South Dakota Coyotes

General Information

NCAA Division: Division I
Conference: Summit
Past Conferences: Summit, GWC
City: Vermillion, South Dakota
Stadium: Sanford Coyote Sports Center
NCAA Tournaments: 1957*, 1958*, 1972*, 1990*, 1993*, 1994*, 1999*, 2000*, 2004*, 2005*, 2006*, 2007*, 2008*
(Indicates Division II)

Championships:

National Championships: None
Conference Titles: 1

Team History

The South Dakota Coyotes men’s basketball program didn’t have a long tenure in Division I rank, but the foundation was certainly built during its time in Division II. Several programs that compete in the Summit League also had stints in Division II before joining the Summit League.

Before making a Division II tournament appearance, the school received an invitation to participate in the NAIA tournament but ultimately faced a one-possession loss in the opening round against East Texas State in the 1950 season. It took seven years for the program to build a formidable team to make its mark.

During its time in Division II, South Dakota experienced both tremendous challenges and remarkable achievements. In the 1957 season, the team secured its first appearance in the tournament and advanced to the Elite 8, where they were defeated by Wheaton.

The following season, the team’s odds to make a run in the tournament were highly favored due to their impressive regular season improvements. After securing victories in some challenging games, they sailed past Saint Michael’s to win the National Championship Game. However, good results are not supposed to last forever; the team would face a postseason drought that lasted over a decade.

In 1972, the program returned to the Tournament after a period of absence. However, the competition had vastly improved, and the team lost in the Regional semifinals to Missouri-Saint Louis. Fortunately, they finished their season on a positive note by defeating Saint Olaf by more than a 20-point margin in the Regional 3rd Place game.

Before finding consistency, the school faced another playoff drought lasting nearly 20 years, during which they made multiple changes and took time to address their shortcomings. The program made many changes to the coaching staff to gain some momentum. In the 1990s and 2000s, the South Dakota team stats flourished.

The Struggle for win the “Big One”

From 1990 to the 2008 season, the school made ten tournament appearances, including two Elite 8 appearances. However, winning a national championship became more challenging, as recruiting talent became difficult for smaller programs like theirs.

Despite having some success in the tournament in previous years, the period from 2006 to 2008 was a difficult one for the school. They lost in the Regional Quarterfinals for three consecutive years during that span.

The program was offered the chance to compete at the Division I level after the conclusion of the 2008 season. Previously, the Coyotes were one of the founding members of the North Central Conference in Division II and remained members until their upgrade to Division I in 2008. In the Div II ranks, the school left with an overall tournament record of 17-12.

Despite experts predicting difficulties for the team with David Boots as head coach, due to the increased level of competition, the school was not discouraged by being labeled as a non-major school. With a regular season record of 22-10, they proved their competitiveness. Still, repeating the feat took some time. The following season, the team received an invitation to the CIT but lost in the first round to the Creighton Bluejays.

The program saw significant improvements under head coach Craig Smith. The 2017 and 2018 seasons were arguably the best, but they missed out on the chance to participate in their first NCAA Tournament. Instead, they were invited to compete in the NIT and CBI in consecutive years but were defeated by the Iowa Hawkeyes and North Texas Mean Green in the opening rounds of each respective tournament.

Since their unsuccessful attempt at securing their first Division I tournament wins, the school has been striving for success. In the upcoming season, the team will be led by first-time head coach Eric Peterson. Sadly, the South Dakota Coyotes face some long NCAAB odds to win the Summit League.

All Time Records

• Points Scored

  • Stanley Umude 1,520
  • Trevor Gruis 1,340
  • Louie Krogman 1,274

• Rebounds

  • Trevor Gruis 767
  • Trey Burch-Manning 620
  • Stanley Umude 548

• Assists

  • Triston Simpson 392
  • Trey Norris 344
  • Kendall Cutler 277

• Steals

  • Matt Mooney 142
  • Tyler Peterson 105
  • Triston Simpson 104

FAQs

What is the highest win total in program history?

Although the school’s history at the Division I level is relatively brief, its most successful season to date was in 2018. The team achieved a regular season record of 26-9, thanks in part to an impressive 11-3 record in conference play.

Who is the winningest coach in program history?

All the coaches who have led the program during its Division I era have had relatively short tenures. However, head coach Craig Smith stands out as the most successful coach in the program’s history. During his four-year term, he posted a record of 79-55, giving him a win-to-loss percentage of .590, surpassing Todd Lee’s percentage of .559.

Who is the greatest player in program history?

The program has seen many talented players, but only one had the privilege of being drafted into the NBA. Chuck Iverson was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the fifth round of the 1973 NBA Draft, but unfortunately never got the opportunity to play in the league.