Bio

Brad Fischer, who enters his 12th season as head coach of the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team in 2023-24, has returned the Titans to national prominence. Hired in June 2012, Fischer inherited a program that had won 11 WIAC championships and one national title but had no winning seasons and a 52-99 record from 2007-12.

Fischer, who sports a 236-65 record in his 11 years at UW-Oshkosh, has since guided the Titans to the NCAA Division III Championship eight of the past nine tournaments (the 2021 Division III Championship was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic). Under Fischer’s guidance UW-Oshkosh was one of eight Division III women’s programs to win at least one game at each of the four NCAA postseasons between 2014-17 as the Titans reached the third round in both 2014 and 2017 and advanced to the second round in 2015 and 2016. UW-Oshkosh also capped the 2019 and 2020 campaigns with trips to the third round of the NCAA postseason before reaching the Elite Eight in 2022 and the Second Round in 2023.

Fischer earned 2014 and 2021 Central Region Coach of the Year honors from D3hoops.com as well as WIAC Coach of the Year plaudits in 2013, 2017 and 2019. Fischer helped UW-Oshkosh win the 2017, 2019 and 2021 WIAC regular season titles in addition to league tournament championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Fischer’s 2019 squad was the program’s second to sweep the WIAC regular season and postseason titles and first since the league tournament debuted in 1999.

Fischer has led UW-Oshkosh to at least 20 victories during each of his 10 full seasons, marking the second time in conference history that a program has won 20 or more games in at least nine consecutive full years. His 236 wins ranks eighth on the WIAC’s all-time coaching list while his .784 winning percentage is fourth best among conference coaches with at least 70 wins.

UW-Oshkosh has established several team season records during Fischer’s tenure, including a .354 field goal percentage defense in 2016-17, 220 made 3-pointers in 2019-20, 669 3-point attempts in 2019-20, 558 made free throws in 2013-14, and 775 free throw attempts in 2013-14. The Titans’ marks for made 3-pointers and 3-point attempts in a season are also WIAC records.

School game records since Fischer took the reins include the mark for margin of victory during a 95-27 win over Manchester University in 2017-18, 14 made 3-pointers against Northland International University in 2013-14, 35 3-point attempts against UW-Stout in 2019-20, and 47 free throw attempts against UW-Stout during the 2013-14 season.

Fischer has helped 11 Titans garner a total of 18 All-WIAC First Team accolades, seven players achieve 12 total All-Region awards from D3hoops.com and three Titans earn a total of seven All-America citations from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

UW-Oshkosh players have been the recipient of the WIAC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award four times since Fischer joined the program – Megan Wenig in 2013, Eliza Campbell in 2018, Chloe Pustina in 2019 and Leah Porath in 2022. Fischer has also led a pair of Titans to WIAC Player of the Year honors – Taylor Schmidt in 2017 and Leah Porath in both 2020 and 2021 and one to WIAC Newcomer of the Year honors - Kennedy Ostermann in 2021.

Last season, Fischer led the Titans to a 20-9 (8-6 WIAC) record and advanced to the Second Round.  The Titans finished fourth in the WIAC regular season standing and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. UW-Oshkosh faced Washington and Lee University (Va.) in Ada, Ohio in the First Round and defeated the Generals 58-55 on a thrilling buzzer-beating shot from Jenna Jorgenson. UW-Oshkosh led the WIAC in free throw percentage (.740). Kayce Vaile was included on the All-WIAC First Team at the conclusion of the season.

In 2021-22, Fischer and the Titans advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1999. UW-Oshkosh concluded the historic campaign with a 22-7 record and ranked 12th in the final D3hoops.com poll. The Titans finished third in the WIAC regular standings and garnered an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Championship after reaching the semifinals of the WIAC Tournament. UW-Oshkosh, unranked entering the national postseason, began its run to the Division III quarterfinals with the Indianola (Iowa) Regional title following wins over 18th-ranked Wisconsin Lutheran College and fourth-ranked regional host Simpson College. The Titans then knocked off 10th-ranked Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio) before falling at 12th-ranked sectional host UW-Whitewater in the Elite Eight. The Titans once again led the division in turnovers at 10.8 per game. UW-Oshkosh's Leah Porath was named to both the WBCA (Honorable Mention) and D3hoops.com (Third Team) All-America Teams for the third time while Nikki Arneson joined Porath on the D3hoops.com All-Region Team.

