Curt Fredrickson's history of winning at Northern State University is virtually unsurpassed. With 846 wins in 39 seasons, Fredrickson is the second-winningest active NCAA II women's basketball coach behind Barbara Stevens of Bentley.
He is also one of just two DII women's coaches to surpass 700 wins, reaching that milestone on Jan. 2, 2012 with a win over Upper Iowa. He also became just the 16th head coach across all NCAA divisions to reach the 700-win mark. Fredrickson continued his career of excellence, breaking the 800 win mark on November 21, 2016 versus Nebraska Kearney in the fourth game of the 2016-17 season. But what sets him apart is his program’s commitment to consistent excellence.
In his years at NSU, Fredrickson has tallied four Hall of Fame honors (NSU, NSIC, NAIA, and SD), two national championships, numerous NSIC Conference titles, two NSIC Conference Tournament titles, and All-American nods as a student-athlete for the Wolves.Â
In 2017-18 Fredrickson won a share of both the NSIC North Division and NSIC Overall Championships. The overall crown was the first for NSU in 20 years, since last winning in 1997-98. Northern went 26-6 overall, qualifying for their fifth straight NCAA Central Region Tournament, and notching their first regional victory in those five seasons over Arkansas Tech. Jill Conrad and Miranda Ristau were named to the NSIC All-Conference teams, with Ristau earning the NSIC Player of the Year honors. The Warner native was named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year®, as well as a member of the D2CCA and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention teams.
In 2016-17 Fredrickson notched his fourth straight 20-plus win season going 24-7 overall and 16-6 in the NSIC. The Wolves women won their second NSIC Championships title defeating Sioux Falls 55-52 from the Sanford Pentagon. The league title solidified the team's fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Central Region Tournament where they battle No. 1 seeded Emporia State, falling 71-68 in the final seconds of the game.
In his 37th season at the Helm, Fredrickson led the Wolves to their third 20+ win season with a 23-8 record overall. Northern captured their third straight NSIC North Division Crown and advanced to their third straight NCAA Central Region Tournament.Â
In 2014-15 Fredrickson led the Wolves to their second straight NCAA Regional appearance. The Wolves also captured not only the NSIC North Division Title but their first ever NSIC Conference Tournament Championship.Â
During Fredrickson’s tenure, the Wolves have played in five NAIA national tournaments, winning the NAIA II national title in 1991-92 and 1993-94, finishing second in 1992-93, claiming third in 1980-81, and finishing among the final eight teams in 1994-95. Fredrickson’s Wolves have also collected two district basketball championships and two regional crowns. In the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the Wolves have had six first-place and six second-place finishes under Fredrickson. Fredrickson was named the NAIA II National Coach of the Year in 1992 and again in 1994. He has received additional Coach of the Year honors from the South Dakota Press Association, Royal Order of the Gyps, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (4), Midwest Independent Region (2) and NAIA District 12 (3). In 1992 he was inducted into the NSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
One of the major highlights during the Fredrickson years were NSU’s national championship runs in the early 1990’s. The 1991-92 team won the NAIA National title and finished the season with a 30-4 record. The Wolves set out to defend their crown in 1992-93, but were defeated in the championship game. After dropping the season opener the following season, NSU reeled off 32 straight wins and made it to the National Championship game for the third season in a row. The Wolves claimed their second Championship in three years by coming out on top in a thriller against host team Western Oregon State University. The team’s 32-1 mark that season is a school record. In 1994-95, the Wolves jumped out to 13-0 mark and set new NAIA II and NCAA II records with 45 consecutive wins from Nov. 1993 to Jan. 1995.
The success hasn’t stopped since NSU joined the NCAA II ranks in 1995-96. The Wolves have made post-season appearances in seven of their 20 years under the new affiliation, falling to eventual national champion North Dakota in the semifinals in 1996-97, making another semifinal run in 1997-98 by knocking off perennial DII powerhouse North Dakota State, and making their latest semifinal run in 2010-11 by knocking off Concordia-St. Paul before being ousted by Adams State.
Fredrickson was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in March of 2013.
Curt's family includes his wife, Vicki, daughter Lindsey and two boys, Cole and Blair.
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| Curt Fredrickson Year-By-Year |
|
|
Overall |
Conference |
|
| Year |
School |
W |
L |
W |
L |
Finish |
| 1977-78 |
Northern State |
23 |
2 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 1978-79 |
Northern State |
24 |
4 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 1979-80 |
Northern State |
26 |
3 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 1980-81 |
Northern State |
28 |
4 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 1981-82 |
Northern State |
20 |
5 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 1982-83 |
Northern State |
24 |
3 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 1985-86 |
Northern State |
20 |
8 |
9 |
3 |
2nd |
| 1986-87 |
Northern State |
19 |
10 |
8 |
4 |
2nd |
| 1987-88 |
Northern State |
28 |
3 |
11 |
1 |
1st |
| 1988-89 |
Northern State |
20 |
9 |
10 |
2 |
2nd |
| 1989-90 |
Northern State |
20 |
6 |
10 |
2 |
2nd |
| 1990-91 |
Northern State |
25 |
6 |
9 |
3 |
2nd |
| 1991-92* |
Northern State |
30 |
4 |
10 |
2 |
1st |
| 1992-93 |
Northern State |
28 |
7 |
8 |
4 |
3rd |
| 1993-94 |
Northern State |
32 |
1 |
12 |
0 |
1st |
| 1994-95 |
Northern State |
28 |
3 |
11 |
1 |
1st |
| 1995-96 |
Northern State |
20 |
7 |
7 |
5 |
3rd |
| 1996-97* |
Northern State |
24 |
5 |
11 |
1 |
1st |
| 1997-98 |
Northern State |
23 |
6 |
10 |
2 |
1st |
| 1998-99 |
Northern State |
15 |
12 |
9 |
3 |
2nd |
| 1999-00 |
Northern State |
26 |
6 |
15 |
3 |
2nd |
| 2000-01 |
Northern State |
19 |
9 |
14 |
4 |
2nd |
| 2001-02 |
Northern State |
19 |
9 |
13 |
5 |
T2nd |
| 2002-03 |
Northern State |
12 |
17 |
8 |
10 |
6th |
| 2003-04 |
Northern State |
13 |
15 |
8 |
8 |
T3rd |
| 2004-05 |
Northern State |
17 |
12 |
8 |
6 |
T4th |
| 2005-06 |
Northern State |
25 |
7 |
11 |
3 |
2nd |
| 2006-07 |
Northern State |
20 |
9 |
12 |
6 |
3rd |
| 2007-08 |
Northern State |
12 |
16 |
8 |
10 |
7th |
| 2008-09 |
Northern State |
12 |
15 |
8 |
12 |
10th |
| 2009-10 |
Northern State |
15 |
13 |
11 |
9 |
7th |
| 2010-11* |
Northern State |
21 |
9 |
16 |
6 |
T2nd |
| 2011-12 |
Northern State |
15 |
14 |
10 |
12 |
T8th |
| 2012-13 |
Northern State |
16 |
12 |
11 |
11 |
T9th |
| 2013-14* |
Northern State |
24 |
7 |
17 |
5 |
3rd |
| 2014-15 |
Northern State |
26 |
7 |
16 |
6 |
2nd |
| 2015-16 |
Northern State |
23 |
8 |
17 |
5 |
4th |
| 2016-17 |
Northern State |
24 |
7 |
16 |
6 |
3rd |
| 2017-18 |
Northern State |
26 |
6 |
19 |
3 |
1st |
| Total |
|
846 |
306 |
373 |
173 |
|
* NSIC Coach of the Year
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