Dave Krauth enters his 34th season at the helm of the Augustana women’s basketball program in 2022-23. He has recorded 33 winning seasons at Augustana.
On September 25, 2022, Krauth was inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
During the 2021-22 season, he led Augustana to a 13-11 winning record, leading Junior Aislinn Duffy to a NSIC First Team All-Conference nomination, along with teammates Vishe' Rabb and Lauren Sees who were named NSIC Second Team All-Conference.
He led Augustana to a 12-5 record in 2020-21 (shortened due to Covid), winning the NSIC South Division, the third in the last five seasons. He was named NSIC Coach of the Year and was a WBCA Division II Coach of the Year finalist.
Krauth made history twice in the 2020-21 season, hitting two unique milestones. On January 29, 2021, Augustana defeated Upper Iowa 82-39 to give Krauth his 650th career win at Augustana. On February 12, 2021, the Vikings defeated Sioux Falls 76-68 to bring Krauth his 1,000th career victory when combining college and high school wins.
As has been a staple of his program, academics once again excelled with eleven Vikings earning Academic All-NSIC honors. During Krauth’s tenure, he has had 130 players named to Academic All-Conference teams. The team was named to the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor roll from 2015-2020, and has maintained an overall 3.6 team GPA the last eight seasons.
A highlight of his coaching career, the 2012-13 season was one for the ages, as Krauth’s Vikings set a single-season school record for wins (28), which included being the NSIC Tournament and Central Region Tournament champions. The Vikings advanced to the national tournament semifinals by eliminating previously unbeaten and nationally top-ranked Clayton State in the opening round. Augustana’s unprecedented run came to an end against Dowling College in the semifinals. The Vikings were ranked No. 4 in the final USA Today Sports Coaches Poll and were NCAA Tournament qualifiers for the 13th time.
The 2017-18 season marked another historic year for Augustana women’s basketball. The Vikings posted a 29-4 record, won a share of the NSIC regular season title for the first time in program history, won the NSIC South for the 2nd straight season, won the NSIC Tournament in dominating fashion, and advanced to the Sweet-16 in their 14th NCAA Tournament Appearance. The 29 wins are the most in program history, and the Vikings began the season 14-0, which is the best start to a season in program history.
During his Augustana career, Krauth has coached four WBCA 1st Team All-Americans: Dana Nielsen (1992 and 1993), Sandra Zwach (1997), and Shaunteva Ashley (2015). He has coached 55 First Team All-Conference players: Nielsen was a four-time All-NCC choice, while Heidi Morlock, Zwach, Brittani Janssen, and Alison Adamson were three-time All-NCC picks. Nielsen, Zwach, and Ashley were league MVP’s. Logan O’Farrell was a three-time NSIC Defensive Player of the Year from 2016-2018. Emily Schulte won the award in the 2014 and Hana Metoxen Beyer joined as Krauth’s fifth NSIC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Krauth has also coached six players who were chosen as NCC/NSIC Freshman of the Year: Morlock (NCC-1991), Chelsea DeVille (NCC-2006), Molly Hayes (NCC-2008), Alex Feeney (NSIC-2010), Ashley (NSIC-2012), and Vishe’ Rabb (NSIC-2019).
Three of Krauth’s players (Bridget Lindquist, Nielsen, and Morlock) were honored as NCAA South Dakota Woman of the Year, and two (Lindquist and Morlock) have been awarded NCAA post-graduate scholarships. Fifteen of his players have been inducted into the Augustana Athletic Hall of Fame, which includes both of his daughters, Julie Dearring and Katie Everson.
In 1993, Krauth’s Vikings were cited as the College Women’s Team of the Year by the South Dakota Sportswriter’s Association.
Krauth’s personal honors include Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year (2018 and 2021), North Central Conference Coach of the Year (1990), the South Dakota Sportswriters’ College Women’s Coach of the Year (1994), and the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association Women’s College Coach of the Year for 1989-90, 1990-91 and 2004-05.
In 2006, he was named the Russell Athletic/WBCA Division II, Region Seven Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to a 25-7 record. Included was a school-record 20-game winning streak. In 2012, Krauth was inducted into the Sioux Falls O’Gorman High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Teaching and coaching stints at Tri-Valley High School (Colton, SD), and Roosevelt High School (Des Moines, Iowa) preceded Krauth’s Augustana appointment. He compiled a record of 347-143 as a high school coach, taking eight teams to state tournaments.
Krauth received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Sioux Falls College in 1974. He earned a master’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from South Dakota State University in 1983.
Krauth and his wife, Sandy, are the parents of two daughters, Julie (Augustana 1994) and Katie (Augustana 2006). They have six grandchildren.
