Rob Erickson enters his first year as UW-Eau Claire’s head football coach. Erickson was hired to lead the program in February of 2023.

Erickson joined UW-Eau Claire from South Dakota State University and is the 18^th head coach in program history.

Prior to joining the Blugolds, Erickson gained extensive experience in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and at the NCAA Division I FCS level as an assistant coach. He coached in three national championship games at various levels between 2019-2022 and is a two-time WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year. He won an FCS national title with South Dakota State in 2022.

Erickson served as special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach for three seasons at South Dakota State. Erickson coached in two FCS national championship games, helping the Jackrabbits win the 2022 national title and earn a runner-up finish in the spring of 2021. He was part of a defensive coaching staff that led a unit which ranked first in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in total defense, scoring defense, interceptions and several other statistical categories. One of the cornerbacks under Erickson’s guidance, Don Gardner, now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League.

Prior to his time at South Dakota State, Erickson was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at UW-Whitewater for five seasons. In his final year with the Warhawks, Erickson’s defense helped the program reach the 2019 national championship game. He helped coach UW-Whitewater to the national semifinals three times and the national quarterfinals four times. Erickson was named the WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016. He coached 11 All-Americans and 16 All-Region players with the Warhawks.

Erickson helped push UW-Platteville – his alma mater – into the upper echelon nationally from 2008-2014 as the Pioneers’ associate head coach and defensive coordinator. The team went 2-8 in the season prior to Erickson’s arrival, and his defense elevated the program to a top 10 national ranking and the second round of the NCAA playoffs just a few years later in 2013. In his first year on staff, the 2008 Pioneers defense posted back-to-back conference shutouts for the first time since 1950. In his seven years with UW-Platteville, the Pioneers tallied five shutouts and held 21 opponents to single digits in scoring. Erickson received WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2011.

He also had stints as defensive coordinator at Aurora University (2005-07) and UW-Stevens Point (2003-04). He coached an All-American and three All-Region performers at Aurora, and helped the Pointers rank third in the WIAC in scoring defense.

Erickson played collegiately at UW-Platteville from 1996-99. He was a four-year starter at cornerback for the Pioneers. The Junction City, Wisconsin native and his wife Kelly, have three children – Maya, Jared, and Kami.

Updated 2/7/23