SEWARD, Neb. – A former standout within the GPAC, Ryan Tegtmeier will return to the conference in a new capacity. Tegtmeier has been named the lead assistant on Head Coach Ben Limback’s Concordia University Men’s Basketball staff, as announced on Monday (Aug. 16). Tegtmeier replaces Lance Korell, who spent seven seasons with the Bulldogs. Korell has accepted a job outside of coaching.
A native of Davenport, Neb., Tegtmeier had previously served as Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach/Head Junior Varsity Coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. He brings with him an intimate knowledge of the local basketball scene and the GPAC.
Said Tegtmeier, “I want to thank Coach Limback and the administration at Concordia for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to help lead the Men's Basketball program. Concordia is a special place and I am very excited to be a part of the Bulldog Family. They have a very talented roster in place, and I look forward to trying to help continue their recent run of success. I can't wait to get to work!”
Said Limback, “I’m so thankful for the work and dedication Coach Korell has poured into the Bulldog Basketball program these seven-plus years. He is a follower of Christ and a true servant leader! He has made a tremendous impact on the lives of the young men within our program during his time here. While he will be missed, I’m excited for Lance’s new opportunity and ability to focus on his family and baby girl, KJ.
“Ryan has a true passion for coaching at the college level and I’m excited to have him join our staff. Having played in the GPAC and recently coached in the Lincoln area, his basketball experience and knowledge will be a big asset to our program. Throughout my time knowing Ryan, I’ve always admired his demeanor, competitiveness and strong Christian character.”
As an assistant with the Prairie Wolves, Tegtmeier worked under Dale Wellman and helped the program to a 25-4 campaign, a sweep of American Rivers Conference regular season/postseason titles and a final NCAA Division III national rating of 14th in 2019-20. Tegtmeier spent two seasons at Nebraska Wesleyan following two seasons as Head Boys Basketball Coach at Blue Hill High School. Tegtmeier also worked for three years as Head Coach of the Nebraska Select AAU-17U and mentored athletes that went on to play at nearly all levels of collegiate basketball.
In his second and final season at Blue Hill, Tegtmeier guided the team to a state tournament appearance in addition to a district title and conference tournament championship. Prior to the 2019 state playoff run, Blue Hill had not advanced to state since 1984. The program’s 33 wins over two seasons under Tegtmeier represented a school record for a two-year stretch.
Tegtmeier put together a fine playing career of his own. As a Morningside Mustang, Tegtmeier started all four seasons and accumulated 1,349 points, 378 rebounds, 358 assists and 132 steals. His point total ranked 10th in school history at the time of his graduation in 2017. Tegtmeier spearheaded Morningside to a pair of conference championships and two national tournament appearances. He was named a second team All-GPAC honoree in 2016 and earned a total of three all-conference honors. Academically, Tegtmeier garnered NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition.
Previously, Tegtmeier also paired coaching with his teaching career. He taught fifth and sixth grade social studies/science at Blue Hill Public Schools and then sixth grade design thinking/science at Schoo Middle School in Lincoln.
Tegtmeier graduated from Morningside College with a B.S. in Elementary Education.