10 intriguing coaching hires for 2024-25 season

In the previous five years, the number of varsity boys' basketball coaching changes at Wisconsin high schools averaged just over 74 per year. That number slipped to 66 this off season, the lowest in more a decade but still a relatively large number considering Wisconsin has 489 schools taking part in this year's WIAA playoffs. Following is a look at 10 of the more intriguing coaching hires this off season: DeVante Blanks, Ashwaubenon Blanks has two years of coaching experience under his belt as the former UW-Green Bay guard served as an assistant coach at Ashwaubenon under Mark Tomashek the past two seasons. Blanks, a Chicago native who was recruited to Green Bay by the late Mike Heideman, had a very successful playing career at Green Bay and then later played professional basketball in China and Macedonia. He takes over an Ashwaubenon program that finished 23-5 a year ago and in second place in the Fox River Classic Conference. Four starters from that squad graduated last spring, but the Jaguars have a talented big man to build around in 6-foot-7 junior [player_tooltip player_id='2391086' first='Carson' last='Dorgu']. Moreover, Ashwaubenon added an outstanding player in recent weeks when Amari Allen opted to enroll at the school after spending the past two years at IMG Academy in Florida. Allen, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward ranked No. 78 among players in the nation by On3.com, committed to Alabama. His eligibility status for the 2024-25 school year appears to be a go from WIAA, according to athletic director Nick Senger. Junior Elijah Fenner (5-11) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140990' first='Wesley' last='DeNoble-Winkel'] (5-11) also could play big roles for the Jaguars. Freddie Owens, Kimberly Any time Kimberly hires a varsity basketball coach, it's news. One of the state's elite athletic programs, Kimberly almost always is in contention for a championship in the rugged Fox Valley Association. With Jon Murphy stepping down last spring after three seasons, Kimberly looked to a former college coach in hiring Freddie Owens. The Milwaukee Washington and University of Wisconsin star spent 18 years as a college assistant coach after his playing career. His stops included Green Bay, Oregon State, Holy Cross, Utah Valley State and Adams State. He sat out last year, but had the itch to return to coaching and takes over a Cadillac program at Kimberly. The Papermakers finished 17-9 last winter and bring back some talented players in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1537928' first='Mikey' last='Wildes'] (6-3), Landon VanOfferen (6-3), [player_tooltip player_id='2674206' first='Aaron' last='Cullen'] (6-0) and [player_tooltip player_id='2224502' first='Ben' last='Grabner'] (6-10), among others. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140869' first='Alex' last='Krause'] (6-1) also figures to play a big role as Kimberly sets out to remain a FVA power under Owens. Dylan Wurtz, Laconia Things maybe didn't work out as well as he hoped at Menasha for a variety of reasons, but Dylan Wurtz has landed on his feet at Laconia, a Division 3 program with deep basketball roots and a fanbase that has passion for the game. That meshes well with Wurtz, a former standout player at Kimberly and UW-Oshkosh who brings intensity and heart to the sidelines. And Wurtz will have help from a familiar face to Laconia fans as former Spartans mentor Lucky Wurtz will serve as an assistant for his son. Dylan Wurtz was an assistant for Lucky Wurtz at Kimberly prior to taking the Menasha job three years ago. And now the two have come full circle with Lucky assisting his son. Laconia brings back a strong core of players from last year's 17-10 squad. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2625871' first='Ethan' last='Pinno'] (6-2) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561935' first='Cash' last='Farrell'] (6-2) are returning double-figure scorers while seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2700606' first='Nick' last='Blank'] (6-0) and Carter Bonlender (6-4) also started for the Spartans. Dan Domask, Lomira Former Waupun head man Dan Domask took the past five years off from coaching in order to follow his son, Marcus Domask, play college basketball for Southern Illinois and Illinois. Now he's back on the sidelines at nearby Lomira, a Division 4 school and member of the Flyway Conference. Dan Domask, who guided Waupun to the Division 3 state championship in 2016 and to a runner-up finish in 2019, brings a 187-80 career record with him to Lomira, which went 16-10 a year ago. He has a couple of solid players to build his first team around in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1289080' first='Jackson' last='Goebel'] (6-1) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561934' first='Jacob' last='Broeske'] (6-9). Both averaged in double figures and form one of the best combinations in a very deep and competitive Flyway Conference. Broeske is considered a potential NCAA Division I recruit and averaged 14.4 points and 12.3 rebounds as a sophomore en route to earning first-team all-league recognition. It will be interesting to see how Domask utilizes Broeske's strengths on the offensive end of the floor as the big man can score with his back to the basket and also from three-point range. Drew Slempkes, Madison West Slempkes brings a deep background of coaching to Madison West. He spent nine seasons coaching at city-rival Madison Memorial and also spent time in the college coaching realm as a student manager under Bo Ryan at both UW-Milwaukee and Wisconsin and later as director of basketball operations under Howard Moore at Illinois-Chicago. Slempkes' first head-coaching gig is a good one as the Regents have three outstanding players back from a year ago when they finished 6-19 under former coach Keith Stewart. Guards [player_tooltip player_id='2045266' first='Michael' last='Wilson'] (6-3) and Quincy Mosely (5-10) can score against anyone and are two-year varsity performers heading into their junior campaigns. Senior sharpshooter [player_tooltip player_id='2364733' first='Aidan' last='Wiley'] (6-2) also started last winter while senior Cortell Smith (5-10) and juniors