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.
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Augustana (SD) |
| Conference | NSIC |
| Record | 356-197 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | February 12, 1961 Byron, Illinois, U.S. |
| 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 | 453-247 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA Division II champion (2016) 3× NSIC regular season champion (2015, 2016, 2022) 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) 2x NSIC Coach of the Year (2016, 2022) | |
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
| 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 (North Central Conference) (2003–2008) | |||||||||
| 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 | ||||
| Augustana (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) (2008–present) | |||||||||
| 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 | 9-7 | 7-6 | 7th | |||||
| 2021–22 | Augustana | 23-2 | 17-2 | 1st | NCAA regional final | ||||
| Augustana: | 356-197 (.635) | 221–133 (.624) | |||||||
| Total: | 453–247 (.640) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
- Kradle, Adam (March 28, 2016). "Byron native Tom Billeter leads Augustana to D-II national title". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
- "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.
- "New coach brings hope". Argus Leader. December 2, 2003. p. 15. Retrieved September 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "The Clarence "Big House" Gaines National Coach of the Year Award| College Basketball Awards| CollegeInsider.com". www.clarencegainesaward.com. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
- Zimmer, Matt (March 15, 2015). "Vikings historic season ended by Northwest Missouri State". Argus Leader. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
- 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.
- "Coach Billeter Brings Home 300th Augustana Win; Vikings Outlast Concordia-St. Paul". goaugie.com. January 26, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.