Longtime Minnesota prep football coach Dave Nelson announces retirement: "I’d like to go to some Gophers games."

[BleedGopher]

per the STrib:

Maureen Nelson has always wanted to go to Ireland in the fall. Now, she just might get the chance.

Her husband Dave, the revered and respected head football coach at Blaine and then Minnetonka for a combined 36 years, announced his retirement Tuesday after 267 career victories and two state championships.

“I’ve actually been thinking about it since the end of last season,” Nelson said Tuesday. “I’ve been blessed to coach at two great schools. I’ve had a different feeling from the end of last year through the past year. I just feel it’s the right time to step aside.”

While he’s stepping down as head football coach, he plans to remain active with the coaches association and Tackle Cancer, the football arm of KARE-11 anchor Randy Shaver’s cancer research and community fund.

And there’s that trip to Europe to look forward to. Among other things.

“My wife says Ireland is beautiful in the fall,” he said. “I’d like to Normandy Beach, to see where my dad landed. And I’m a college football fanatic. I’d like to go to some Gophers games. I’d like to go a UMD game, which I haven’t done in years. It just didn’t seem like you could do this types of things during the season.”

Longtime Minnesota prep football coach Dave Nelson announces retirement

Nelson was head coach at Blaine and later Minnetonka, leading each program for 18 seasons and making a combined six championship game appearances. Now, he says, it's time to spend more time with his wife.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[AF_Howie_2180]

A well deserved retirement for one hell of a great coach. Had the pleasure of playing in his program at Blaine

 

[Word]

Think the 0-9 season accelerated retirement?

 

[dpodoll68]

Almost all of their games are on Fridays, he presumably lives in the Minnetonka area, and he couldn't make it to some Gophers games? K.

 

[#2Gopher]

Almost all of their games are on Fridays, he presumably lives in the Minnetonka area, and he couldn't make it to some Gophers games? K.

Probably had to watch JV games in the morning. However yes, you would think he could go to the 2:30 p.m. or evening games. Gave us a shout out. I'll take that though.

 

[State of Football]

Almost all of their games are on Fridays, he presumably lives in the Minnetonka area, and he couldn't make it to some Gophers games? K.

Saturday are typically film and JV game days. Tough for HS coaches to enjoy Saturdays in the fall. He’s a great one our state will miss.

 

[dpodoll68]

Saturday are typically film and JV game days. Tough for HS coaches to enjoy Saturdays in the fall. He’s a great one our state will miss.

Who sets the schedule? Could that be...the head coach?

Yes, Dave Nelson is/was a great coach. I've had the occasion to meet/visit with him a handful of times and he's a wonderful guy. But that quote is BS. If he cared about the Gophers, he's had near-limitless opportunities to watch them the past 36 years. It's weird that he gave the program a pat on the head.

 

[AF_Howie_2180]

Who sets the schedule? Could that be...the head coach?

Yes, Dave Nelson is/was a great coach. I've had the occasion to meet/visit with him a handful of times and he's a wonderful guy. But that quote is BS. If he cared about the Gophers, he's had near-limitless opportunities to watch them the past 36 years. It's weird that he gave the program a pat on the head.

Actually the State High School League sets the schedules with the AD's. JV games have always been Saturday mornings. As far as watching the games no one has said he hasn't watched them but attending them in person might be a different story.

 

[State of Football]

Actually the State High School League sets the schedules with the AD's. JV games have always been Saturday mornings. As far as watching the games no one has said he hasn't watched them but attending them in person might be a different story.

Schools create regular season games

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

Actually the State High School League sets the schedules with the AD's. JV games have always been Saturday mornings. As far as watching the games no one has said he hasn't watched them but attending them in person might be a different story.

I coached JV football at a AAAA school in 2003 and 2004. We never played a Saturday game. Not saying things haven't changed in the last 15 years but at least in AAAA JV games haven't always been played Saturday mornings.

 

[GVBadger]

Think the 0-9 season accelerated retirement?

He pretty much has been the head coach in name only the last couple years. 3 years ago they were in the State Final. This past year was obviously a tough one. The natives were definitely getting restless in Minnetonka which is never a good sign.

 

[Some guy]

Almost all of their games are on Fridays, he presumably lives in the Minnetonka area, and he couldn't make it to some Gophers games? K.

6A football programs for the most part play Saturday morning JV games.
Any coach worth anything walks in with a game plan on Monday morning.
All that work is done from 1pm Saturday until Sunday night.
Most programs have coaches meetings Sunday morning or evening.
Meaning you have to be prepped and ready by the end of the day Saturday.

there is a lot of film to watch
Some programs have laundry to do
Etc

I have missed games because of Hs football commitments and I am not a head coach.

 

[Some guy]

He pretty much has been the head coach in name only the last couple years. 3 years ago they were in the State Final. This past year was obviously a tough one. The natives were definitely getting restless in Minnetonka which is never a good sign.

What are you talking about? You have no idea what you’re talking about.

he didn’t call plays. But he hasn’t called plays in at least 10 years. He was the head coach. In name and in practice.

 

[Some guy]

I coached JV football at a AAAA school in 2003 and 2004. We never played a Saturday game. Not saying things haven't changed in the last 15 years but at least in AAAA JV games haven't always been played Saturday mornings.

