Dave Nielsen is the former head

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

coach of the men's and women's teams at

Idaho State University , mottoeng = "The truth will set you free" , established = , former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927) University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho Stat ...

. Nielsen is known for his pioneering work in the

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

. As of 2012, Nielsen is entering his 25th year as Head Track and Field Coach. Along with coaching the

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

track and field athletes and Dragila, Nielsen coached Paul Litchfield and

heptathlete A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hept ...

Jackie Poulson. He also coached Stacy Dragila, who won a gold medal in the pole vault in the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

. As of 2017, Nielsen has accepted a position at Eastern Washington University as the jumps and multi events coach.

Publications

Neilsen has produced four DVDs: ''Pole Vault Fundamentals and Techniques'', ''Effective Practice Drills for the Pole Vault'', ''Gymnastics Training for the Pole Vault'', and ''Women’s Pole Vault featuring Stacy Dragila''. He has published many articles on various aspects of the vault, including "Athletics Outstanding Performer – The Vaulting Pole" and "Jump Efficiently".

External links

"Jump Efficiency" by Dave NielsenTop of the Game
Idaho State Bengals coaches College track and field coaches in the United States Olympic coaches for the United States Living people University of Iowa alumni Pocatello, Idaho Year of birth missing (living people) Eastern Washington University faculty Idaho State University {{Idaho-stub