Todd Lorensen, who helped lead Graceland University to an 89-35 record over the past four seasons, has been named as the new head coach for the Rockhurst University men’s basketball program.
Graceland’s win totals improved in each of Lorensen’s four seasons in Lamoni, Iowa and directed the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back NAIA national tournament appearances the past two seasons. He was named the 2026 Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Yellowjackets to a 26-7 record and conference championship. Graceland posted a 24-8 record in 2024-25 and advanced to its first national tournament since 2018.
“Coach Lorensen has been a winner everywhere he has been. He has built championship caliber programs, as evidence of his most recent conference championship and previous national championship,” said RU Director of Athletics Kristy Bayer.
“He is well respected in the basketball community with a strong knowledge of the recruiting landscape. We are looking forward to continuing the success we had this past season under the leadership of Coach Lorensen.”
Lorensen has a proven track record of orchestrating turnarounds, both as an assistant and head coach throughout his career. During two years as the head coach at Mount Marty University in Yankton, S.D., Lorensen took a dormant program to a 20-win season in 2019-20 and led the Lancers to the conference tournament championship game in 2021.
Prior to his time at Mount Marty, Lorensen served as head coach at Buena Vista University for one season and was the head coach and director of athletics at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa from 2014-18.
At Southwestern, Lorensen posted a 113-25 overall record after the program had won just 39 percent of its games over the previous five seasons. He won a school-record 25 games in his second season. In his third season, he led the Spartans to a 36-1 overall record and an NJCAA Division II national title in 2016-17. He was named NJCAA DII National Coach of the Year, NABC National Junior College Coach of the Year, HoopDirt.com NJCAA Coach of the Year, and ICCAC Coach of the Year.
Lorensen also spent a season as head coach at Iowa Wesleyan University in 2013-14 and served as an assistant coach at Truman State, Nebraska-Omaha, and Grand View. A Monroe, Iowa, native, Lorensen comes from a coaching family — his father retired with 632 career victories, which sits 13th all-time in Iowa high school history.
He played college basketball at Quincy University and Grand View University. Lorensen holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Grand View and a master’s degree in business administration from Bellevue University.
“I’d like to thank President Cassady, Athletic Director Kristy Bayer, and the search committee for the opportunity to lead the Rockhurst University Men’s Basketball program,” Lorensen said.
“Rockhurst is an incredible institution that will allow us to recruit young men that are not only great players but also desire to get a life-changing degree. At the same we aim to build men of strong character and faith that can be leaders in their life after they graduate.
“I’m excited to meet the current players and staff, develop relationships throughout campus, engage with alumni, and begin assembling our 2026-27 roster.”
What they’re saying about Coach Lorensen…
Ben McCollum, University of Iowa head coach:
“I’ve known Todd for many years and watched his teams compete for championships year after year everywhere he’s been. He is a relationship builder that will provide roster continuity even in this era of college basketball. They will play with great tempo and discipline on offense providing their fans a great product. His Midwest roots, Division 2 background, and strong recruiting ties to the Kansas City area make him a perfect fit for Rockhurst University.”
Eric Henderson, Drake University head coach:
“I couldn’t be happier for Todd and Rockhurst University. He’s a proven winner throughout his career. Getting a coach with his regional connections will be invaluable for recruiting. Rockhurst is in great hands and can expect much success under his leadership.”
Craig Doty, Houston Christian University head coach:
“I’m not sure there is a better coach in small college basketball than Coach Lorensen when it comes to the combination of maximizing resources, evaluating talent, and getting the most out of his players. He continues to have consistent national-level success across college programs that have less resources than his conference opponents. Coach Lorensen’s ability to build relationships allows him to retain student-athletes in an era where transferring is too common.”
Lorenson named Head Basketball Coach at D2 Rockhurst
