Wisconsin Lutheran College Men's Basketball

Aaron Aanonsen, the reigning two-time D3hoops.com Region VIII and NABC District VIII Coach of the Year, is in his ninth season as head coach at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Aanonsen, who owns the highest winning percentage of any WLC men's basketball coach, has won more NACC Coach of the Year awards (five) than any other active coach in the 13-team league. Aanonsen, who has guided Wisconsin Lutheran to five NACC regular season and two NACC Tournament titles over the last six years, has won conference games at a 79 percent clip during the six-year span. Last season, the Warriors went 27-4 overall and secured the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance. WLC won the NACC title for a third consecutive year with a 16-2 mark and was ranked inside the top 10 of the D3hoops.com poll for much of the season. Nationally, Wisconsin Lutheran ranked eighth in turnover margin (6.0), ninth in scoring margin (14.3), and 13th in three-point percentage defense (28.6). The Warriors became just the second program in the 19-year history of the NACC to win at least two games in the national tournament. Aanonsen has mentored eight players who have collected a total of 23 all-conference honors, including two-time First Team All-American, and three-time NACC Player of the Year Ryan Broeckel. Five seasons prior, Andrew Bruggink brought home WLC's first-ever NACC Player of the Year honor. The second-winningest coach in Lakeland history, Aanonsen won 137 games in nine seasons at LU, which qualified for the NACC Tournament six times during his tenure. The Muskies made back-to-back NACC Tournament Championship appearances in 2012 and 2013. Aanonsen led Lakeland to a 22-6 overall record in 2012-2013, including a 13-3 mark in the NACC and the program's first and only NACC regular season championship. The team's 22 wins broke the school record since becoming an NCAA-affiliated institution, and its 15-2 start was the best 17-game start in LU's 90-year history for men's basketball. Aanonsen is the only coach to lead a team to back-to-back 20-win seasons since the Muskies joined NCAA Division III. Prior to Lakeland, Aanonsen served as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Minnesota State University-Moorhead, and earned his master’s degree in educational leadership-activities management from MSUM in 2008. Aanonsen played basketball collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and was elected team captain as a senior in 2004-2005. He graduated with highest honors with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science-sport management. Aanonsen and his wife, Brye, reside in Jackson with their three children, daughters Ambryn and Eden, and son Avrie.

Former Wisconsin Lutheran College standout Andrew Bruggink is in his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Warriors' men's basketball team. Bruggink joined WLC's coaching staff following an impressive two-year playing career for the Green and White. In 51 career games, the Brookfield native scored 1,047 points, while averaging a school-record 20.5 points per game. After leading Wisconsin Lutheran to its first NACC championship in 2019-2020, Bruggink was named D3hoops.com Second Team All-Central Region, NABC Second Team All-District, WBCA D-III Private College Player of the Year, NACC Player of the Year, and First Team All-NACC. He graduated from WLC in 2020 with a bachelors degree in business administration. A two-year letterwinner at Brookfield Central High School, Bruggink was named the Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year and All-State Honorable Mention his senior year. He set the school record for career free throw percentage at 90.1 percent his senior season.