Dan Gawrisch finished his eighth season at the helm of the MLC women’s basketball program in 2022-23 after taking over the program in the 2014-15 season.
During his debut season, Gawrisch led the Knights to a 9-16 overall record and an 8-6 record in conference play. The Knights were without a senior and endured some growing pains early in the non-conference season, but took home a fourth-place finish in the conference standings and earned a trip to the UMAC Postseason Tournament for their efforts.
In his second season in 2015-16, Gawrisch led the Knights to a 13-14 record overall and a 7-9 record in conference play, good for fifth place. The Knights made the conference tournament for the second consecutive season under Gawrisch's leadership, winning the opening game at Minnesota Morris before falling at UW-Superior on the semi-final round.
During the 2016-17 campaign, Gawrisch once again led the Knights to the UMAC Tournament following a 10-16 season overall and 8-8 UMAC mark. That was good for fifth in the final UMAC standings.
In 2017-18, the Knights finished 6-19 overall and 4-12 in UMAC play, good for seventh place in the final UMAC standings.
Following a one-year sabbatical to purse his PhD at the University of Illinois, Gawrisch returned in 2019-20 as the team finished 3-22 (including a 3-13 UMAC record).
In the 2020-21 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Knights went 3-10 with a 2-5 record in league play.
Prior to taking over as head coach of the program, Gawrisch served as an assistant to former coach Larry Czer for one season in 2013-14.
Gawrisch graduated from MLC in 2008 with a double major in Physical Education and Elementary Education. He served as an instructor at the college during the 2008-09 school year, where he served as an assistant coach for the football team. In 2015, Gawrisch returned to the football field for one final year as a Wide Receivers Coach under Coach Mark Stein.
After completing his masters degree in Teach Physical Education and Coaching at Northern Iowa in 2010, Gawrisch returned to MLC as an admissions counselor from 2010-13 before taking over as a Physical Education professor in 2013-14.
During his time as a student at MLC, Gawrisch was a member of the football team from 2003-06, where he received academic all-conference honors all four seasons.
As a native of New Berlin, Wis., sports and an active lifestyle have been an integral part of Dan’s entire life. Gawrisch graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in 2003.
Dan and his wife, Kaitlin, are blessed with 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls. They love raising their family in the safe, supportive community of New Ulm, and they are grateful for the Knights basketball family serving as Christian role models for their kids.
