Joel Nielsen

Joel Nielsen is in his fifth year as athletic director at South Dakota. Nielsen assumed his duties at The U in December, 2003.

Since taking over at USD, Nielsen, 45, has addressed several changes and introduced new departmental initiatives. He has worked closely with the Athletic Review Committee in initiating a progressive and comprehensive three-year plan for South Dakota Athletics, addressing competitiveness, funding and compliance. Nielsen worked with The U’s administration and the external agency LRG to develop a new athletics logo and trademark program. He also has worked closely with The U’s administration and Daktronics Sports Marketing to bring a $2 million scoreboard enhancement that has significantly upgraded events and the fan experience at the DakotaDome. He continues to develop the athletic department’s corporate sponsorship program.

Before taking over at USD, Nielsen handled a 20-sport athletic program at Colorado College, which included sponsorship of 18 programs at the Division III level and two sports (men’s ice hockey and women’s soccer) at Division I. At CC, he implemented the reconstruction of the Washburn Field Complex. In 2002, he introduced a three-phase gender equity plan.

From 1993 to 2001, Nielsen was the associate athletic director at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he was in charge of the administration and management of the athletic department’s external relations. Nielsen also worked as a sports marketing director for the Hyatt Corporation in Atlanta, Ga., (1992-93). He was an assistant athletic director at Illinois State in Normal, Ill. (1991-92). He also served as an athletic development assistant at Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill. (1990-91). A doctoral candidate (Leadership and Educational Policy Studies) at Northern Illinois, Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in business finance (1985) and a M.A. degree in sports administration (1991), both from Minnesota State University, Mankato. At MSU, Nielsen played football and baseball before becoming a graduate assistant football coach (1989-90) for head coach Dan Runkle.

He and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters (Kelly, 9; Kasey, 9; and Kory, 7).

South Dakota Athletic Directors Since 1926
L.B. Allison, 1923-28
S.B. Backman, 1928-35
Carl “Rube” Hoy, 1935-56
Ralph “Boot” Stewart, 1957-61
John Roning, 1961 – 1971
Carl Miller, 1971-76
Beanie Cooper, 1976-81
Bobby Thompson, 1981-82
Jack Doyle, 1983 – 1998 (Doyle was acting AD in 1982)
Kelly Higgins, 1998-2003 (Greg Redlin, Interim AD)
Joel Nielsen, 2003-