Jonah Wallace (6-1) and Malachi Gavins (6-1) saw action off the bench. Depth and guard play will be strengths for Madison West as it hopes to move up in the highly competitive Big Eight Conference. JT Zweifel, Marshall Zweifel makes the trek from being a head coach at one Capitol South Conference school -- Belleville -- to another -- Marshall. He will face his former players twice druing the regular season, which should make for some interesting dynamics. One of the most driven young coaches in Wisconsin, Zweifel helped Belleville to a 54-26 record the past three seasons. And he isn't leaving the cupboard bare, either, as three starters return for new Belleville coach Drew Shrader. At Marshall, Zweifel takes over a program with great tradition and six trips to the WIAA State Tournament since 1992. He inherits a strong team as four starters and several key backups return from last year's 16-12 outfit. Leading the way is senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1883464' first='Kenyon' last='Miggins'] (5-9), a four-year varsity performer who averaged 18.4 points and 4.6 rebounds as a junior. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2621276' first='Teseo' last='Ruelas'] (5-10) and [player_tooltip player_id='2621267' first='Daniel' last='Nickel'] (6-2) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2407473' first='Brady' last='Kleinheinz'] (6-3) also return to the starting rotation while sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2423549' first='Jaylen' last='Miggins'] (6-0) figures to move into the regular lineup after averaging 9.4 ppg and 3.5 rpg as a freshman reserve. Greg Van Grunsven, Menomonie A veteran coach with previous stops as the head mentor at Eau Claire Regis, Eau Claire Memorial and Bloomer, Greg Van Grunsven takes over at Menomonie and rejoins the Big Rivers Conference after spending the past seven seasons in the Cloverbelt West Conference directing the Blackhawks of Bloomer. A coach who stresses fundamentals, team play and strong defense, Van Grunsven has won 300 games while losing 226 during his coaching tenure. He replaces Matt Riley, who stepped down after 12 seasons in order to become the school's athletic director. Van Grunsven has some veterans to work with during his first campaign with the Mustangs as senior [player_tooltip player_id='2408715' first='[player_tooltip player_id='2402467' first='Isaac' last='']' last=''] Ellison (6-4), senior [player_tooltip player_id='2620378' first='Brody' last='Thornton'] (6-4) and senior Brady Johnson (5-11) are returning starters. In addition, Menomonie boasts a promising big man in 6-foot-6 sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2417746' first='Trevor' last='Robert']. Long known for success on the football field, Menomonie has been a second-division program in basketball. Van Grunsven is hoping the winning mentality from football can also morph onto the basketball court. Austin Stueck, New Berlin Eisenhower A former standout player at both South Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering, Austin Stueck takes over the coaching duties at New Berlin Eisenhower hoping to help the Lions once again become a factor in the Woodland West Conference. Pewaukee and Wisconsin Lutheran have dominated the league in recent seasons, but Eisenhower has a rich tradition and a WIAA Division 2 state championship achieved in 2008. Stueck, who spent the past two seasons serving as an assistant coach at Waukesha South, ranks third on MSOE's all-time scoring list with 1,987 points. He played for the Raiders from 2012-16 and earned first-team all-league honors four straight seasons. He will work with three returning starters from last year's 11-14 squad in senior [player_tooltip player_id='2639072' first='Kevin' last='Kreitzer'] (5-10) along with juniors Chris Nimmer (5-10) and [player_tooltip player_id='1561892' first='Jake' last='Veley'] (6-3). Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561894' first='Thaison' last='Martin'] (5-8) and sophmore Max Nemoir (5-11) also could factor into the playing rotation as could incoming freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2542599' first='Will' last='Kowske'] (6-4) and Pius XI Catholic transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1561904' first='Luke' last='Bauer'] (6-4). Kowske is the son of former Dominican and University of Wisconsin forward, Andy Kowske. Zach Turpin, River Falls Losing a very good young coach like Zac Campbell is never easy, but that is what the River Falls program endured during the off season. Citing the desire to spend more time with his growing young family, Campbell stepped down as the Wildcats' coach after amassing a 172-97 record the past 11 seasons. River Falls stayed in house and hired former assistant Zach Turpin to take over the head coaching duties. Turpin worked alongside Campbell the past five seasons so he knows the Wildcats' system and personnel exceptionally well. He also previously spent seven seasons as the head coach at St. Croix Central so he brings time calling the shots to the River Falls' bench this winter. He has a pair of stellar seniors returning in point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1417497' first='Preston' last='Johnson'] (6-1) and forward [player_tooltip player_id='2415504' first='Eli' last='Johnson'] (6-6). Andrew Wojcik, Whitnall A former head coach at West Bend West, Andrew Wojcik takes over at Whitnall at a good time as the Falcons return one of the state's best backcourt combinations in senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1300316' first='Myles' last='Herro'] (6-2) and senior wing guard [player_tooltip player_id='1362736' first='Jack' last='Lutz'] (6-1). Wojcik, a former standout player at Brookfield Central who played college basketball at Dominican University near Chicago and Wisconsin Lutheran College, hopes to lead Whitnall to its fifth straight Woodland East Conference championship behind Herro and Lutz. Herro is one of the better passing lead guards in the state while Lutz is the returning Player of the Year in the league and a University of South Florida baseball recruit. Finding to pieces to put around those two will be the first priority for Wojcik, who previously served as the head coach at West Bend East for two seasons.