Because of 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, JV, and varsity schedules there is an officiating shortage and a field space shortage.
Most 6A JV games are played on saturdays at 10am
Most 6A programs bring kids in on Saturday mornings for film and recovery lift/condition

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

6A football programs for the most part play Saturday morning JV games.
Any coach worth anything walks in with a game plan on Monday morning.
All that work is done from 1pm Saturday until Sunday night.
Most programs have coaches meetings Sunday morning or evening.
Meaning you have to be prepped and ready by the end of the day Saturday.

there is a lot of film to watch
Some programs have laundry to do
Etc

I have missed games because of Hs football commitments and I am not a head coach.

A very good friend of mine is a HS football coach and a die hard Gopher fan (season ticket holder for years) and he hardly goes to any Gopher games anymore because of his schedule.

He attends JV games. He gives his wife a break and watches the kids and they work Saturday and Sunday watching film so they can go into Monday with a gameplan.

Saturdays are pretty busy for HS football coaches.

 

[MplsGopher]

Almost all of their games are on Fridays, he presumably lives in the Minnetonka area, and he couldn't make it to some Gophers games? K.

Wouldn't be surprised is many high school coaches use Saturday as a day to review film, start game planning for the next opponent, etc. Some may even have light practices that day, for all I know.

Also a lot of these coaches are teachers at the school, they have to grade etc.

 

[GopherJack]

Only on Gopher Hole could an article about a great high school coach retiring (AND putting a plug in for Gopher Football), turn into a pissing match about whether or not the guy could actually make it to Gopher games on Saturdays.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Beyond the JV and other duties on Saturday, maybe he likes his wife and chose her over Gopher football. Great coach who I've officiated a number of times. Some really good one liners from him.

 

[GopherTouchdowns]

As a former assistant coach under Dave Nelson, let me tell you a few things:

Saturday Schedule:
6:00 am - 7:30 am - Review film with coaches from previous nights game
7:30 am - 9:00 am - Review film with players
9:00 am - 10:00 am - Run/Lift with Varsity
10:00 am - Noon - JV Game
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm - Game Plan for next week

Sunday:
6:30 am - Noon - Game plan

1) So, yes, if the game started after 4:00 pm on a Saturday and he wasn't exhausted, he could go.
2) He is an unbelievable coach and man.
3) He brought the team to 3 consecutive state tournaments 2016-2018. I don't think the 'natives were getting restless'.

 

[fatgopher]

He pretty much has been the head coach in name only the last couple years. 3 years ago they were in the State Final. This past year was obviously a tough one. The natives were definitely getting restless in Minnetonka which is never a good sign.

Takes a lot of ignorance for me to bite on a message board, so...

I know Dave, the Nelson family, much of the staff, and I'm in the district. The natives were not getting restless and he was not a figurehead coach. It is also well known that Dave had a grandson with a rare genetic disorder and after a very rough year of medical complications, he passed away last month at the age of 8.

RE: Football, Minnetonka entered the year with no experience at QB and played a multi-sport athlete who showed some skill but tore his ACL in the first 1-2 weeks. They cycled through a few young kids and became very one-dimensional. Five of their losses were 1-score games and they played good defense. Couldn't score.

 

[Word]

He pretty much has been the head coach in name only the last couple years. 3 years ago they were in the State Final. This past year was obviously a tough one. The natives were definitely getting restless in Minnetonka which is never a good sign.

I don't really follow HS football much, other than I was shocked to see Tonka 0-9 this year. I know lots of HS coaches in many sports and know how things go with the natives as soon as you lose a few games.

 

[LakerFan]

Saturday are typically film and JV game days. Tough for HS coaches to enjoy Saturdays in the fall. He’s a great one our state will miss.

Also Saturday is youth football game day in Minnesota and you can't be a head coach at a high school without heavy involvement in the youth program in your area usually either coaching the top 7/8th grade level team or teams or keeping some 7th and 8th grade parent coaches from ripping each others throats out over who's kid will be starting Varsity as a freshman.

 

[MennoSota]

Get some manipulative parents in the ear of the AD and a good coach can be pushed out the door. I have seen it on more than one occasion.
I hope Coach Nelson enjoys Ireland and tips a Guinness or two in honor of the Gophers.

 

[Some guy]

Get some manipulative parents in the ear of the AD and a good coach can be pushed out the door. I have seen it on more than one occasion.
I hope Coach Nelson enjoys Ireland and tips a Guinness or two in honor of the Gophers.

There is no evidence to indicate he was forced out.
They were in the state championship 2 seasons ago.
Dave has been retired from teaching for 5-7 years now.
did people think he was going to coach forever?


he was one of the last from a former era.
I’m not sure in 35 years we will have guys who have been coaching for 35 years as head coaches anymore. Still a few floating around the state. The head job is different now than it was in the 1990s. More to it. Harder to do it for a long time.
Unbelievable career. Probably one of the top 10 high school coaches in the history of the state.

 

[BleedGopher]

per Shama:

Retiring Minnetonka High School football coach Dave Nelson is one of four national candidates for the American Football Coaches Association’s Power of Influence Award that will be given out at next month’s convention.

David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Go Gophers!!

 

[PMWinSTP]

I think it was the scheduling change of the Iowa game to Friday night that sealed it for him.