1942 South Dakota Coyotes football team

The 1942 South Dakota Coyotes football team was an American football team that represented the University of South Dakota in the North Central Conference (NCC) during the 1942 college football season. In its first and only season under head coach Cletus Clinker, the team compiled a 5–3 record (4–2 against NCC opponents), finished in third place out of nine teams in the NCC, and was outscored by a total of 132 to 116.

South Dakota was ranked at No. 164 (out of 590 college and military teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1942.

The team played its home games at Inman Field in Vermillion, South Dakota.