La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Intercollegiate Athletics Department has named JT Gritzmacher as its 25th men's basketball head coach in school history.  He replaces Kent Dernbach who was named the head coach at UW-Stevens Point.
 

"I want to thank Kim Blum and the entire search committee for believing in me and my vision for this program and giving me the opportunity to be the next head men's basketball coach," commented Gritzmacher. "This is something that I will never take for granted and I am so thankful for the opportunity to lead these young men."

A West Allis, Wis. native, Gritzmacher has spent the past three seasons as the head coach at Bryant & Stratton College (Wis.). During his time at Bryant & Stratton (Wis.), the Bobcats compiled a 57-30 overall record including winning a single-season school record 26 games this past season. In Gritzmacher's final season, the Bobcats spent time ranked in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Top 20 including finishing the season ranked 17th. The 2022-23 season saw the Bobcats advance to the NJCAA Region IV Championship where they fell 77-73 to Waubonsee Community College (Ill.).

"JT's energy and passion are evident in everything he does" said UW-La Crosse Director of Athletics Kim Blum. "He is a very genuine person and someone who is truly invested in helping young men develop on and off the basketball court. I look forward to JT leading our players on the path of success already established, and then making the next jump into a championship-level program.  I believe in the legacy that JT can build here." 

Prior to taking over at Bryant & Stratton (Wis.), Gritzmacher was an assistant at Southeastern Community College (Iowa).  At Southeastern (Iowa), his responsibilities included recruiting, managing video software, preparing scouting reports, and other tasks assigned by the head coach. He was a part of a program that won over 70 games in three seasons. 

Before Southeastern (Iowa), Gritzmacher was an assistant coach for his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, from 2015-17. As an assistant, he was primarily involved in recruiting and opponent scouting reports. In the 2016-17 season, the Warhawks won 22 games and finished the season in the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament. It was his second stint as an assistant on the coaching staff at UW-Whitewater as he served as a student assistant from 2011-13. In 2013, the Warhawks won their second consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championship and won the NCAA Division III title. 

He earned his bachelor's degree from UW-Whitewater in 2013 in health, human performance and recreation.

"Being named the head coach at UW-La Crosse is a dream job for me," commented Gritzmacher.  "It is very humbling for me as someone who grew up in Wisconsin and followed the WIAC my whole life, to now be named the head coach at an institution like UW-La Crosse is something very special."

Gritzmacher added, "The college, campus, and La Crosse community really pulled me to this job and I can't wait to see where we can take this program. Being able to lead a program at a University as prestigious as UWL is very exciting and something that I do not take lightly nor will I take for granted. It is our goal to build a program that is consistently one of the top Division III programs in the country and something that the University and City of La Crosse can be proud of."

In between his two coaching stops at UW-Whitewater, Gritzmacher earned his master's degree from Longwood University (Va.) where he was a graduate assistant with the men's basketball program. At Longwood (Va.), Gritzmacher was involved in all assets of the NCAA Division I program, a member of the Big South Conference. He organized and arranged all travel, oversaw academics, coordinated film for games, planned and coordinated official visits, and instructed individual workouts with men's basketball student-athletes. 

Gritzmacher also has coaching at the club level along with assisting at numerous camps. He served as the head coach for the 16U and 17U teams for the Lou Chapman Basketball Academy (2014) while also coaching the 17U and 10U teams for Wisconsin Playground Warriors Grassroots Program (2011-12). Gritzmacher also served as a recruiting coordinator for the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, managing a recruiting database for all age levels. He was responsible for video at all events for the 15U-17U levels, handled scheduling and coordinated administrative needs and other duties as assigned by the executive director of the organization.

Gritzmacher has worked numerous summer camps, including those conducted at the University of Wisconsin and Marquette University (Wis.). He served as a student manager for the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee men's basketball program from 2009-11.

Gritzmacher and his wife Melissa, have two children, Omari and Oaklyn.