UW-Oshkosh Assistant Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims announced Steve Schweer as the 16th head coach in the 127-year history of the men’s basketball program.
Schweer will head the Titans’ men’s basketball program following Matt Lewis’ eight-year tenure leading the team.
“It is a tremendous honor to be named the next head men’s basketball coach at UW-Oshkosh,” Schweer said. “My family and I are ecstatic about the opportunity, and we are looking forward to becoming part of the Oshkosh community. I want to thank Darryl Sims, Abby Gildernick, the search committee and the rest of the staff that I met with throughout this process. It became very clear to me why there has been such a high level of competitive excellence across the board at UWO. I am looking forward to the challenge of bringing championships back to Oshkosh!”
Schweer comes to Oshkosh after leading the men’s basketball program at Illinois College to the most successful eight-season stretch in program history from 2019-26 and serving as the associate director of athletics for the last three academic years.
“We are excited to welcome Steve to Oshkosh,” said 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.”
During his tenure leading Illinois College, the Blue Boys went 114-79 (.591) under Schweer, including 20-win seasons in 2023 (25-3) and 2024 (24-5). The Blue Boys won the first two Midwest Conference regular season championships in program history in 2023 and 2024 before securing the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship with tournament titles in both seasons. Illinois College set program records in wins (25; 2024) and consecutive wins (16; Nov. 15, 2023-Jan. 21, 2024) during that stretch.
The Blue Boys won the first NCAA tournament game in program history with a 59-57 victory over University of Dubuque in St. Louis, Mo. on March 1, 2024, before falling to host Washington University in St. Louis in a tight 68-67 decision the following night.
Under Schweer’s leadership Illinois College student-athletes earned 13 All-Midwest Conference honors, including a conference player of the year nod for Jake Mazrimas in 2024.
The Midwest Conference and D3hoops.com Region 9 Coach of the Year in 2023, Schweer has served as a member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Rules Committee.
As associate director of athletics, Schweer created the Student-Athlete Justice, Equity and Inclusion Team at Illinois College, served on numerous campus initiative committees, and coordinated the gameday operations for men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball.
Before joining the Blue Boys, Schweer was the head assistant men’s basketball coach at North Central College (Ill.) in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, helping the Cardinals to the 2017 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament title and the third round of the Division III Championship. In 2018, North Central earned an at-large bid to the national tournament. While in Naperville Schweer was also the men’s basketball recruiting and strength and conditioning coordinator as well as the JV coach.
Schweer spent five years at Monmouth College (Ill.) and held a variety of roles while in Monmouth. While serving as the assistant men’s basketball coach for the entirety of his tenure with the Scots, he was the assistant to the athletic director, assistant director of student success and athletics department recruiting coordinator from 2012-16 and the head men’s golf coach for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Following his first coaching position with Lakeland College in 2008, Schweer spent two seasons as the assistant men’s basketball coach and assistant facility and event manager at North Park University while earning his master’s degree.
In all, student-athletes have earned 58 all-conference honors, four conference player of the year awards, 15 all-region honors and four All-America nods under Schweer’s tutelage. Nineteen players have reached the 1,000 career points milestone and one eclipsed the 2,000-point mark.
Schweer played collegiate basketball at Illinois Wesleyan University from 2003-06. During his time with the Titans, he was a four-year letterwinner and was twice voted as the team’s defensive player of the year. Schweer played in 93 games and started in 12, totaling 317 points and 276 rebounds, while helping the program to four straight Division III Championship appearances. The Titans reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2003 and 2004.
Schweer, who begins his duties on June 1, received his bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan in 2006 and his master’s degree from North Park in 2011. He and his wife, Tabitha, are parents of Samantha and Camden.
UW-Oshkosh owns 15 WIAC regular season crowns, five WIAC Tournament titles, and has qualified for 12 Division III postseason tournaments, including winning the 2019 national title.
D3 NEWS: Schweer named Head Basketball Coach at UW-Oshkosh