In the previous five years, the number of varsity boys' basketball coaching changes at Wisconsin high schools averaged just over 74 per year.

That number slipped to 66 this off season, the lowest in more a decade but still a relatively large number considering Wisconsin has 489 schools taking part in this year's WIAA playoffs.

Following is a look at 10 of the more intriguing coaching hires this off season:

DeVante Blanks, Ashwaubenon
Blanks has two years of coaching experience under his belt as the former UW-Green Bay guard served as an assistant coach at Ashwaubenon under Mark Tomashek the past two seasons. Blanks, a Chicago native who was recruited to Green Bay by the late Mike Heideman, had a very successful playing career at Green Bay and then later played professional basketball in China and Macedonia. He takes over an Ashwaubenon program that finished 23-5 a year ago and in second place in the Fox River Classic Conference. Four starters from that squad graduated last spring, but the Jaguars have a talented big man to build around in 6-foot-7 junior Carson Dorgu Carson Dorgu 6'8" | SF Ashwaubenon | 2026 State WI . Moreover, Ashwaubenon added an outstanding player in recent weeks when Amari Allen opted to enroll at the school after spending the past two years at IMG Academy in Florida. Allen, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward ranked No. 78 among players in the nation by On3.com, committed to Alabama. His eligibility status for the 2024-25 school year appears to be a go from WIAA, according to athletic director Nick Senger. Junior Elijah Fenner (5-11) and sophomore Wesley DeNoble-Winkel Wesley DeNoble-Winkel 5'11" | PG Ashwaubenon | 2027 State WI (5-11) also could play big roles for the Jaguars.

Freddie Owens, Kimberly
Any time Kimberly hires a varsity basketball coach, it's news. One of the state's elite athletic programs, Kimberly almost always is in contention for a championship in the rugged Fox Valley Association. With Jon Murphy stepping down last spring after three seasons, Kimberly looked to a former college coach in hiring Freddie Owens. The Milwaukee Washington and University of Wisconsin star spent 18 years as a college assistant coach after his playing career. His stops included Green Bay, Oregon State, Holy Cross, Utah Valley State and Adams State. He sat out last year, but had the itch to return to coaching and takes over a Cadillac program at Kimberly. The Papermakers finished 17-9 last winter and bring back some talented players in seniors Mikey Wildes Mikey Wildes 6'3" | CG Kimberly | 2025 State WI (6-3), Landon VanOfferen (6-3), Aaron Cullen Aaron Cullen 6'1" | PG Kimberly | 2025 WI (6-0) and Ben Grabner Ben Grabner 6'10" | PF Kimberly | 2025 State WI (6-10), among others. Sophomore Alex Krause Alex Krause 6'4" | SG/SF Kimberly | 2027 State WI (6-1) also figures to play a big role as Kimberly sets out to remain a FVA power under Owens.

