"Owing to the need of some indoor game and to our physical director, Miss Stoner, the gymnasium was opened also to the boys."
The Quiver, 1900
Basketball has a lengthy history at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, spanning nearly 100 years. Records are conflicting, but basketball seems to have begun around 1900 at the Oshkosh Normal School. The physical director had been holding practices for women's basketball for a few years before she allowed the men to play. At this time, reports from The Advance show that Mr. Roy Rogers from Fond du Lac's Company "E" basketball team came up to coach the men's team as he had time. In this day, the Company "E" team was well-known for its excellence on the court. Basketball was gaining popularity and many people from The Normal School went down to cheer on the boys in Fond du Lac. Unfortunately the "Normalites" didn't put out a performance quite as impressive. Their first year in action yielded losses on all occasions. The boys played the Stevens Point Normals, Ripon College, and Waupaca High School. The fans of the Normalites cited the lack of home games as the reason for defeat. Some things never change! According to The Quiver, there was limited space and therefore no room for home basketball games.
1920-1921 team
At this time, athletics relied on fan support for their funding. When the crowds were smaller, the money was tight. Although no record was found on budget information, The Quiver reported financial difficulties during 1901. In 1902, though, the support for men's basketball returned and so did the fans. A reserve team was added, as well as a faculty team, a senior team, a junior team, and a sophomore team. In addition to these, other Oshkosh teams included the Normal Shorties, the Sacred Five, the Katzenjammers, and the Invincibles who competed against one another. Basketball fever was in the air and the bug had bitten the Normalites.
Jumping ahead a few years, we stumble upon a well-established men's basketball program. The years of 1920 to 1923 were extremely successful, placing the Normalites in the championship bracket every year. In 1921, under the tutelage of Coach Whitney, the men brought home a state championship. The basketball team was held in high regard as is evident by the mass coverage they received from the school yearbook and newspapers of the time. Another championship season was encountered in 1940. Coach Kolf led his men to victory over teams like Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Marquette, St. Johns, Whitewater and River Falls. As with any team, there were good seasons and seasons some wished had never existed for the Oshkosh men.
1945-1946 team
In the case of UW Oshkosh basketball, there really were seasons that ceased to exist. After looking in the 1943 yearbook one might assume that men as a species had ceased to exist! At the time, the United States was fighting in World War II and only 12 men remained on campus as part of the school. There were other men there, but their time was spent preparing for the war. Aside from taking a majority of the men's basketball team, wartime also captured the well-respected coach, Robert Kolf. According to the Advance, Kolf served as an officer in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. Although there are no win-loss records for the 1945 season while Kolf was away, they are pictured in The Quiver with a temporary coach by the last name of McCain.
Robert Kolf returned in 1946 to coach in the fall. He served as the physical education director, as well as coach of a variety of sports during his time at Oshkosh. He was the head coach of the basketball team from 1925 until 1956. During his reign, he accumulated 243 wins. He coached many highly skilled players, including "Tick" Nelson, who was the high scorer of the Teachers College in 1943 with 113 points in eight games. Kolf's overall win-loss record was 243-225, the best in Oshkosh history. Oshkosh didn't see another legendary coach like Kolf until the arrival of Dr. Robert White in 1964.
White resembled Kolf in a number of ways. They held similar jobs at the university, both coached a variety of sports while at Oshkosh, and both built successful basketball programs. Their accomplishments have yet to be matched.
White was head coach for 19 years, the longest coachingterm in Oshkosh history behind Kolf. During his career, the Titans qualified for NAIA District 14 appearances nine times and won the district championships in 1967 and 1968. In 1968, White led the Titans to Kansas City, Missouri, where they placed third in the NAIA Final Four Tournament. The third-place finish remains the highest placement the Titans have ever reached in postseason action. As with the other coaches at Oshkosh, White had his share of up and down seasons. Upon retirement, White had a win-loss record of 226-272. Following in the Titan tradition, the current coach Ted Van Dellen is leading the team in a positive direction.
Van Dellen, in his ninth year, is one of the best coaches the Titan Men have seen on their court. As of the 1997-1998 season, Coach Van Dellen posts a 128-79 record and a 1996 Coach of the Year Award. More can be read about Ted Van Dellen on the athletics web site at www.titans.uwosh.edu.
Basketball has built a strong tradition here at UW Oshkosh and will continue to be a focal point of the Titan athletic program. The Titans boast Division III tournament appearances in 1996, 1997, and 1998, and they have added numerous All-WIAC awards and eleven WIAC championships to their record. With strong leaders such as All-WIAC first team member Brad Clark guiding the team, the winning tradition is expected to continue.
The team has come a long way since its meager beginning in 1900. By tracing the history of men's basketball, eyes are opened to the evolution of a sport as well as the changing dynamics of a country. History has had a direct impact on the world of sports and recreation through military involvement, economic depression, and social interest. All of these things combine to make up the colorful history of Titan basketball.
References
Basketball. (1943). The Advance.
Basketball. (1899). The Normal Advance. Vol. 6. no. 3.
Noyes, E. and Herzing, Here to serve; The First 100 Years of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
The Quiver. (1899,1900,1901,1902,1903, 1904, 1905, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1940,1941,1941, 1942, 1943, & 1944.) The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. (1999).
Men's Basketball game program.