There are nearly 100 Black female and male coaches leading women’s college basketball teams this season. Last week the MSR talked with three veteran Black female HCs in separate in-person interviews after their respective contests. Here we speak with Shannon (Bolden) Nelson.
Another View
First of a two-part story
There are six Black head coaches in men’s and women’s basketball at the Minnesota collegiate level this season. Shannon (Bolden) Nelson, because of her years of service, is the dean of Minnesota Black coaches.
The former Gopher and Marshall native was hired as Northland Community and Technical College women’s head basketball coach in 2010.
When told of her current place in Minnesota sports as the longest-tenured Black coach, Nelson said, “I did not know that. I didn’t realize that. Pretty cool.”
The 2002 Minnesota Ms. Basketball, Shannon Bolden scored 2,143 points at Marshall Senior High School and was a two-time Player of the Year in Class 3A. She went on to become a key member of Minnesota’s four straight NCAA tournament appearances, including three Sweet Sixteen berths and the 2004 Final Four. She was a three-year starter and two-time team captain.
A kinesiology graduate (Minnesota, 2006), and a business administration graduate (Capella University, 2009), Nelson recalled that becoming a coach wasn’t in her sights.
“I had no plan to coach. It wasn’t in the cards for me. But I just fell in love with it because of the players and relationships I’ve been able to build with them,” admitted Nelson.
But once Nelson got started, she proceeded to become perhaps Minnesota’s most successful Black basketball coach at any collegiate level, all at Northland, located in Thief River Falls. She won the school’s first national championship in any sport in 2014.
She coached two national runners-up teams (2016, 2020); was eight-time MCAC Northern Division coach of the year; eight-time Region XIIIB coach of the year; and 2014 NJCAA Division III women’s basketball coach of the year.
Now in her 10th season, Nelson is Northland’s all-time winningest coach, both in wins and winning percentage.
“I love teaching the game to our players,” continued Nelson, who also serves as women’s athletic coordinator and a business administrator at the school. She’s also married with a young son and daughter.
Being a wife, mother, college administrator and instructor, as well as a successful head coach is close to ideal, said Nelson, adding that with 18- and 19-year-old women under her charge, “You can really have a positive impact on their lives. You can help them develop and learn all those non-basketball things as well,” she pointed out.
“Honestly there’s more flexibility at this level,” stressed Nelson when asked why she hasn’t pursued moving up to a four-year school. “I’ve got two little kids. It’s nice to be able to be a coach but also not to be on the road all summer, and on the road every weekend. It’s that happy middle.”
Nonetheless, Nelson would like to see more coaches who look like her get that chance to succeed. “There is still too much to talk about Black female coaches being head coaches,” she said. “My perception is that at least at the D1 level, it feels like it’s getting better. At our (junior college) level, I don’t know.
“I can represent Black females in rural, predominantly White communities,” concluded Nelson. “I feel like I’ve been so welcomed and so appreciated being up in that area and being able to help players.
“Just being able to represent Black females and being able to show how we can help young women…has been a really special thing as well.”
Next—a recent historic event involving former local legendary hoopsters who are now coaches.