Dylan Wurtz, Laconia
Things maybe didn't work out as well as he hoped at Menasha for a variety of reasons, but Dylan Wurtz has landed on his feet at Laconia, a Division 3 program with deep basketball roots and a fanbase that has passion for the game. That meshes well with Wurtz, a former standout player at Kimberly and UW-Oshkosh who brings intensity and heart to the sidelines. And Wurtz will have help from a familiar face to Laconia fans as former Spartans mentor Lucky Wurtz will serve as an assistant for his son. Dylan Wurtz was an assistant for Lucky Wurtz at Kimberly prior to taking the Menasha job three years ago. And now the two have come full circle with Lucky assisting his son. Laconia brings back a strong core of players from last year's 17-10 squad. Senior Ethan Pinno Ethan Pinno 6'3" | SG/SF Laconia | 2025 State WI (6-2) and junior Cash Farrell Cash Farrell 6'2" | SG Laconia | 2026 State WI (6-2) are returning double-figure scorers while seniors Nick Blank Nick Blank 6'1" | CG Laconia | 2025 WI (6-0) and Carter Bonlender (6-4) also started for the Spartans.

Dan Domask, Lomira
Former Waupun head man Dan Domask took the past five years off from coaching in order to follow his son, Marcus Domask, play college basketball for Southern Illinois and Illinois. Now he's back on the sidelines at nearby Lomira, a Division 4 school and member of the Flyway Conference. Dan Domask, who guided Waupun to the Division 3 state championship in 2016 and to a runner-up finish in 2019, brings a 187-80 career record with him to Lomira, which went 16-10 a year ago. He has a couple of solid players to build his first team around in senior Jackson Goebel Jackson Goebel 6'0" | PG Lomira | 2025 WI (6-1) and junior Jake Broeske Jake Broeske 6'10" | PF Lomira | 2026 State WI (6-9). Both averaged in double figures and form one of the best combinations in a very deep and competitive Flyway Conference. Broeske is considered a potential NCAA Division I recruit and averaged 14.4 points and 12.3 rebounds as a sophomore en route to earning first-team all-league recognition. It will be interesting to see how Domask utilizes Broeske's strengths on the offensive end of the floor as the big man can score with his back to the basket and also from three-point range.

Drew Slempkes, Madison West
Slempkes brings a deep background of coaching to Madison West. He spent nine seasons coaching at city-rival Madison Memorial and also spent time in the college coaching realm as a student manager under Bo Ryan at both UW-Milwaukee and Wisconsin and later as director of basketball operations under Howard Moore at Illinois-Chicago. Slempkes' first head-coaching gig is a good one as the Regents have three outstanding players back from a year ago when they finished 6-19 under former coach Keith Stewart. Guards Mike Wilson Mike Wilson 6'2" | CG Madison West | 2026 WI (6-3) and Quincy Mosely (5-10) can score against anyone and are two-year varsity performers heading into their junior campaigns. Senior sharpshooter Aidan Wiley Aidan Wiley 6'2" | SG Madison West | 2025 State WI (6-2) also started last winter while senior Cortell Smith (5-10) and juniors Jonah Wallace (6-1) and Malachi Gavins (6-1) saw action off the bench. Depth and guard play will be strengths for Madison West as it hopes to move up in the highly competitive Big Eight Conference.

JT Zweifel, Marshall
Zweifel makes the trek from being a head coach at one Capitol South Conference school -- Belleville -- to another -- Marshall. He will face his former players twice druing the regular season, which should make for some interesting dynamics. One of the most driven young coaches in Wisconsin, Zweifel helped Belleville to a 54-26 record the past three seasons. And he isn't leaving the cupboard bare, either, as three starters return for new Belleville coach Drew Shrader. At Marshall, Zweifel takes over a program with great tradition and six trips to the WIAA State Tournament since 1992. He inherits a strong team as four starters and several key backups return from last year's 16-12 outfit. Leading the way is senior point guard Kenyon Miggins Kenyon Miggins 5'10" | PG Marshall | 2025 State WI (5-9), a four-year varsity performer who averaged 18.4 points and 4.6 rebounds as a junior. Senior Teseo Ruelas Teseo Ruelas 5'10" | CG Marshall | 2025 WI (5-10) and Daniel Nickel Daniel Nickel 6'2" | SF Marshall | 2025 WI (6-2) along with junior Brady Kleinheinz Brady Kleinheinz 6'3" | PF Marshall | 2026 WI (6-3) also return to the starting rotation while sophomore Jaylen Miggins Jaylen Miggins 6'0" | SG Marshall | 2027 State WI (6-0) figures to move into the regular lineup after averaging 9.4 ppg and 3.5 rpg as a freshman reserve.