In 2020-21 Fischer guided UW-Oshkosh to a 9-2 record and both the WIAC regular season and postseason championships for the second time in three years. The Titans clinched the WIAC East Division with a 5-1 record before going on to win three consecutive WIAC postseason games, including a 74-58 decision that clinched both the league regular season and tournament titles. UW-Oshkosh paced the conference in scoring defense (58.0), scoring margin (+12.7), field goal percentage (.455), assists per game (13.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.09). Fischer was named D3hoops.com Central Region and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Porath repeated as WIAC Player of the Year and went on to be named a D3hoops.com First Team All-American, a D3hoops.com All-Central Region and the Player of the Year by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.

During the 2019-20 season, Fischer and the Titans compiled a 20-10 record, winning the WIAC postseason title and reaching the third round of the Division III Championship before the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the national tournament. UW-Oshkosh, which advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the third time in the past four seasons, became the first Division III team to ever begin the season with an 11-9 record and still reach the third round of the NCAA postseason. The Titans set new conference records with 220 made 3-pointers and 669 3-point attempts, paced the country at 11.9 turnovers per game and also led the WIAC in field goal percentage (.423), free throw attempts (575), made free throws (407) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.06). UW-Oshkosh’s Porath was tabbed WIAC Player of the Year and a D3hoops.com Third Team All-American.

In 2018-19 Fischer’s team posted a 26-4 record, clinched the WIAC regular season and tournament crowns, won the NCAA Division III Championship Oshkosh Regional title, and advanced to the third round of the national tournament. The Titans won their WIAC-leading 13th regular season title and had a program-record five players named to the all-conference team. Fischer’s squad led the WIAC in scoring defense (49.1), average scoring (+17.4) and rebounding (+6.4) margins, field goal percentage (.431), turnovers per game (12.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.16). The Titans’ scoring defense and turnovers per game ranked ninth and 10th, respectively, in the country.

In 2017-18 Fischer and the Titans compiled a 21-6 record and placed second in the WIAC standings for the fifth time over the most recent six years. UW-Oshkosh, which produced a 9-5 WIAC mark, advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament for the fifth season in a row. The Titans led the country by committing just 11 turnovers per game while also pacing the league with 70.5 points per game, 50.9 points allowed per contest, a .436 field goal percentage, a +7.9 average rebounding margin and a 1.25 assist-to-turnover ratio. In the classroom the Titans finished 24th in the country with a 3.567 team grade point average.

In 2016-17 Fischer led UW-Oshkosh to a 26-4 record and the program’s first conference title since 2006. The Titans produced a 13-1 mark in WIAC play to secure the school’s first outright conference championship since 1999. UW-Oshkosh concluded the season ranked ninth by D3hoops.com as the Titans listed second nationally with just 11.8 turnovers per game and 13th in the country by allowing 50.5 points per contest. UW-Oshkosh also paced the WIAC in field goal percentage (.413), field goal percentage defense (.354) and turnover margin (+4.40). Fischer helped Taylor Schmidt become the school’s third WIAC Player of the Year honoree and the first since 1998. Schmidt also received All-America recognition from both D3hoops.com and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

During the 2015-16 season, Fischer helped lead the Titans to a 23-6 record, including an 11-3 mark in the WIAC. UW-Oshkosh finished the year ranked 13th by D3hoops.com after reaching at least the second round of the NCAA postseason for the third year in a row. The Titans capped the season ranked third in the nation with 12.1 turnovers per game while also leading the WIAC in scoring defense (51.1), 3-point field goal percentage (.348), assists (13.34) and turnover margin (+5.79).

