Ty Margenthaler is in his fourth year as head women’s basketball coach at Southeast Missouri State University. Margenthaler is the seventh head coach in Southeast Missouri women's basketball history.
Led by his trademark ‘Pack’ defense, Margenthaler’s Redhawks have held opponents under 60 points 27 times during his tenure in Cape Girardeau. Margenthaler has rebuilt a program that was coming off of back-to-back 21-loss seasons when he took over.
Under Margenthaler’s leadership, the Redhawks have steadily improved over the past three seasons. In 2013-14, Southeast averaged 63.4 points per game, which is over a 10-point per game increase from when Margenthaler took over. It was also a four-point per game increase from the previous season.
In addition to the improved product on the court, Margenthaler has led a group of student-athletes that have performed well in the classroom. In the 2012-13 academic year, the Redhawks posted a 3.546 cumulative team grade point average, tying for the fifth-highest figure in the nation.
On April 14, 2011, former Southeast Missouri Director of Athletics John Shafer introduced Margenthaler as the Redhawks next head women's basketball coach and ushered in a new era of Southeast basketball.
"I am really excited to have Ty join our athletic family at Southeast," Shafer said. "His coaching experience speaks for itself. Ty and his family will be a great fit for our athletic program, the university and the Cape Girardeau community."
Prior to taking over at Southeast, Margenthaler spent the previous five years as an assistant coach at Wisconsin in the Big Ten Conference. He was recruiting coordinator for the Badgers and handled all aspects of the recruitment process, including contacting prospects and arranging visits.
Margenthaler also served as Wisconsin's assistant offensive coordinator and was in charge of post player development. He assisted with scouting opponents, summer camps, practice and game preparation, among many other day-to-day duties within the program.
Wisconsin posted a winning record in all five seasons Margenthaler spent in Madison, including two seasons with at least 22 victories. The Badgers also played in the postseason each year, qualifying for the 2010 NCAA Tournament and playing in the WNIT four times.
Prior to joining Wisconsin, Margenthaler was an assistant coach at Bradley from 2000-06, where he developed a pair of centers into All-Missouri Valley Conference players. Dena Williams (2002) and Ashley Chelleen (2003) both landed spots on the Valley's All-Freshman Team. Margenthaler also served as the camp coordinator and assisted with scouting at Bradley.
With both a father and brother in coaching, Margenthaler grew up around basketball. His father, Jack, coached 15 seasons at Western Illinois and 11 years at SIU Edwardsville before retiring. His brother, Matt, is in his 14th season as head men’s basketball coach at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Margenthaler's playing experience includes two seasons at Indian Hills Community College (1992-94) before joining his father at SIUE for his final two collegiate seasons, where he averaged 16 points per game and started every contest. He then coached for two years at SIUE, aiding the Cougars to a 19-9 record and NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 1998-99.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education/Kinesiology from SIUE in 1997. He earned all-state basketball honors as a senior at Macomb (Ill.) High School.
After completing his collegiate playing career, Margenthaler coached at Roxana (Ill.) High School from 1997-99, earning Alton Telegraph Coach of the Year honors after leading his team to the South Central Conference title and regional championship.
Margenthaler and his wife, Julie, have two sons, Brice and Nate.
