Kent Dernbach starts his sixth season as head men's basketball coach at UW-La Crosse in 2022-23. Named head coach March 12, 2018, Dernbach served as the Eagles’ interim head coach for the 2017-18 season. He is 80-39 (.672) overall and 39-25 (.609) in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in his first five seasons.
UWL went 21-7 overall and 9-5 in the WIAC in 2021-22. The 21 wins tied the single-season school record for victories, set in 1975-76 and 2019-20. UWL made its third appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships, including second under Dernbach. UWL earned its first victory in the NCAA Division III Tournament with a win over Heidelberg University (Ohio) in the first round. The Eagles advanced to the WIAC Tournament semifinals for the fourth straight season under Dernbach in 2021-22. UWL was 19th in the final 2021-22 D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll.
Ethan Anderson and
Wyatt Cook were voted to the 2021-22 All-WIAC First Team while
Seth Anderson was named to the honorable mention team.
Sean Suchomel was selected to the All-WIAC Defensive Team. UWL finished second in the conference in three-point percentage (37.6%) and opponent field goal percentage (41.3%).
UWL went 8-3 overall and 5-1 in the WIAC West Division in 2020-21, earning the number one seed in the West Division for the WIAC Championship. The Eagles advanced to the tournament title game for the second time in school history (2007, 2021). UWL picked up a pair of home wins in the 2021 league championships. The team led the WIAC in assist/turnover ratio (1.17) and field goal percentage defense (.394) while finishing second in turnover margin (+3.00) and steals (6.4).
For his efforts, Dernbach was named the 2020-21 WIAC Coach of the Year. He became the fourth coach in UWL history to earn the honor, joining
Burt McDonald (1982-83),
Stu Engen (2001-02) and
Ken Koelbl (2015-16).
The Eagles finished 13th in the final 2020-21 D3hoops.com Top-15 Poll under Dernbach, their highest ranking in school history.
UWL finished 21-6 overall and 9-5 in the 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 of 14th. The team received votes on the final 2019-20 D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll. The Eagles advanced to the 2020 WIAC Championships Semifinals, their sixth appearance in the last nine seasons. The Eagles led the WIAC in steals (7.5 per game), three-point percentage defense (30.6) and turnover margin (+2.4) in 2019-20 while finishing second second in scoring defense (65.1), scoring margin (+9.1), three-point made per game (8.7), field goal percentage defense (41.2) and three-point field goal percentage defense (39.0). UWL tied for second in field goal percentage (46.7) and finished third in scoring offense (74.3).
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 NCAA Division III Championship under Dernbach, the team's first appearance since 2005-06. UWL was one of 20 teams to earn an at-large bid to the national championships.
The team went 4-3 against nationally-ranked opponents in 2018-19, including a 66-61 victory over third-ranked UW-Oshkosh. The win snapped UW-Oshkosh's 21-game winning streak and handed the Titans their first league loss of the season. UWL also secured the second-seed for the WIAC Tournament with the win. The Eagles led the WIAC in steals (7.56 per game) and three-point field goal percentage defense (31.7%) in 2018-19 while ranking second in scoring defense (65.5), blocks (3.00 per game) and turnover margin (+2.37). The team was also third in free throw shooting (76.2%). The 76.2% shooting at the free throw line is tied for third in single-season school history.
Kent Dernbach has led UWL to a pair of NCAA III Championship appearances.
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. The Eagles led the WIAC in steals (9.08 per game), turnover margin (+3.08), turnovers forced per game (16.3) while ranking second in offensive rebounds (10.5) in 2017-18. UWL’s 236 steals in 2017-18 ranks second in single-season school history.
Cook and Ethan Anderson were named to the 2020-21 All-WIAC First Team by the league coaches with Cook being voted the WIAC Player of the Year. Cook became the sixth player in school history to earn the league's player of the year award. UWL's Seth Anderson was named to the 2020-21 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team with Suchomel and
Craig Steele being selected to the all-defensive team.
Ethan Anderson and
Terek Nesheim were selected to the 2019-20 All-WIAC First Team while Cook was named to the 2019-20 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team.
Luke Norcia was voted to the 2019-20 All-WIAC Defensive Team.
Ben Meinholz and
Brendon Manning were voted to the 2018-19 All-WIAC First Team, two of 11 players named to the team. It marked the second straight year Meinholz earned All-WIAC First Team honors while Manning was named to the 2017-18 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team with
Taulvish McCray. McCray was voted to the 2017-18 and 2018-19 All-WIAC Defensive Team, one of five players on the team each season. He became the second student-athlete in school history to earn all-defensive team accolades.
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. UW-Stevens Point made four straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearances from 2012-15. His fourth season with the Pointers culminated in winning the national championship in 2014-15. UW-Stevens Point won three consecutive WIAC titles from 2013-15.
Dernbach recruited 13 All-WIAC selections and five all-conference defensive players at UW-Stevens Point. He created the Junior Pointers program for area youth and was the assistant camp director for all resident and commuter camps.
Prior to arriving at UW-Stevens Point, Dernbach was the director of basketball operations and an assistant coach at Northern Illinois University from 2009-11. He served as director of basketball operations at George Mason University (Va.) from 2007-09 as the Colonials posted back-to-back 20-wins seasons. George Mason (Va.) captured the 2007-08 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament Championship advanced to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Dernbach was an assistant coach at Marymount University (Va.) from 2005-07.
A native of Almond, Wisconsin, 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. Carthage (Wis.) finished third in the 2002 NCAA Division III Tournament. After his playing career, Dernbach was an assistant boys’ basketball coach at North Central High School (Salem, Wis.) in 2003-04 and at Whetstone High School (Columbus, Ohio) in 2004-05.
