Robin Ersland begins his fifth season as head wrestling coach with Minot State University for the 2014-15 season.
In 2013-14, Ersland and the Beavers turned a new leaf near the tail end of the season, winning the final two Northern Sun duals. The Beavers beat rival University of Mary 21-18 before taking down Northern State 31-19 in the dual season finale. MISU finished seventh overall in the NSIC, their highest placing since joining the conference.
Four years ago Ersland helped lead a resurrection of the Beaver wrestling program after a 20-year hiatus by becoming their first coach since Dean Bachmeir lead the program in 1990. In their first season back MSU sent 10 wrestlers to the NAIA National Championships and had one NAIA Regional Champion.
During the Beavers' transitional season of 2011-12, the Beavers qualified five wrestlers for the NCWA National Championships. During their first season as an NCAA Division II team in 2012-13, the Beavers suffered a series of injuries to key members of the squad and were unable to continue their success of the first two seasons and failed to qualify anyone to the NCAA Championships.
Ersland is no stranger to successful programs as he has coached ninety-nine NCAA Division II National Qualifiers, forty-seven NCAA Division II All-Americans, fourteen NCAA Division I National Qualifiers, and two NCAA Division I All-Americans. Fifteen of his twenty-two teams at the NCAA Division II level finished in the Top Twenty at the NCAA National Championships. Ersland is 217-273-7 in 29 seasons as a head coach.
In 2010, Ersland was inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Ersland came to Minot State after coaching 15 seasons at the University of Central Missouri. While at UCM, Ersland was named Coach of the Year in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region in 2009, 2008, 2000, 1998 and 1996. He coached one individual National Champion and two finalists, along with 32 All-Americans. His best season with the Mules came in 2001 when UCM was 14-5-1 and finished in 11th place at the national championships. Ersland was 134-126-2 at Central Missouri, picking up his 200th career win on Feb. 5, 2009.
He started his collegiate coaching career as a Graduate Assistant in August, 1982 at the University of Iowa. He was also the head coach of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in Iowa City, Iowa, producing three Olympic Gold Medalists and a Silver Medalist, as well as three national freestyle champions.
Ersland coached one season at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., before moving to Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich., in January,1985. At Northern Michigan, Ersland coached two individual national championship runners-up and 11 All-Americans. He was nominated for NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 1988.
In August 1988, he took the head wrestling job at California University of Pennsylvania in California, Penn. He was the NCAA Division II East Region Coach of the Year in 1991 and Southeast Region in 1990. His 1989 team finished seventh at the Division II National Championship and his 1991 team won the NCAA East Regional, marking the first regional champion for any sport in the school's history. He had one individual National Champion, two runners-up and six All-Americans. Ersland also oversaw the wrestling program's re-classification from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I.
Ersland has been a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association since 1984 and has twice been president of the Division II Coaches' Association, from 2008-2010 and from 1988-1990. He was also on the NCAA Wrestling Committee from 2008-2010.
Ersland, a Menominee, Mich., native, is a 1979 graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa with a bachelor's degree in history and secondary education. He lettered in wrestling and football three years each and played rugby. He played on the last Luther team to win an Iowa Conference Championship in football and wrestled on the last Luther team to win an Iowa Conference Championship in wrestling, both in his senior season.
He is the father of three girls, Amanda, Molly and Abby. He is married to the former Kimberly Long of Hartville, Mo. Ersland is an avid hunter and fisherman.
At Minot State:Â
| Season | Wins | Losses | Conference Finish |
| 2010-11 | 5 | 4 | N/A |
| 2011-12 | 4 | 4 | N/A |
| 2012-13 | 1 | 15 | 9th |
| 2013-14 | 3 | 12 | 7th |
| Career | 13 | 35 | - |
