Tod Kowalczyk Named Head Basketball Coach At Wisconsin-Green Bay

April 25, 2002

Associated Press

Tod Kowalczyk is only 35, yet he has spent one-third of his life in dogged determination of one goal: to coach the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball team.

The native of nearby De Pere fulfilled that ambition Thursday when athletic director Ken Bothof selected him over three other finalists.

"This is the culmination of a childhood dream and without a doubt since I got into the coaching profession, my No. 1 goal," Kowalczyk said.

Kowalczyk was an assistant for the last two seasons at Marquette University, where he helped coach Tom Crean restore the Golden Eagles to national prominence.

He was in Crean's office when word came Thursday that he had the job.

"Right away I think Tom had a pretty good idea what the call was about, so he left the room and let me be by myself," Kowalczyk said. "And then he came in and we shared some tears and a lot of hugs together."

Bothof also interviewed Hampton coach Steve Merfeld, Incarnate Word coach Al Grushikin and Michigan State assistant coach Mike Garland.

Bothof said Kowalczyk's resume had everything he was looking for: a winning background, experience rebuilding a program, a long track record of national recruiting and a commitment to academics.

"But his greatest strength was his enthusiasm and passion for the game of basketball, understanding the importance of connecting with the community and the university and his desire to be the head basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay," Bothof said.

"We are confident that he will elevate our men's basketball program to heights that will make our campus, our community and our alumni proud."

Kowalczyk takes over a program that went 9-21 last year under Mike Heideman, who was fired last month after going 110-95 in seven seasons.

Although he has never been a head coach, Kowalczyk has 13 years of college coaching experience as an assistant, including 11 at NCAA Division I schools.

He was the top assistant at Rutgers from 1997-2000. He also worked as an assistant at Rider, St. Anselm College and New Hampshire.

Kowalczyk played college basketball at Minnesota-Duluth. His father, Rod, was a longtime coach and athletics director at De Pere High School.

Kowalczyk, whose hiring as coach of the Phoenix was first reported on the Green Bay Press-Gazette Web site Thursday, inherits a solid roster that includes junior forward Mike King, who sat out with a bad back last year, and transfers Julian Swartz and Marshall Williams.

And this fall, the team moves into the new 10,000-seat Resch Center.

"I think there's an opportunity right away to be good," Kowalczyk said.

Swartz said players were thrilled with the choice of Kowalczyk.

"Everybody's really impressed and excited about his enthusiasm and plans for this program," Swartz said.