MOORHEAD, Minn. - Lost in the recent basketball revival in full bloom at Minnesota State Moorhead was the remarkable coaching milestone for
Karla Nelson. Now in her 12th season as head coach at MSUM, Nelson reached the 200-win plateau with a 60-49 victory against Upper Iowa in late January.
It was a significant achievement for sure, lifting Nelson into some elite company, but she was quick to put it on the back burner. Instead, she is directing all her attention to the challenges ahead, especially this weekend's two-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference homestand with Northern State University and University of Mary.
While Nelson may be reluctant to talk about her successful run with the Dragons, others are more than willing to speak on her behalf.
Former MSU Moorhead Director of Athletics Dr. Katy Wilson elevated Nelson from assistant to head coach in 2000 and is not surprised by her success.
“Karla has an absolute passion for the game and a fierce competitive spirit with that fixed drive to win,” said Wilson. “She is an excellent organizer, and all of these skills serve her well in recruiting student-athletes and creating a culture of success that has really become an expectation. She should be very proud of herself, her staff through the years and the many wonderful young women who have been part of the program.”
“The thing I'm most proud of is all the wins have been with the Dragons,” said Nelson. “This involves a lot of people, all the players, coaches and administrator who believed in me. I feel good for them, and it speaks a lot about our program.”
One of the many student-athletes who reached significant highwater marks during their collegiate careers at MSUM, Lindsay Hartmann was a member of the Dragons' championship cast of 2004-05 and credits her former coach for providing a unique and positive experience.
“I am so proud of coach Nelson and the program she has built,” said Hartmann. “Her hard work and dedication to improvement has created one of the most successful programs in the region. She instills a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence in her student-athletes, making them not only better basketball player but better professionals following graduation. I couldn't be prouder to call myself one of her former players.”
University of North Dakota head coach Gene Roebuck had an early look at Nelson when he recruited her from Erskine High School. He credits her for helping launch UND to regional and national prominence.
“Karla was a tough, hard-nosed player who, in my first year at UND in 1987, helped turn a 7-20 team into a 22-win season and a NCAA II tournament berth,” Roebuck said. “I knew she would be a success in coaching because she understood the game and was a great teammate.”
Nelson has produced 11 straight winning seasons at MSUM and developed 27 all-conference picks. She guided the Dragons to the NSIC title in 2004-05 and the first of three trips to the NCAA Division II regional tournament. MSUM finished 24-7, set a single season record for victories and Nelson as honored as NSIC and WBCA Region 7 Coach of the Year.
A three-year fixture in the backcourt at North Dakota, Nelson served as an assistant coach at MSU Moorhead for six years and was promoted to head coach in 2000 following the resignation of Jean Rosie.
“The thing I'm most proud of is all the wins have been with the Dragons,” said Nelson. “This involves a lot of people, all the players, coaches and administrator who believed in me. I feel good for them, and it speaks a lot about our program.”
