SPEARFISH, S.D. – After a successful first season for Black Hills State’s women’s basketball head coach Rachel Erickson, she announced on Friday morning that she will be stepping down from her position to pursue the next step in her coaching career at the NCAA Division I level.
“We are grateful to Coach Erickson for her time, energy, and leadership this past season,” said director of athletics Mark Nore. “As a valued member of our Yellow Jacket family, she brought heart and passion to her role, and we wish her continued success in her next chapter.”
Erickson, a former Yellow Jacket women’s basketball player under the direction of then head coach Mark Nore, returned to Spearfish after spending two seasons in Fort Collins, Colorado, as an assistant coach at Colorado State. In her lone season at the helm of the program, she guided the Yellow Jackets to an 18-11 (13-7 RMAC) record and an appearance in the RMAC Tournament semifinals after a quarterfinal victory in A2 Arena. She earned her first career head coaching victory in a buzzer-beating 57-55 win over West Texas A&M and later earned her first RMAC postseason victory in an 82-56 win over CSU Pueblo. It was the Yellow Jackets first RMAC tournament win in four years.
Her 18 wins marked the second-most wins by a first-year head coach in team history. The Yellow Jackets were one of the top teams in the country in 2024-25 when it came to limiting fouls, turnovers, and getting to the boards as they ranked fifth, ninth, and 18th in NCAA Division II in those respective categories.
“Being the head women’s basketball coach at Black Hills State University this past year has meant more to me than I can put into words,” stated Erickson. “Leading this incredible group of young women and being part of such a proud, tradition-rich program was truly the honor of a lifetime.”
Erickson was able to mentor four RMAC All-Conference players in her first year, including Kalla Bertram, Bradie Schlabs, Haylee Weathersby, and Morgan Hammerbeck. She also inspired the girls to perform not just on the floor but in the classroom, producing two First Team Academic All-RMAC honorees in Bertram and Hammerbeck, which were only the third and fourth players to earn that honor in program history and first since the 2016-17 season. Bertram, Hammerbeck, and Gracie Haneborg also secured CSC Academic All-District selections. As a team, BHSU was the recipient for the RMAC’s Brechler Award for women’s basketball, given to the team with the highest cumulative GPA for the year in their respective sport.
“I will forever be the biggest fan of Yellow Jacket Women’s Basketball and this amazing university,” added Erickson. “The administration at BHSU is nothing short of elite — supportive, passionate, and full of heart. The Spearfish community has always made me feel welcome, supported, and at home. BHSU will always have a piece of my heart and has made me a better person and a better leader. This department is going places, and I can’t wait to follow the continued growth and success of the program and university I love so much.”
