The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has named three finalists to be interviewed for the head men’s basketball coach position, according to the search and screen committee. The three finalists are Kent Dernbach, interim head men’s basketball coach at UW-La Crosse; Zach Malvik, head assistant men’s basketball coach at Winona State University (Minn.) and Steve Schweer, assistant men’s basketball at North Central College (Ill.).
Dernbach served as interim head coach at UWL in 2017-18. The Eagles started the season with a record of 8-2, including a 65-63 win over then 20th-ranked Saint John’s University (Minn.). It is one of three losses by the Johnnies (23-3) this season. Saint John’s (Minn.) is ranked seventh in this week’s D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll. UWL lost six games by three points or less this year. The Eagles lead the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in steals (9.08 per game), turnover margin (+3.08) and offensive rebounds (10.5) in 2017-18. UWL’s 236 steals this year ranks second in single-season school history. The Eagles recorded double digit steals in 11 games in 2017-18, including a season-high 17 at UW-Whitewater on February 17 that clinched a bid to the WIAC Championship.
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 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament appearances from 2012-15 and captured the national championship in 2014-15. The Pointers won three consecutive WIAC titles from 2013-15.
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.
Malvik completed his fourth season as head assistant coach at Winona State (Minn.) in 2017-18 as the Warriors finished 19-10 overall and 14-8 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). He coordinates all men’s basketball recruiting efforts and visits for prospective student-athletes at Winona State (Minn.). Malvik devises player development programs and oversees all individual instruction for the Warriors while also analyzing game film and constructing scouting reports. He also manages the men’s basketball scheduling and travel accommodations while planning, marketing and running summer youth camps.
A native of Holmen, Wisconsin, Malvik served as head assistant men’s basketball coach at Saint Mary’s University (Minn.) in 2013-14. Prior to coaching at Saint Mary’s (Minn.), Malvik played professionally for three seasons (2008, 2011-12) in Australia. He also spent time as a graduate assistant basketball coach at the University of Arkansas (2010).
A four-time All-NSIC selection at Winona State (Minn.), Malvik ranks second in school history in assists (549) and third in scoring (1,971). He helped lead the Warriors to the NCAA Division II Championship in 2005-06 with a 73-61 win over Virginia Union University as the team finished 32-4 overall. Winona State (Minn.) finished 35-1 in 2006-07, advancing to the national title game before falling 77-75 to Barton College (N.C.) as Malvik scored a team-high 26 points. Playing in 133 career games at Winona State (Minn.), Malvik was named to the 2006-07 Division II Bulletin Honorable Mention All-America Team and selected the 2006-07 NCAA Region Tournament MVP. He was a two-time (2004-05, 2006-07) NSIC All-Tournament selection.
Malvik earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Winona State (Minn.) in 2007 and his master’s in educational leadership-sports management from the University in 2016.
Schweer is in his second season as an assistant coach at North Central (Ill.). The Cardinals (19-8) earned an at-large bid to the 2018 NCAA Division III Championships Monday, their third straight appearance in the national tournament. North Central (Ill.) faces UW-Stevens Point on Friday, March 2 in Collegeville, Minnesota. The Cardinals, ranked as high as 12th this season on D3hoops.com, finished second at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament championship Saturday, falling 77-74 at ninth-ranked Augustana College (Ill.).
Schweer also serves as the men’s basketball recruiting coordinator and strength and conditioning coordinator at North Central (Ill.). He is also the Cardinals’ junior varsity head coach and is the event and facility manager for all home baseball contests.
Prior to arriving at North Central (Ill.), Schweer served as an assistant coach at Monmouth College (Ill.) from 2011-16. He helped the program, which had posted a 3-20 overall record the year before his arrival, to a 16-8 finish in 2014-15. It was the school’s highest single-season win total in 20 years. He was named to the position of assistant athletic director at Monmouth (Ill.) in 2012, coordinating student-athlete recruitment and retention programming for the entire athletic department while also managing event administration for several sports. He served as Monmouth’s (Ill.) head men’s golf coach during the 2015-16 season, coaching the Scots’ first individual conference champion since 2010. Schweer held assistant coaching positions at North Park University (Ill.) from 2009-11 and Lakeland College (Wis.) in 2007-08.
Schweer earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2006 and his master’s degree in education from North Park (Ill.) in 2011. He was a four-year basketball letter winner at Illinois Wesleyan while being voted the Titans’ Defensive Player of the Year twice. Illinois Wesleyan went 89-25 in Schweer’s four seasons, advancing to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III Championships in two different seasons and playing in the NCAA Division III Final Four in 2006.
