The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team clinched its 13th consecutive 20-win season under head coach Brad Fischer with a 69-47 victory over UW-River Falls at the Kolf Sports Center on Feb. 7.
Fischer’s win broke a WIAC record that was previously set by Bo Ryan and the UW-Platteville men’s basketball team with 12 consecutive 20-win seasons from 1987-88 through 1998-99.
Fischer said in a postgame interview after beating the Falcons that it is a streak that he is super proud of.
“I’m so proud not just now because of Bo but because of where it’s at,” he said. “It’s just so hard to win in our league … and no matter who graduates and who we lose or who’s here that (our players) keep moving forward.”
That run by the Pioneers helped Ryan, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2024, get hired to be the head coach with the University of Wisconsin-Madison men’s basketball team from 2001-2015 after two seasons at the helm of UW-Milwaukee.
Fischer, who began his tenure as the UWO head coach in 2012 currently has a record of 308-78 (up to Feb. 17). Under Fischer, the Titans have made the NCAA tournament 10 of his 13 previous seasons as head coach (2021 Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Fischer has also led the Titans to the WIAC regular season championship six times including this season along with six WIAC tournament championships. In every season under Fischer, including this season, the Titans have hoisted a winning record.
Being able to play under Fischer is an honor that the players are glad to experience.
“I’ve never had a more knowledgeable and dedicated coach,” forward Paige Seckar said. “He puts so much time into making sure we get the most out of each practice and game. He holds us to a high standard everyday which is how we have been able to be as successful as we have been.”
Guard Avery Poole said that nobody sees all the behind the scenes work Fischer does to make sure his athletes are prepared and successful.
“His dedication and determination to help us get better has been such an honor to be a part of as well as the winning culture he has created here at UWO,” Poole said.
If you have watched the women’s team in action ever since Fischer has been at the helm, you might see no matter the score he is making sure to get the best out of his players on the court every second. As the players say, it is because he wants his team to be at their best and mentally prepared for whatever comes their way.
The players also know that mentality is why they’re able to play at a high level.
“(Fischer) demands our 100% effort and focus at all times,” Seckar said. “Whether we are up three or up 30, he expects us to be at our best. Playing in March is a privilege you earn throughout the course of the season by consistently showing up. By demanding our best at all times, we have been able to play in March.”
With the success that UWO has had under Fischer, he has earned the WIAC Coach of the Year five times and the Central Region Coach of the Year from d3hoops.com three times. His most recent acquisitions in both the WIAC and d3hoops.com awards came this past season when Fischer led the Titans to not only a second-straight WIAC regular season title, but also the team’s first appearance in the NCAA D-III Final Four since 1996.
The culture under Fischer is also why UWO has been successful in his tenure. Poole mentioned that the connection among the players she saw was why she wanted to play for the Titans.
“It was clear that connection on the team was important since the day I toured,” Poole said. “In my opinion, the more connected the team is, the more successful you will be. Coach Fischer is a huge advocate for this and another reason I came to UWO.”
It is also a sentiment that is shared with her teammates. “The winning culture and family aspect of UWO women’s basketball was what I wanted in a college basketball career,” guard Kate Huml said. “I knew it was a place where I could come and be myself on and off the floor and also make connections with people with the same goals.”
UWO clinched a share of its third-straight WIAC regular season title with a 73-48 win over UW-Stout last Saturday (Feb. 14). Fischer and the Titans will look to clinch the outright WIAC regular season championship as UWO will host the UW-La Crosse Eagles at Kolf Sports Center on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The game will start at 7 p.m.
