UMD football doesn't miss a beat in the post-Nielson era

DULUTH – They inherited a football program in mint condition, with a 62-7 record and two NCAA championships since 2008. When Curt Wiese and Josh Berlo took the handoff from Bob Nielson, who built Minnesota Duluth into a Division II powerhouse, their first task was not to drop the ball.

So far, so good. The Bulldogs haven't lost a step in the two seasons since Nielson, their longtime coach and athletic director, left for Western Illinois. Heading into Saturday's regular-season finale at Minot State, they are 10-0, ranked No. 2 in the nation and poised to earn at least a share of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship for the sixth time in the past seven years.

Wiese helped steer UMD's ascent during his five seasons as offensive coordinator under Nielson, and he is 21-2 since becoming head coach in December 2012. He and Berlo, who was hired as athletic director in 2013, are adding some fresh ideas to the program; Wiese has gotten his players to do 2,200 hours of volunteer work, and Berlo has brought a popular tailgating area, club seating and a video board to Malosky Stadium.

But their highest calling is maintaining UMD's core identity as an elite team, one that is moving toward its seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA playoffs.

"When I took over as head coach, my goal wasn't to top the record of Bob Nielson," said Wiese, 38. "But it certainly is my goal to match it. Our players did a good job of adapting last year, holding our program together and moving it forward. The vision is to keep this program in a nationally prominent position. Our goal will always be to win a national championship."

UMD is tied with Minnesota State Mankato — the nation's top-ranked team — for first place in the NSIC. The Bulldogs have won 18 consecutive regular-season games, and with a victory Saturday over Minot State (1-9), they will finish the regular season without a loss or tie for the fifth time in the program's 82-year history.

Wiese is a Wisconsin native who played quarterback at MSU Mankato and Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Since he began directing the Bulldogs offense in 2008, the team has gone 83-9; last season, Wiese was named Division II coach of the year for guiding UMD to an 11-2 record in his first year as head coach.

Several players said Wiese's relatable manner, creativity and zeal have injected new energy into the program.

"Coach Nielson was more strict, more old-school," said senior running back Austin Sikorski, the NSIC's North Division preseason offensive player of the year whose season was cut short because of a knee injury after seven games. "With Coach Wiese, you can just hang out in his office and talk to him. And he's brought a lot of buzz and excitement."

Sikorski missed the season opener after being stabbed in an off-campus incident, and he has sat out the past two games because of the knee injury. But junior Logan Lauters has emerged in his stead. Lauters has run for 1,151 yards to pace a team ranked sixth in Division II in rushing yards per game (308.1).

While the Bulldogs favor the run, sophomore quarterback Drew Bauer also has passed for 19 touchdowns, and seniors Zach Zweifel and Aaron Roth are two of the most prolific receivers in school history. UMD's offense also makes few mistakes — its eight turnovers this season are the lowest total in Division II — and its defense is ninth in D-II in allowing only 86.5 rushing yards per game.

Wiese credits the Bulldogs' consistency to the senior class of 2008, which set high standards that have been passed along and maintained by the players who followed. The coach said he recruits carefully, selecting players who fit the program's culture.

"We have the same goals and values, and we approach football with the same mentality," Roth said. "Everyone understands what it takes to win, and everyone is willing to put in the effort."

As much as the Bulldogs have endeared themselves to Duluth through their success, Wiese wanted to make a closer connection to the community. Each player now is volunteering at least 11 hours per year, with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Goodwill Industries and Habitat for Humanity. Berlo has worked to make game days more fun at the hilltop campus, with the popular tailgating area and new promotions.

Their next goal is to make the season last longer than it did last fall, when the Bulldogs lost in the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

"We want every player who comes here to leave as a better person, with the degree they came here to get and an opportunity to give back to the city of Duluth," Wiese said. "If we can do that and win another national championship, that's the ultimate goal."