UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball coach resigns

Matt Lewis announced on Tuesday (March 31) that he will be resigning as UW-Oshkosh’s men’s basketball head coach to support his wife in an amazing opportunity. His plan is to stay in basketball.
 
Lewis departs Oshkosh following eight seasons at the helm of the Titans, leading the program to its only NCAA Division III championship in 2019, four total national tournament appearances – including a run to the Elite Eight in 2023 – three WIAC regular season championships, two WIAC Tournament titles, and a head coaching record of 141-62, including an 11-3 mark in national postseason play. He became the fastest head coach to 100 career wins in WIAC men’s basketball history on March 5, 2023, when the Titans defeated Hope College (Mich.), 51-50, in the second round of the national tournament.
 
Lewis, a three-time WIAC Coach of the Year, earned Region Coach of the Year twice from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Division III Coach of the Year laurels from the NABC and D3hoops.com in 2019.
 
“I want to thank Matt and his family for their nearly decade-and-a-half commitment to UW-Oshkosh basketball and the wider Oshkosh community,’ UW-Oshkosh Assistant Chancellor of Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims said. “Matt has been a campus leader since arriving in Oshkosh, and his positive presence will be missed well beyond the basketball court. His parents, Jim and Lyndee, and wife, Gaelyn, have also supported UW-Oshkosh Athletics in numerous ways throughout the years.”
 
Lewis, who was named the interim head coach ahead of UW-Oshkosh’s national championship run and was promoted to full-time head coach the following spring, joined the men’s basketball coaching staff as the top assistant ahead of the 2012-13 campaign. Across 14 total seasons with the Titans, Lewis mentored the team to an 236-135 overall record, including a 110-81 mark in WIAC play. Oshkosh also made three Division III Championship appearances during Lewis’ tenure as the top assistant coach, reaching the first round in both 2016 and 2017, while finishing as the national runner-up in 2018. Between Oshkosh’s first NCAA tournament appearance with Lewis on staff and the end of the 2025 season, the Titans’ 16 tournament wins were the second-most in the country.
 
“It has truly been an honor to be part of the UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball program for the past 14 years,” Lewis said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the student-athletes, coaches, and community members who’ve made this experience so rewarding. Together, we’ve built something special, and I’m proud to have played a part in continuing the program’s tradition of excellence.
 
This was not an easy decision – UWO has been home for a long time – but our family is entering a new chapter.”
 
As head coach Lewis helped nine players achieve a total of 17 All-WIAC First Team honors. During his eight-year tenure, five Titans garnered a total of twelve All-Region accolades, and four players received a total of ten All-America honors.
 
All four of UW-Oshkosh’s WIAC Newcomer of the Year honors were earned under Lewis, and three Titans were named the WIAC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete under his tutelage. Five Titans garnered six total College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors under Lewis.
 
A national search for the Titans’ next head coach will begin as soon as possible.