Diener named Coach of the Year
First year coach claims conference honor
David Snieg, Director of Sports Information
3/2/2010 1:26:06 PM
Wolves' head coach Drew Diener is named CCAC Coach of the Year
Milwaukee, Wis. – In his first year as head coach for the Cardinal Stritch University Wolves men’s basketball team, head coach Drew Diener has been named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Coach of the Year.
Diener, this past fall, became only the seventh head coach in the program’s storied history and its first new face to roam the sidelines in the past 18 seasons. Being a head coach for the first time, he has continually showed he’ll be among the head coaching ranks for a long time to come.
“Drew has done a phenomenal job with the program,” Stritch Director of Athletic Pat Clemens said. “From day one, he came in with an attitude that he wants to win every game and teach his players about success both on and off the court. I’m very pleased with the job he’s done so far and congratulate him on winning the award; definitely well deserved.”
Under the Fond du Lac, Wis. native’s guidance, Diener has led the Wolves to a 27-5 mark this season and continued Stritch’s winning tradition by leading the Wolves to a national ranking of ninth in the country. The program has also registered its nineteenth season of 20 or more wins.
With Diener at the helm, Stritch claimed the CCAC Regular Season Championship for the second straight season, making it eighth time in program history, by finishing 12-0 in conference play. He also led Stritch to a road win over nationally ranked Dakota Wesleyan and helped the Wolves own the NAIA’s longest winning streak in the nation at 19 straight games.
“It’s exciting to win these awards, but it’s truly about the guys working hard and buying into the system,” Diener said. “They work hard and the results have shown and that’s truly what helped earn this award for myself. It’s definitely an honor that I’ll cherish.”
This year marks the second straight year that the men’s basketball coach at Stritch has been named CCAC Coach of the Year after previous head coach Denny Fox won the award last season.
Diener and the Wolves will continue their season as they’ll prepare for the NAIA Men’s Division II National Basketball Championship, which will be played Mar. 10-16 in Point Lookout, Mo. Stritch will find out their opponent on Wednesday, Mar. 3 when the NAIA presents their 2009-10 Selection Show at 3 p.m.