In the 2014-15 season, Fischer's Titans owned a 23-7 overall record and an 11-5 mark in the WIAC. UW-Oshkosh advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship for the second consecutive season after winning its second straight and third overall WIAC Championship title. The Titans ended the year leading the WIAC in field goal percentage (.429) and turnover margin (+3.63).

During the 2013-14 campaign, Fischer led UW-Oshkosh to a 26-4 record and the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The Titans, who concluded the season ranked ninth by D3hoops.com, won the WIAC tournament for the second time overall and first since 1999. Fischer also guided UW-Oshkosh to a second-place finish in the WIAC regular season with a 13-3 mark. It was the most WIAC wins for the Titans since 2004, when they also went 13-3. UW-Oshkosh hosted a 2014 NCAA Division III regional pod and advanced to the third round for the first time since 1999. Fischer’s squad led the WIAC in per-game scoring defense (55.1), 3-point field goal defense (.285), rebounding defense (31.7), assists (14.57) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.01). The Titans set program records with 775 free throw attempts and 558 free throws made.

Fischer’s 2014 Titans also earned a spot on the Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The Titans ranked 23rd in D III with a 3.48 team grade point average.

Fischer’s first year, in 2012-13, was a record-breaking success as the Titans improved by 13 wins. UW-Oshkosh (20-6) posted a 12-4 league record for the greatest turnaround in WIAC history. Fischer was named Coach of the Year by both the WIAC and the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. With the WIAC’s top defense (51 points per game), Fischer guided the Titans to victories over national runner-up UW-Whitewater and No. 16 UW-Stevens Point.

Fischer spent five seasons (2006-11) as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division II UW-Parkside. He also has prior experience coaching in the WIAC, assisting with the UW-La Crosse women’s basketball team from 2003-06.

Under Fischer and head coach Jenny Kenesie, UW-Parkside improved its record each of his five years with the program. The five-year run culminated with records of 24-7 in 2011 and 23-8 in 2010, the two best victory totals in school history. During 2012 Fischer served as UW-Parkside’s assistant athletic director for communications.

UW-Parkside compiled a winning record in each of Fischer’s five years as assistant coach. In 2010 the Rangers captured their first Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) division title, reached the title game of the GLVC Tournament and qualified for the NCAA Division II Championship for just the second time in school history. UW-Parkside won two games in the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament to reach the Sweet 16. The Rangers, who entered the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time, fell in the Midwest Regional final to eventual national runner-up Michigan Technical University.

Fischer’s first recruiting class at UW-Parkside finished with an 89-31 record and three NCAA postseason appearances. Two of his players were named all-region and broke the 1,600-point barrier for their careers. In 2012 Jadee Rooney became the first Ranger NCAA Division II All-American.

At UW-La Crosse, Fischer helped the Eagles improve from a 9-16 team in 2004 to a 19-8 squad in 2006. The winning record was the program’s first in 18 years. UW-La Crosse began the 2006 campaign with 13 straight wins to become the 16th-ranked team in the nation. Fischer recruited and coached Mackenzie Hunter, who finished as the school’s second-leading scorer (1,526 points) and earned WIAC Player of the Year honors.

Fischer also was an assistant coach at Western Wisconsin Technical College from 2000-01 and Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School from 2001-03.

In the summers of 2019 and 2021, Fischer was the general manager of the Wisconsin GLO professional women's basketball team, which produced a 14-0 record during its inaugural season en route to winning the Global Women's Basketball Association title. After the novel coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 season, the GLO defended its GWBA title in 2021 with a win at the St. Louis Surge in the final. Fischer was responsible for assembling the GLO's coaching staff and roster that featured several of the all-time great players from the state of Wisconsin.

Fischer owns bachelor’s (2002) and master’s degrees (2005) from UW-La Crosse.

(10/6/23)