as head coach at Chadron State from 2005-11 and compiled a 54-22 record. He led the Eagles to three RMAC titles and was named Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year in 2007.
Schlafke and Yelk were senior members of Minnesota Duluth’s undefeated 2008 national championship team under Nielson. Schlafke was the quarterback and Yelk graduated as the program’s leading tackler. Both spent the last three seasons with Nielson at Western Illinois.
Bradley and Watson had also been on staff at Western Illinois since 2013. Both played football at Missouri Southern State University though Watson competed at McPherson College his senior year. Bradley held coaching positions at Missouri Southern and Quincy prior to arriving in Macomb. Watson coached at Drake and was a graduate assistant at USC before arriving at Western Illinois.
Mohnsen was a part of three Nebraska national championships (1994, 1995, 1997). He spent 12 years with the defense in the scouting department as the director of video scouting for the Huskers. He went on to coach at Northwest Oklahoma State, Minnesota State, Buffalo and Southeast Missouri State. He spent the last two seasons at Western Illinois.
Ockinga graduated from Hastings College and earned his master’s degree at Fort Hays State where he coached for five years from 2004-08. Okinga coached at Florida International and Hutchinson Community College before arriving in Macomb ahead of the 2015 season.
Prevost competed on the offensive line at his alma mater, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and stayed on as a student assistant in 2010. He coached outside linebackers at Minnesota Duluth for two years before moving with Nielson to Western Illinois in 2013.
