Detroit Lakes’ Rob Nielsen To Be Inducted Into Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – The Minnesota Football Coaches Association has announced that Detroit Lakes Activities Director Rob Nielsen will be one of six inductees into the Coaches Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 2nd.

Nielsen is 1985 graduate of Moorhead High School and then attended the University Of North Dakota and graduated in 1989 with a BS in Education.  He later received his Elementary Education certificate in 1991 from Concordia College in Moorhead.  In high school, he was his team’s MVP and at UND he was a 3x letter winner. After graduation, he started his career at Detroit Lakes High School.

While at Detroit Lakes, Nielsen has held many positions including Activities Director (which is his current role), Instructional Coach, Technology Coordinator, Elementary and Middle School teacher.  Nielsen has been an assistant coach in football for 28 seasons 18 of them as defensive coordinator, assistant track coach for 10 years, and head track coach for 13 years. During his time as an assistant football coach, Nielsen’s record was 231 – 65.  These victories include four state championships in 1992, 1993, 1995, and 2001.  Nielsen has also been involved in 13 section championships and 10 conference championships.

Nielsen has been honored as a 2005 Butch Nash winner, 2007 All-Star Game coach, 2014 Don Swanson Award winner, he was the 2015 Minnesota State High School Coaches Association President and the 8AA Activities Director of the Year in 2021. Rob has had the opportunity to coach many talented young men including one in the NFL: Adam Thielen.

Nielsen’s favorite victory was in the 2001 State Championship game vs Mankato East when the Lakers made their one and only attempted field goal to win the game in the last seconds.

Nielsen will join Dean Autrich of Mayer Lutheran, Gary Sloan of Grand Meadow, Bubba Sullivan of Northfield, William White of Westbrook/Monticello, and Gary Fasching of St. John’s University as the 2022 inductees.

The 58th Annual Football Hall of Fame Banquet will be held at the Doubletree Hotel on Park Place Boulevard on Saturday, April 2nd. Social hour begins at 5, dinner begins at 6. Tickets to the event are $50 and can be purchased at MNfootballCoaches.com