| d3photography.com file photo by Steve Frommell |
Steve Schweer, who led Illinois College to two NCAA Tournaments and a Top 25 ranking, will be the next men's basketball head coach at UW-Oshkosh.
UW-Oshkosh announced the hiring on Friday afternoon.
"We are excited to welcome Steve to Oshkosh," said Assistant Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims. "He brings a great enthusiasm for the program and the university that I am sure will continue the great tradition of success within UW-Oshkosh men's basketball for years to come."
Schweer comes north after spending eight years at Illinois College where he led the Blue Boys to their best run in program history.
After splitting their first two games to start the 2022-23 season, the Blue Boys won 16 straight, propelling them to the top seed in the MWC tournament which they also won. Illinois College finished that season with a 25-3 record after losing to Wheaton (Ill.) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but the Blue Boys opened the next season with 12 straight wins and their first Top 25 appearance. Illinois College won another MWC title and then topped Dubuque with a buzzer beater in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Boys fell to Washington U. by one in overtime in the second round, capping a 49-8 two-season run.
Overall, Schweer went 114-79 in eight seasons, posting the best winning percentage in program history (.591).
"Blueboy basketball's incredible legacy has been enhanced on and off the court under Steve's leadership," IC Director of Athletics Meghan Roman said in the College's release. "The integrity and success that he created will continue to benefit our program moving forward. While we are sad to see him go, we are excited for Steve and his family as he takes the next step in his coaching career."
He replaces Matt Lewis who was even better over that same period, going 141-62 and leading UW-Oshkosh to the national championship in 2019. Lewis resigned from UW-Oshkosh because his family is moving to Bloomington, Ill. where his wife Gaelyn Rose will be the Vice President for Enrollment at Illinois Wesleyan. Coincidentally, Schweer graduated from Illinois Wesleyan where he was twice named the Titans' defensive player of the year.
Schweer's prior stops include two seasons as an assistant at North Central (Ill.), five seasons at Monmouth, and two seasons at North Park while earning his graduate degree.