La Crosse, Wis. - UW-La Crosse Intercollegiate Athletics is giving fans an opportunity to get to know its 16 head coaches during the 2019-20 season.  We thank all 16 of the Eagles' head coaches for participating.  Our head coach being recognized today is men's basketball's Kent Dernbach. 

Dernbach completed his third season as UWL's head coach in 2019-20.  UWL finished 21-6 overall and 9-5 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2019-20, placing third in the conference standings.  The 21 wins tied the school record set in 1975-76.  UWL was ranked 11 times on the 2019-20 D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll, including the highest ranking in school history of 14th. The team received votes on the final 2019-20 D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll. The Eagles advanced to the 2020 WIAC Championship Semifinals, their sixth appearance in the last nine seasons.  

Named head coach March 12, 2018, Dernbach served as the Eagles' interim head coach for the 2017-18 season.  He is 51-29 overall and 24-18 in the WIAC. 

UWL was 17-10 overall and 10-4 in the WIAC in 2018-19, placing second in the league standings.  It was the Eagles' highest finish in the WIAC since capturing the regular-season crown in 2015-16.  UWL also hosted a WIAC Tournament Semifinal in 2018-19 for the first time since 2015-16.  The 17 victories in 2018-19 were the most since finishing 17-10 in 2013-14.  The Eagles earned an at-large bid to the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship under Dernbach, the team's second appearance (2006, 2019) in school history.  UWL was one of 20 teams to earn an at-large bid to the national championships.   

UWL started the 2017-18 season with a record of 8-2 under Dernbach, including a 65-63 win over 20th-ranked Saint John's University (Minn.). It was one of four losses by the Johnnies (23-4) in 2017-18, who were ranked seventh on the final regular-season D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll. UWL finished 13-13 overall in Dernbach's first year as head coach, losing six games by three points or less. 

Dernbach served as associate head coach at UW-Stevens Point from 2011-17.  He was the Pointers' interim head coach for the last 13 games of the 2016-17 season, leading the team to an 8-5 record. Dernbach earned his bachelor's degree in sport management and psychology from Carthage College (Wis.) in 2004 and completed his master's degree in physical activity and educational services from The Ohio State University in 2006.  He was a two-year letter winner at Carthage (Wis.) as the Red Men went 46-8 overall and won a pair of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships. 

Dernbach was joined by assistant coaches Kenny Finco and Mike Mashak in 2019-20.

Kent Dernbach

Your hometown?  Almond, Wisconsin.  

Favorite food?  Tacos. 

Favorite hobby?  Barista. 

Quote?  "Just Do It."

The thing you most like about the Coulee Region?  The various elevations and landscape.

Your favorite coaching memory?  Embracing my family (my wife Mandi, our 18-month-old daughter Camilla, mom, dad, and in-laws) after winning an NCAA Championship. 

Your favorite memory as a student-athlete?  Really tough because I wasn't very good...game-winner versus Wild Rose High School.

Your sports role model?  Steve Kerr.

Favorite book?  Boomerang! and The Tipping Point.

Favorite emoji?  It takes too long and confusing to get to the emoji portion when texting so I just type out 'ok' or 'haha'.