Tom Billeter

Tom Billeter (born February 12, 1961) is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He previously has been the head coach at North Dakota State University, as well as holding assistant coaching roles at a number of NCAA Division I colleges. He led Augustana to the 2016 NCAA Division II national championship and was named the national coach of the year in that season.

Tom Billeter

Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Augustana (SD)
Conference	NSIC
Record	329-193
Biographical details
Born	February 12, 1961 Byron, Illinois
Alma mater	Illinois
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1985–1987	Arizona (assistant)
1987–1992	Rice (assistant)
1992–1997	North Dakota State
1997–1998	St. John's (assistant)
1998–2003	Texas A&M (assistant)
2003–present	Augustana (SD)
Head coaching record
Overall	426-244
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NCAA Division II champion (2016) 2× NSIC regular season champion (2015, 2016) 2× NSIC Tournament champion (2015, 2016) NCC regular season champion (1995)
Awards
Clarence Gaines Coach of the Year (2013) NABC Division II Coach of the Year (2016) NSIC Coach of the Year (2016)

Billeter is from Byron, Illinois and obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He began his coaching career as a high school coach, then made his entry into college coaching as an assistant to Lute Olson at Arizona. He then moved to Rice under Scott Thompson. He was hired as head coach of then-Division II North Dakota State, where he led the Bison to four consecutive 20-win seasons in his five seasons at the helm (from 1992 to 1997).[1] He left the school, despite his success, to take an assistant coaching job at high profile Division I program St. John's.[2]

After a year at St. John's, then five seasons as an assistant at Texas A&M, Billeter was hired as head coach at Augustana in 2003.[3] After going 42–69 in his first four seasons, he then led the Vikings to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2008 to 2010. Billeter received the Clarence Gaines Coach of the Year award in 2013.[4] In the 2014–15 season, the Vikings went 31–3 but were knocked out of the 2015 NCAA Tournament by Northwest Missouri in the second round.[5] The Vikings avenged the loss the following season as they went 34–2 behind national player of the year Dan Jansen and won the school's first national championship. Billeter was named the national Division II coach of the year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) at the conclusion of the season.[6]

On January 26, 2019, Billeter won his 300th game as Augustana Vikings coach.[7]

College coaching record

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
North Dakota State (North Central Conference) (1992–1997)
1992–93	North Dakota State	12–17	7–11	8th
1993–94	North Dakota State	21–9	14–4	2nd	NCAA Regional Final
1994–95	North Dakota State	22–8	12–6	T-1st	NCAA Second Round
1995–96	North Dakota State	20–9	12–6	T-2nd	NCAA Second Round
1996–97	North Dakota State	22–7	12–6	T-2nd	NCAA Second Round
North Dakota State:		97–50 (.660)	57–33 (.633)
Augustana (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) (2003–present)
2003–04	Augustana	6–21	2–12	8th
2004–05	Augustana	8–20	1-11	7th
2005–06	Augustana	12–16	5–7	5th
2006–07	Augustana	16–12	3–9	5th
2007–08	Augustana	22–9	8–4	2nd	NCAA Second Round
2008–09	Augustana	21–10	13-7	6th	NCAA Regional Final
2009–10	Augustana	24–7	15–5	3rd	NCAA Regional Final
2010–11	Augustana	18–9	15–7	3rd
2011–12	Augustana	17–11	14–8	T-4th	NCAA First Round
2012–13	Augustana	22–9	15–7	3rd	NCAA Second Round
2013–14	Augustana	16–14	12–10	T-9th
2014–15	Augustana	31–3	20–2	T-1st	NCAA Second Round
2015–16	Augustana	34–2	21–1	1st	NCAA Champions
2016–17	Augustana	24–9	16–6	4th	NCAA Second Round
2017–18	Augustana	16-14	10-12	T-6th
2018–19	Augustana	18-11	14-8	T-3rd
2019–20	Augustana	19-11	13-9	T-6th
2020–21	Augustana	5-5	3-5
Augustana:		329-193 (.630)	201–130 (.607)
Total:		426–244 (.636)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

References

1. Kradle, Adam (March 28, 2016). "Byron native Tom Billeter leads Augustana to D-II national title". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
2. "Billeter says he's taking pay cut at St. John's". Argus Leader. April 2, 1997. p. 22. Retrieved September 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "New coach brings hope". Argus Leader. December 2, 2003. p. 15. Retrieved September 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "The Clarence "Big House" Gaines National Coach of the Year Award| College Basketball Awards| CollegeInsider.com". www.clarencegainesaward.com. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
5. Zimmer, Matt (March 15, 2015). "Vikings historic season ended by Northwest Missouri State". Argus Leader. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
6. Thurn, Jeff (March 31, 2016). "Augustana Head Coach Tom Billeter named National Coach of the Year by the NABC". ESPN991.com. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
7. "Coach Billeter Brings Home 300th Augustana Win; Vikings Outlast Concordia-St. Paul". goaugie.com. January 26, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.

External links

• Augustana Vikings bio
• 2016 National Champions retrospective