Greg Van Grunsven, Menomonie
A veteran coach with previous stops as the head mentor at Eau Claire Regis, Eau Claire Memorial and Bloomer, Greg Van Grunsven takes over at Menomonie and rejoins the Big Rivers Conference after spending the past seven seasons in the Cloverbelt West Conference directing the Blackhawks of Bloomer. A coach who stresses fundamentals, team play and strong defense, Van Grunsven has won 300 games while losing 226 during his coaching tenure. He replaces Matt Riley, who stepped down after 12 seasons in order to become the school's athletic director. Van Grunsven has some veterans to work with during his first campaign with the Mustangs as senior Isaac ' last=''] Ellison (6-4), senior Brody Thornton Brody Thornton 6'4" | PF Menomonie | 2025 WI (6-4) and senior Brady Johnson (5-11) are returning starters. In addition, Menomonie boasts a promising big man in 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Trevor Robert Trevor Robert 6'7" | SF Menomonie | 2027 State WI . Long known for success on the football field, Menomonie has been a second-division program in basketball. Van Grunsven is hoping the winning mentality from football can also morph onto the basketball court.

Austin Stueck, New Berlin Eisenhower
A former standout player at both South Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering, Austin Stueck takes over the coaching duties at New Berlin Eisenhower hoping to help the Lions once again become a factor in the Woodland West Conference. Pewaukee and Wisconsin Lutheran have dominated the league in recent seasons, but Eisenhower has a rich tradition and a WIAA Division 2 state championship achieved in 2008. Stueck, who spent the past two seasons serving as an assistant coach at Waukesha South, ranks third on MSOE's all-time scoring list with 1,987 points. He played for the Raiders from 2012-16 and earned first-team all-league honors four straight seasons. He will work with three returning starters from last year's 11-14 squad in senior Kevin Kreitzer Kevin Kreitzer 5'10" | CG New Berlin Eisenhower | 2025 WI (5-10) along with juniors Chris Nimmer (5-10) and Jake Veley Jake Veley 6'3" | SF New Berlin Eisenhower | 2026 State WI (6-3). Junior Thaison Martin Thaison Martin 5'7" | PG New Berlin Eisenhower | 2026 WI (5-8) and sophmore Max Nemoir (5-11) also could factor into the playing rotation as could incoming freshman Will Kowske Will Kowske 6'4" | SF/SG New Berlin Eisenhower | 2028 State WI (6-4) and Pius XI Catholic transfer Luke Bauer Luke Bauer 6'6" | SF New Berlin Eisenhower | 2026 State WI (6-4). Kowske is the son of former Dominican and University of Wisconsin forward, Andy Kowske.

Zach Turpin, River Falls
Losing a very good young coach like Zac Campbell is never easy, but that is what the River Falls program endured during the off season. Citing the desire to spend more time with his growing young family, Campbell stepped down as the Wildcats' coach after amassing a 172-97 record the past 11 seasons. River Falls stayed in house and hired former assistant Zach Turpin to take over the head coaching duties. Turpin worked alongside Campbell the past five seasons so he knows the Wildcats' system and personnel exceptionally well. He also previously spent seven seasons as the head coach at St. Croix Central so he brings time calling the shots to the River Falls' bench this winter. He has a pair of stellar seniors returning in point guard Preston Johnson Preston Johnson 6'2" | PG River Falls | 2025 State WI (6-1) and forward Eli Johnson Eli Johnson 6'4" Edgewood | 2028 WI (6-6).

Andrew Wojcik, Whitnall
A former head coach at West Bend West, Andrew Wojcik takes over at Whitnall at a good time as the Falcons return one of the state's best backcourt combinations in senior point guard Myles Herro Myles Herro 6'3" | PG Whitnall | 2025 State #237 Nation WI (6-2) and senior wing guard Jack Lutz Jack Lutz 6'0" | SG Whitnall | 2025 State WI (6-1). Wojcik, a former standout player at Brookfield Central who played college basketball at Dominican University near Chicago and Wisconsin Lutheran College, hopes to lead Whitnall to its fifth straight Woodland East Conference championship behind Herro and Lutz. Herro is one of the better passing lead guards in the state while Lutz is the returning Player of the Year in the league and a University of South Florida baseball recruit. Finding to pieces to put around those two will be the first priority for Wojcik, who previously served as the head coach at West Bend East for two seasons.