OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Under head coach Brad Fischer, the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team has become a powerhouse.
This weekend, the Titans who won the WIAC in the regular season, are hosting the first and second rounds of the Division 3 NCAA tournament.
In fact, they've now made the D3 Big Dance in 10 of the last 11 seasons, putting Fischer in some elite WIAC company – next to a basketball hall of famer.
“You gotta find the right place and I knew when I came here that this was a place you can win games at and be successful at,” Fischer said of his time with the Titans.
Fischer started coaching simply as a way to stay around the game, and make a little money – he emphasized the little.
“It was a little at the time and then I started coaching women’s college and I started to connect and I felt like those players really wanted to be coached and then i started recruiting and really got excited about the idea of what it takes to build a team,” said the Titans head coach.
Growing up watching Bo Ryan led teams at UW-Platteville and Wisconsin, never did Fischer think his name would be uttered alongside the WIAC hall of famer’s.
"Bo is one of the best that’s ever done it in our state,” Fischer said. “To have any type of stat or record that compares to his is a huge honor and super humbling.”
But this season, Fischer joined Ryan in the record books, becoming the second WIAC coach with 12 straight seasons of 20-plus wins.
“We want every senior to leave on a high note so we always feel like you win 20 games when you’re only guaranteed 25, you‘ve had a special year.” he said.
Over 15 years, Fischer says he’s grown a lot as coach, saying he’s realized it’s not all about the x’s and o’s – relationships have moved to the top of the list of most important things.
“I know I've softened up a lot,” Fischer said. “I’m a little different with where my energy goes, I think. I think I've done a better job of being a better relationship builder with them.”
The players have taken notice. Senior star Kayce Vaile, an all-conference forward, says she appreciates his open door policy.
“I know I can spit whatever word vomit at him and he’s ready sitting there ready to take it,” Vaile said.
With all the success he's had, you’d have to imagine other jobs might come calling just as they did with Ryan. However, Fischer says it’s hard to leave once you’ve built something great.
"It's always another class that you want to see through, or a bunch of recruits that you haven’t got to coach yet that you spend a year and a half thinking about coaching,” he said.
