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Horizon League delays start of fall sports season

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The Horizon League Council decided on Thursday to delay the start of fall competition for all sports with the understanding that if competition occurs, it will not begin before October 1.

The league includes UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee as two of its member institutions.

The decision allows each campus to further focus on ensuring return to competition protocols, uphold the Council’s principle of safety and can be reasonably implemented.  The delay in competition includes all exhibition, League and non-League contests in all sports (championship and non-championship).

Decisions related to training and practice will be left to members’ discretion.  Rescheduling of non-conference contests impacted by the postponed start of the fall seasons will be determined by each school.  The Horizon League’s Council will continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19, and will evaluate fall schedules and competitions with the understanding that there may be future changes.

 

UWGB adds familiar assistants

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Former Badger Freddie Owens is expected to be added to the coaching staff of the Green Bay Phoenix under new head coach Will Ryan.

Owens will be joined by De Pere native and Hillsdale (Mich.) College assistant coach Brandon Pritzl and Northern State University associate head coach Jared Swanson.

The moves were first reported by Scott Venci of the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Owens is a Milwaukee native who played at Washington High School.  He was an assistant at Loyola University Maryland last season and had previous assistant coaching stints at Holy Cross, Utah Valley, Oregon State and Montana.  He played guard at Wisconsin form 2000 to 2004 under Will Ryan’s father Bo Ryan.

Pritzl scored 1,337 points at De Pere and was the Fox River Classic Conference player of the year as a senior in 2010.  He was a three-year starter at shooting guard at Hillsdale and went on to serve as an assistant at that school under John Tharp.

Swanson spent last season at NSU with previous stints at NDSU and Ohio.  He started his coaching career as a grad assistant at Boise State.

Green Bay set to hire Ryan

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The UW-Green Bay Phoenix is negotiating with Will Ryan to become the schools next men’s head basketball coach.  The Wheeling University coach would replace Linc Darner, who was let go in May with six years left on his contract.

The University reportedly has offered Ryan two deals, a four year deal at $200,000 per season and a six year deal at $175,000 a year.

Ryan is the oldest son of former Wisconsin coach and College Basketball Hall of Famer Bo Ryan.  He would become the eighth coach in Green Bay history.

The 41-year-old Ryan played collegiately at UW-Platteville and UW-Milwaukee for his father and started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin.

 

Grzesk pulls out of running for Green Bay men’s basketball job

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Gary Grzesk

St. Norbert college men’s basketball coach Gary Grzesk says he has pulled out of the running to be the next men’s basketball coach at his alma mater, UW-Green  Bay.

In a statement on his Twitter account, Grzesk made the following statement:

“Although the position of head men’s basketball coach at my alma mater seems like a natural fit, the timing (on many different levels) is not right for me.  I am withdrawing from consideration for the position.  There are a number of complex factors that went into this very difficult decision.  I’d like to thank St. Norbert, President Bruess, Tim Bald, and my staff for their support throughout this process.  We have a good group of returning players and a potentially strong incoming class that I’m looking forward to coaching.  I wish the men’s basketball program and the next head coach nothing but success.”

The Green Bay Phoenix job opened up when the school decided to part company with Linc Darner, who had six years left on his contract.

 

 

 

Darner to receive a healthy settlement from Green Bay

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Linc Darner

Former UW-Green Bay men’s basketball coach Linc Darner will receive a healthy settlement after his departure from the program earlier this month.

According to a Green Bay Press Gazette story written by Scott Venci, Darner is guaranteed at least $720,000 as part of the settlement agreement he made with the school.

According to the report, Darner was paid $120,000 on May 21 and is set to receive $120,000 on the first business day in January.  He is also set to receive monthly payments of $20,000 from May 1, 2021, through April 1, 2023.

In addition, if Darner has not landed a head coaching or assistant job before that time, he will receive an additional $20,000 per month beginning May, 1, 2023, and going through April 1, 2024. [Read more…]

Darner leaving Green Bay men’s basketball (update)

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Linc Darner

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander confirmed today (Monday) that the University and men’s basketball coach Linc Darner have decided to part ways.

In a statement issued to the media this morning, no reason was given for Darner’s dismissal and the school is offering no further comment at this time.

Green Bay Athletics Director Charles Guthrie said a national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

Darner was initially hired by former Athletic Director Mary Ellen Gillespie.  Gillespie put language in Darner’s contract which allowed for very sustainable extensions to be reached.  Darner could get a year added to his contract for finishing fourth or better in the Horizon League standings.  He also had built in protections that allowed for potential extensions in the event of changes in upper level leadership at the University. [Read more…]

UW-Green Bay fired men’s basketball coach Linc Darner

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Linc Darner

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is looking for a new head men’s basketball coach after firing Linc Darner over the weekend.

The Phoenix finished third in the Horizon League this past season and reached the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament.  Green Bay is 92-80 in five seasons under Darner, making the NCAA tournament in his first season in 2016.

It’s unclear why Darner was fired or exactly when the decision was made, but it comes with six years left on his contract with a base salary of $230,000 per season.

If Green Bay has to pay Darner all six remaining years of the contract, the school would owe him more than a million dollars.  If he was actually fired because he violated NCAA rules, the school could get out [Read more…]

Badgers beat Green Bay after learning of Potters fate (AUDIO)

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The Wisconsin men’s basketball team found out just hours before game time that forward Micah Potter’s final appeal to be re-instated immediately had been denied.

It means Potter will miss a total of 10 games this season and won’t be eligible to play until December 21 against UW-Milwaukee.

The Badgers went out and built an early double-digit lead, led by 22 at the half and cruised to an 88-70 win over the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center.

It was the fourth straight win for the Badgers (4-1), who have won 24 of 25 games against Green Bay (1-3) in the series.

Six Badgers finished in double figures, led by Nate Reuvers with 19.  Brad Davison added 15, Kobe King and Aleem Ford has 12 each.  D’Mitrik Trice scored 11 points and Brevin Pritzl scored 10, including a buzzer beating three point attempt just before halftime.

The Badgers hit 10 of 19 three-pointers in the first half and finished 15 of 31 from beyond the arc.

Freshman Amari Davis led four Green Bay players in double-figures with 16 points.

AUDIO: Greg Gard on NCAA’s decision regarding Micah Potter 5:00

St. Norbert College gives Green Bay a battle in exhibition

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Gary Grzesk

When division one basketball teams schedule division three teams in an exhibition, it’s supposed to be a rather lopsided contest.  Such was not the case in Green Bay on Monday night when the Green Bay Phoenix beat St. Norbert College 79-72 to open exhibition play.

The Green Knights led on multiple occasions in the first half before the Phoenix closed out the frame with a 42-31 lead.  Green Bay kept the margin at double-digits for much of the second half before going cold down the stretch.  The Phoenix went the final 6:11 of the game without a field goal to draw closer in the end.

Five players finished in double figures for the Phoenix, led by 16 points each from Kam Hankerson and Trevian Bell. [Read more…]

Green Bay & Milwaukee picked to finish down in Horizon League pack

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Wright State is the preseason favorite in the 2019-20 Horizon League men’s basketball championship.  A vote of the league’s coaches, media and sports information directors picked the Raiders ahead of second place Northern Kentucky.

Wright State captured 28 first-place votes.  Illinois-Chicago is third in the balloting.

The Green Bay Phoenix were picked to finish fifth and the Milwaukee Panthers ended up seventh in the voting.

Detroit’s Antoine Davis was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year.