HEAD COACH RON ROSE
Ron Rose, who played on two conference championship teams and three NCAA Division III tournament teams during his career at Illinois Wesleyan University, became IWU’s 14th men’s basketball coach on May 12, 2006.
Ron Rose, who played on two conference championship teams and three NCAA Division III tournament teams during his career at Illinois Wesleyan University, became IWU’s 14th men’s basketball coach on May 12, 2006.Heading into the 2022-23 season, Rose has a 16-year overall record of 294-136 (.684) and a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin record of 154-77 (.667). The Titans won the 2013, 2014, and 2022 CCIW titles outright and shared the 2018 regular season championship with Augustana. Illinois Wesleyan claimed the 2021 CCIW Championship in a COVID-shortened season.
At Illinois Wesleyan, Rose has coached eight Division III All-Americans and 33 all-conference players, including four All-CCIW picks in 2021-22. Rose also mentored IWU's first-ever CCIW Freshman of the Year in Luke Yoder, who won the award at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, as well as the 2022 CCIW Fred Young Most Outstanding Player in Matthew Leritz.
Prior to the 2022-23 campaign Rose ‘s 294 career wins is second most in Illinois Wesleyan history, trailing only school record holder Dennie Bridges (667-319, 1965-2001).
Under Rose's leadership, the Titans advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 2022. Rose's team posted a record of 24-6, including a 14-2 conference mark. Four Titans were named all-conference, with Matthew Leritz and Peter Lambesis earning First Team All-CCIW honors. Cory Noe and Luke Yoder reeled in Second Team nods. Leritz put together a sensational senior season, reeling in First Team All-American accolades from the NABC and D3hoops.com. Rose's squad, which ended Yeshiva's historic 50-game win streak Dec. 30, were ranked as high as No. 2 in the D3hoops.com poll throughout the season.
In 2015, Rose was the co-winner of the Division III "Coach of the Year Award" for the state by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, marking the sixth straight year as either a winner or co-winner of the honor. The Titans were 20-9, finished runner-up in the CCIW to Augustana and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III national tournament before losing to eventual national champion Wisconsin Stevens Point. With 20 wins on the year, the Titans extended their streak of consecutive 20-win seasons to six for the first time in school history.
In 2014, Rose was the CCIW “Coach of the Year” and was the co-winner of the Division III "Coach of the Year Award" for the state by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, marking the fifth straight year as either a winner or co-winner of the honor. The Titans were 27-5, won the CCIW title for the second straight year and advanced to the final four of the NCAA Division III national tournament before losing to eventual champion Wisconsin-Whitewater. In 105 years of men's basketball, only two other Titan teams have reached 27 wins - the 1997 team that was 29-2 and NCAA Division III national champions, and the 1996 squad that was 28-3 and finished in third place nationally. The Titans were 20-game winners for the fifth year in a row, marking the first time in school history for a stretch of five years with 20 or more wins.
In 2013, Rose was the co-winner of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Midwest Region “Coach of the Year”, the CCIW “Coach of the Year” and the co-winner of the Division III "Coach of the Year Award" for the state by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, marking the fourth straight year as either a winner or co-winner of the honor. The 2013 Titans finished with a 23-6 overall record and won the CCIW regular season with a 13-1 record. IWU made it to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III tournament.
Rose had his team in the NCAA Division III semifinals in 2012 and was chosen as the Midwest Region “Coach of the Year” by D3hoops.com led the Titans to a 23-8 record and an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament for the third straight year and for the 21st time in school history. The Titans won seven of their last nine games of the season, including four straight road or neutral site games in the NCAA regional and sectional rounds. IWU scored a 108-101 double overtime win at Hope and a 69-67 win at Wooster in NCAA play before losing to Cabrini in the semifinals on a last-second 3-pointer, 81-78.
Rose led the 2010-11 team to a 20-9 record and its second straight NCAA Division III tournament appearance, winning a game over Wisconsin-River Falls before losing to St. Thomas, who became the national champion. It was the second straight year IWU was defeated by the national champion in the NCAA tourney, losing in 2010 to Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The 2009-10 Titans earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III tournament and earned a neutral court win over Central (Iowa), 86-81, before dethroning two-time defending champion Washington U., 75-70, on the road. The Titans advanced to the final eight with a win over CCIW member Carthage, 77-72, before losing at (eventual national champion) Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 72-56.
In 2009-10, six of the team’s eight losses were by eight points or fewer.
In 2008-09 the Titans won six of their first eight games and were 8-3 in nonconference games including wins over Chicago, Hanover and Manchester.
In 2007-08 Rose guided his team to a 16-11 overall mark and a 9-5 ledger in the CCIW, good for a second place tie and a berth in the league’s postseason tournament after being picked seventh in the preseason coaches’ poll.
After opening with three straight wins for the first-year coach, Rose's first Titan team (2006-07) finished 11-14 overall and 4-10 in the CCIW.
Prior to returning to IWU, the 41-year-old Rose was head basketball coach at Bloomington High School for five seasons (2001-06), where his teams were 103-38 with two Big 12 Conference titles, four straight Intercity tournament championships and regional and sectional championships in 2006. The Raiders’ sectional title was the first at the school in 31 years and in 2004-05, BHS won the Pontiac Holiday Tournament for the first time in school history.
In nine total seasons as a high school head coach (four at Normal Community), Rose amassed a cumulative record of 154-93 for a .623 winning percentage.
A Morton (Ill.) High School graduate, Rose was the “Most Valuable Player” for the Class AA South in the 1984 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-star game and attended Valparaiso University, where he started his final two games before transferring to IWU midseason of his freshman year (1984-85).
A four-year letterman at IWU, Rose played on Bridges-coached teams that went a combined 66-33 and was a starting guard in 68 career games, averaging 5.9 points and amassing 356 assists, a total that still ranks No. 6 all-time at IWU. His 137 assists in 1987-88 is seventh best in a Titan single season.
The Titans were 19-10 in 1985-86, 17-10 in 1986-87, and 24-5 in 1987-88, earning NCAA Division III tournament bids all three seasons and winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin titles in 1986 and 1988. The 1988 team advanced to the final eight of the Division III tournament before losing at eventual national champion Ohio Wesleyan, and the 1987 team was ousted by North Park, who was also the eventual national champion.
After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan in 1988 with a degree in business administration and mathematics, Rose worked as an actuarial assistant at Bloomington’s State Farm Insurance before returning to school at Olivet Nazarene University, where he earned a master’s degree in teaching in 1992 and served two seasons as a basketball assistant for Ralph Hodge.
Rose was an assistant basketball coach under Scott Thompson at Wichita State University from 1992-94, where his duties included evaluating and recruiting prospective student-athletes, monitoring academic progress, coordinating scouting and assisting with summer camps and clinics.
Rose returned to the Twin Cities to coach and teach at Normal Community High School, where his teams were 51-55 in four seasons, including a 17-10 mark in 1996-97.
He worked as human resources benefit analyst at State Farm in 1999-2000 before joining the Bloomington High staff.
Rose and his wife, Tina, have four children - Austin, Brady, Ryan, and Aubrey.