The Winona State University head men’s basketball coach Todd Eisner has added two new faces to the sideline this upcoming season.
Owen King and TJ Lake have joined Eisner and the Warrior program. Lake was recently on staff at Benedictine University and King joins the Warrior program after graduating from Winona State in December of 2023.
Coach Eisner had this to say about the hiring of King and Lake, “Our basketball program is really excited to bring Owen and T.J. back to Winona State University! I know both of these young men are passionate about the game and Warrior Basketball and will bring great energy, outstanding work ethic, knowledge of the game and understanding of the NSIC to our program when working with our players on a daily basis. Owen and T.J. have played in the NSIC so they both know how good the talent level needs to be to be successful in the best NCAA D2 league in the country, which will be helpful in the recruiting process.
Owen was obviously an important part of our program as a three-year starter for Warrior Basketball from 2020-2023. I knew he had interest in pursuing the coaching profession when he graduated from WSU and during my time coaching Owen, I could see on a daily basis the “coach” in him when he was on the floor, whether that was practice or games. When we had the initial staff opening in the spring, he was the first person I thought of because of his familiarity with our program. I believe he has the potential to be an outstanding coach at the college level because I know he will really work at it and Owen is a very good relationship builder, so he will connect with our current players and with recruits and their families. I am really excited that Owen is back at WSU for the ’24-’25 season!
We were very fortunate to bring T.J. back to Winona State at the start of the school year. He worked for us as a graduate assistant coach from 2018-2020 and has since been a NCAA D3 assistant coach the past five seasons in the Midwest. With the late opening on our staff, to find someone who is familiar with our program, the NSIC and our recruiting footprint was very fortunate. T.J. played at Minnesota State for three years so he has a great understanding of our league. Having recruited the state of Minnesota and Illinois over the last five years will be beneficial for our program and allow T.J. to make a smooth transition back to Winona State this fall. T.J. always has an upbeat personality and has already done a good job creating relationships with our current players and with recruits in the Midwest. We are excited to have T.J., his wife Madalyn, and their daughter, Helen, with Warrior Basketball again!”
The Winona State men’s basketball team is first in action on Sunday, November 3 at home in an exhibition game against Saint Mary’s University.
