Augustana Hall of Fame women’s basketball head coach Dave Krauth announced that his 34th season will be his final year as a head coach, as he will retire following the 2022-23 season.
“I’m announcing my retirement following this season, and I cannot say thank you enough to my family. My family has been so vital in my life as a coach, I love you. I want to sincerely thank all of the players and assistant coaches who have been the heart and soul of our program over the years. I thank our super fan base for the support at games and your financial support, a very important part of our program’s success. I’ve been blessed to work alongside so many wonderful, talented people and I wish you all the best.”
Krauth is the all-time winningest coach in Augustana women’s basketball history with 670 wins against just 296 losses. The 2022 South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame inductee is a two-time NSIC Coach of the Year (2018 & 2021), NCC Coach of the Year (1990), South Dakota Sportswriters’ College Women’s Coach of the Year (1994) and three-time South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association Women’s College Coach of the Year (1990, 1991, 2005).
Following the 2021 season that saw Augustana claim the NSIC South Division Championship, Krauth was named a finalist for the WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year.
“Coach Krauth is synonymous with women’s basketball at Augustana. While the numbers are staggering as far as wins, championships, and exceptional players, the impact he has had goes beyond that. I’m excited for Dave to enjoy retirement, and because of the program that he has built, both from the past and the present, the future of Augustana women’s basketball is bright.”
-Josh Morton, Augustana Director of Athletics
Augustana women’s basketball rose to national prominence under Krauth, earning its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in his first season after he inherited a team that went 8-20 the previous season. Krauth’s team then went to 13 more NCAA Tournaments, highlighted by a trip to the national semifinals in 2013.
That 2012-13 season saw the Vikings claim the NSIC Tournament Championship with an 81-73 win over Minnesota State. They then claimed the NCAA Division II Central Region Championship with wins over Concordia-St. Paul, Southwestern Oklahoma State and host Emporia State to advance to its first-ever Elite Eight in San Antonio Texas. Augustana upset the No. 1 team in the nation, Clayton State, to advance to the Final Four.
Coach Krauth established a program of excellence and has given us 33 exciting seasons of Augustana. Women’s Basketball. More significant than the wins are the outstanding student-athletes he has recruited, coached and mentored throughout his career — supporting them in their academic endeavors, fostering their leadership development and inspiring their commitment to community. He has been a role model of hard work, integrity and a winning attitude. Dave’s legacy at AU will be strong and enduring.
-Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Augustana President
In his 33 seasons, he has coached 69 all-conference performers, 13 of which have earned a conference player of the year title. In just the past nine seasons, Krauth has coached five NSIC Defensive Players of the Year.
He has totaled four WBCA First Team All-America honorees in Dana Nielsen (twice), Sandra Zwach and Shaunteva Ashley, in addition to three honorable mentions: Alison Adamson, Alex Feeney and Logan O’Farrell.
Not only successful on the court, but Krauth’s teams have also accomplished success in the classroom with 119 Academic All-Conference honorees and a trio of Academic All-Americans. Two student-athletes earned NCAA Postgraduate scholarships, Bridget Lindquist in 1991 and Heidi Morlock in 1994.
A win on Feb. 12, 2021, gave Krauth the unique milestone of 1,000 career wins when combining his nearly 350 high school wins with his more than 650 collegiate victories. He claimed the victory against his alma mater, Sioux Falls.
His 670 wins are the fifth-most amongst active coaches in NCAA Division II, while just one coach has tallied that many in fewer years on the active list. Amongst women’s college basketball coaches across all divisions, he enters his final season 48th all-time in career victories.
Perhaps some of the most rewarding years of his career were when he coached his daughters, Julie and Katie. Julie earned a pair of All-North Central Conference accolades in 1992 and 1993 and is the career record holder with 230 made 3-point field goals from 1989-93. Katie earned All-NCC honors in 2004 and 2005. In an ironic twist, the sisters are 15th and 16th all-time in points scored at AU with Katie owning 1,335 points and Julie totaling 1,324.
“I’ll miss what has been such a huge part of me, but I also look forward to the next chapter of my life. I want to give my apologies to the countless others that I should thank for your support, but have not mentioned so far, along this journey. My focus is on this year’s squad. We’re working hard to be the best team we can be with a nice blend of veteran and younger players, and I know that together we can make the most of our opportunity.”
-Dave Krauth, Augustana Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Krauth, a member of the Sioux Falls O’Gorman High School Athletics Hall of Fame, began his career coaching high school softball and girls basketball at Tri-Valley High School in Colton, South Dakota, and girls basketball at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa. As a high school basketball coach, he compiled a record of 347-143 taking eight teams to state tournaments.
Krauth and his wife, Sandy, are the proud parents of Julie and Katie and have six grandchildren.
Coach Krauth Milestone Victories
1 – Nov. 17, 1989 vs. Bethel College
100 – Dec. 30, 1993 vs Winona State
200 – Feb. 6, 1999 at South Dakota State
300 – Dec. 18, 2004 vs. Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras
400 – Nov. 29, 2009 vs. St Cloud State
500 – Dec. 14, 2013 vs. Minnesota State
600 – Feb. 21, 2018 vs. Bemidji State
Unique 1,000 combined wins (high school and college) Feb. 12, 2021 vs. Sioux Falls
