Ted Van Dellen coached
UW-Oshkosh to the 2003 Elite Eight. UW-Oshkosh athletics photo |
Ted Van Dellen, who owns the fifth-most coaching victories in
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference history, announced
his retirement as the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh head
men’s basketball coach.
Van Dellen guided the Titans to 358 wins and five NCAA postseason
appearances. The only WIAC coaches to compile more victories are
UW-Eau Claire’s Ken Anderson (631), UW-Whitewater’s
Dave Vander Meulen (440), UW-Eau Claire’s Bill Zorn (397) and
UW-Stout’s Dwain Mintz (385). Robert Kolf lists second in
UW-Oshkosh history with 243 wins.
Only 26 of Van Dellen's wins have come over the past three seasons, as the Titans have gone 26-49 overall, 10-38 in the WIAC.
“I truly have been blessed to be given the opportunity to
work with so many quality young men during my 22 years at
UW-Oshkosh,” Van Dellen said. “It’s every
coach’s hope that they in some way touch the lives of their
players, but the really unique aspect of coaching is how these
young men have touched my life.”
Van Dellen’s career winning percentage of .614 (358-225
record) includes 17 winning seasons in 22 years. He also coached
the only three NCAA Division III All-Americans in school history
with Tim Dworak (2002-03), D.J. Marsh (2009-10) and Dennis
Ruedinger (1996).
"Coach Van Dellen has made a lasting impact on me as a player,
coach and human being,” said Ruedinger. “He taught me
that striving for excellence and working hard to attain your goals
isn't only applicable on the basketball court. These qualities
should become a standard for how you achieve success in life.
I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to play for such an
outstanding coach during my career at UW-Oshkosh."
From 1996-2009, Van Dellen led the Titans to a 267-114 record
(.701 winning percentage) and 14 straight winning seasons.
UW-Oshkosh captured the 2002 WIAC championship and qualified for
the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002 and
2003. The Titans placed second in the league standings in 1996,
1998, 1999 and 2007.
"I congratulate Ted on an outstanding coaching career that has
spanned three decades," said UW-Oshkosh athletic director Darryl
Sims. "Ted has been a coach and mentor to countless
student-athletes while leading our men's basketball program to a
level of success that we are all very proud of."
Van Dellen lifted UW-Oshkosh into national prominence with a
combined 81-25 record from 1996-99. The Titans made their
first-ever NCAA Division III postseason appearance with a 23-4
record in 1996, as Van Dellen was named WIAC Coach of the Year and
College Sports magazine’s NCAA Division III Coach of the
Year. UW-Oshkosh also reached the national tournament the next two
seasons, advancing to the second round in 1998.
Following an 18-9 campaign in 2001, the Titans compiled records of
24-6 in 2002 and 25-7 in 2003. UW-Oshkosh’s WIAC basketball
title in 2002 its first since 1978. The Titans advanced to the
Sweet Sixteen in 2002 and the Elite Eight in 2003 for the best NCAA
tournament runs in UW-Oshkosh history.
Van Dellen’s postseason success includes WIAC Tournament
championships in both 2002 and 2003. He finished with a 7-5 NCAA
Division III postseason record. In 2003, Van Dellen led UW-Oshkosh
to the Elite Eight with wins over the Milwaukee School of
Engineering, Hope College (Mich.) and Randolph-Macon College
(Va.).
UW-Oshkosh totaled at least 16 victories each year from 2005-09.
Van Dellen’s squad finished second in the 2007 WIAC standings
with a 12-4 record and third in 2005 with an 11-5 mark. The Titans
also placed fourth in the league in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
"Words cannot fully describe the total impact of Ted's loyal
service to UW-Oshkosh," Sims said. "His competitive nature and
excellence in the profession rank him among the finest coaches in
WIAC history. He will always be remembered as a great
representative of our men's basketball program, our athletics
department and our university."
In the NCAA Division III, Van Dellen’s teams won six
statistical titles. His squad led the nation in field goal
percentage in 2002 (52.3 percent) and 2003 (53.1). The 2003 Titans
also ranked first in three-point shooting at 43 percent. UW-Oshkosh
owned the best free-throw rate three times (1998, 2010, 2012),
including the second-best accuracy (81.8) in NCAA Division III
history this past season.
Van Dellen coached 16 players to a total of 25 All-WIAC
selections. Both Dworak (2002-03) and Marsh (2009) were named the
league’s Player of the Year. He tutored six NCAA Division III
All-West Region performers, including three-time selection Brad
Clark (1998-2000).
“I have an enormous amount of pride in what we accomplished
during my coaching tenure at UW-Oshkosh, but I sincerely believe
that now is the time to walk away,” Van Dellen said.
“I want to thank all the loyal supporters, as well as my
coaching staff. Without them the success we experienced would not
have been possible,” Van Dellen said.
Before becoming UW-Oshkosh’s 12th head coach, Van Dellen was
an assistant men's basketball coach with the Titans from 1985-90.
He played four years of basketball at UW-Oshkosh and was the
starting center on Titans’ 1978 WIAC championship team. Van
Dellen, a Berlin native, received both his bachelor’s (1978)
and master’s (1985) degrees from UW-Oshkosh.
Van Dellen’s retirement goes into effect on July 10. A
national search for his successor will be conducted, with the
expectation of having a new head coach announced by July 1.