University of Toledo Men's Basketball

on Social Media Instagram: @tod.kowalczyk14 Twitter: @coach_kowalczyk 16 Years at Toledo Career Record at Toledo: 315-211 (.599) Overall Career Record: 451-323 (.583) (through 2025-26 season) Head coach Tod Kowalczyk has turned the University of Toledo men’s basketball program into one of the best in the Mid-American Conference during his 16-year tenure at the Rockets’ helm. Toledo’s mentor has produced a run of success that has elevated the Rockets into one of the top mid-major programs in the country. In the 2025-26 season, Toledo made a run to the MAC Championship Game after earning a Top Four seed in the tournament for a sixth-straight season. The Rockets defeated Bowling Green (77-76) in the quarterfinals and UMass (77-67) in the semifinals before falling in the championship game to Akron (79-76). The 2023-24 season saw Toledo post its fourth straight 20-win season and become only the second MAC program ever to win four consecutive outright league titles. In addition, Kowalczyk became one of five active coaches in the nation to win four straight outright conference crowns. In the 2022-23 campaign, Kowalczyk was named MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons after Toledo became the first current MAC school to win three straight outright league titles. UT tied its school record with 27 victories and posted a 16-2 mark in MAC play and won the conference title by a game over Kent State. In the 2021-22 season, the Rockets registered a 17-3 record in league p

on Social Media Twitter: @coachhannum41 Brandon Hannum joined the University of Toledo strength & conditioning department in March of 2018. Currently the director of sports performance, Hannum will oversee all Olympic sports strength & conditioning. Hannum has also served as the director of strength & conditioning where he was responsible for designing the strength & conditioning programs for women’s basketball, men’s basketball, softball and volleyball programs. Prior to his arrival at Toledo, Hannum was an assistant strength and conditioning for Eastern Kentucky University for two years. He oversaw the strength program for men’s basketball, track and field, softball, men’s golf, while assisting with the Colonel football team. Before becoming a full-time coach at Eastern Kentucky, Hannum spent one year with North Carolina State’s Olympic sport strength and conditioning program as a professional intern. He primarily worked with diving and men’s and women’s golf. He assisted in various roles with all of the other 19 Olympic sports teams, as well. Hannum was a four-year starting punter for the Rockets from 2000-03. He later graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in sport and leisure leadership studies. He then returned to Toledo and earned his master’s degree in exercise science in 2014. During that time he served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Rockets. Hannum holds certifications through the Collegiate Strength and Condit

Brandon Pritzl enters his fourth season as an assistant coach for the University of Toledo men's basketball program. Seven different Rockets have earned all-...

Brett Rau enters his fourth year as Toledo’s Director of Player Development. He previously has served as a men’s basketball graduate assistant at the University of Akron and as a Player Development Intern for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Seven different Rockets have earned all-conference accolades during Rau's tenure with Leroy Bylden Jr. received Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year honors in the 2025-26 campaign. Rau helped Toledo post its fourth straight 20-win season in the 2023-24 campaign and become only the second MAC program ever to win four consecutive outright league titles. The only previous MAC member was Cincinnati in the early 1950s. Rau helped the Zips to a 39-15 overall record during his two-year stint, highlighted by capturing the 2019-20 Mid-American Conference title. He also assisted in the development of 2019-20 MAC Player of the Year Loren Cristian Jackson as well as All-MAC players Tyler Cheese and Xeyrius Williams. With the Mavericks, Rau collaborated with coaches in helping facilitate practices, individual workouts and game-day activities. He also contributed to Dallas’ analytic efforts by assisting with film breakdown. Some of the players Rau worked closely every day were Dirk Nowitzki, JJ Barea, Deandre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr., Kristaps Porzingis, and Luka Doncic. As a player, Rau played his final two seasons of his collegiate career for Missouri of the Southeastern Conference. He helped Mizzou reach the NCAA Tournament in 20

Dr. Connor Whelan was named Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) in June of 2025. In his role at Toledo, Whelan oversees all external operations, including corporate partnerships, revenue strategy, development, premium seating, marketing, brand strategy, ticket sales and fan engagement, playing a key leadership role in the department's financial growth initiatives. He also serves as the sport administrator for men's basketball and women's volleyball. Whelan brings a wealth of experience in athletic administration, fan experience, student engagement, and revenue generation, most recently serving as Associate Athletic Director for Fan Experience and Sales at Mississippi State University. During his tenure at Mississippi State from 2022-25, Whelan spearheaded record-breaking ticket sales, innovative marketing campaigns, and historic attendance milestones. He led the rollout of a new outbound ticket sales program that generated more than $5 million in revenue and set all-time football ticket revenue records ($27.1 million in 2023). He also led the strategy for "Super Bulldog Weekend," which set an NCAA on-campus baseball attendance record (16,423 fans) and generated more than $1 million in revenue. Prior to Mississippi State, Whelan served as Assistant Athletic Director for Fan Experience and Sales at Wake Forest University where he guided football marketing efforts to three sellouts and set record-breaking ticket revenue numbers in 2021. Whelan also held posi

on Social Media Twitter: @massreps Jeff Massey enters his 13th season on the Toledo coaching staff and his seventh as the program's associate head coach. He joined the Rockets prior to the 2014-15 campaign after spending seven years as an assistant at St. Bonaventure (2007-14). During his time on the Rocket staff, Massey has helped the Rockets to a 250-153 (.620) record, appearances in the 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 National Invitation Tournaments, four straight outright MAC titles (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24) as well as two outright MAC West Division titles (2017-18, 2018-19). The 2023-24 season saw Toledo post its fourth straight 20-win season and become only the second MAC program ever to win four consecutive outright league titles. The only previous MAC member was Cincinnati in the early 1950s. In the 2022-23 season, Massey helped Toledo make history as the Rockets became the first current MAC school to win three straight outright league titles. UT tied its school record with 27 victories and posted a 16-2 mark in MAC play and won the conference title by a game over Kent State. During its historical campaign, the Rockets set a school record with a 17-game winning streak that ranks fourth in MAC history. Junior RayJ Dennis became the second Rocket in the last three seasons to earn MAC Player of Year honors. Dennis and senior JT Shumate were each named First-Team All-MAC, marking the third time ever two Rockets were named in the same season. In addition, senior Setri

Sport Responsibilities: Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women’s Tennis Jillian Lehman was named Associate Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Experien...

Follow on Social Media Instagram: @jordanlauf25 Twitter: @jordan_lauf Jordan Lauf enters his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Toledo men's basketba...