Drew Grzella became the first head coach for the WWU men's basketball program when he was hired in November of 2006.  Grzella joins the Owls after spending two seasons as assistant men's basketball coach at Iowa Wesleyan College. Grzella helped the Tigers to a 47-16 record in his two seasons at Iowa Wesleyan.  The team took two trips to the NAIA Division II national tournament and won the Midwest Classic Conference title in 2005-06 with a 25-7 mark.  The Tigers were ranked in each of the season's final ten polls last year, reaching as high as 12th in the nation.  IWC was ranked as high as ninth in 2004-05. A native of Shawnee, Kan., Grzella graduated from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in 1996. During his senior season, Grzella helped the Cougars finish fourth in the state tournament’s largest class. Grzella ranked second on the team in every major statistical category.

Grzella played two seasons (1996-98) at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kan., one of the most competitive Junior College conferences in the country.  He averaged nine points his sophomore year and shot 40 percent from 3-point range.

Following his two years at Allen County, Grzella transferred to Columbia College in Columbia, Mo., where he enjoyed two successful seasons (1998-2000). The Cougars went 23-8 during the 1998-99 season, ending the season with a loss in the second round of the NAIA Division I National Tournament. As a senior, Grzella helped guide Columbia to a 26-8 record and another trip to the national tournament. Grzella led the American Midwest Conference in free throw shooting at 87 percent and earned the NAIA All-America Scholar Athlete Award.

Grzella was a student assistant coach at Columbia in 2000-01 while finishing his undergraduate degree. The team finished 29-4 and advanced to the second round of the national tournament. Later that school year, he received his B.A. in Secondary Education. Grzella stayed on to assist Columbia to a fine 28-8 season in 2001-02.  During his four seasons at Columbia, two playing and two coaching, the program sported a stellar 104-28 record.

Before arriving at Iowa Wesleyan, Grzella pursued his Master’s degree at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan., and served as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s basketball team from 2002 to 2004. In the two seasons there, he worked with all aspects of the program, including coaching the junior varsity team.  He received his M.A. in Psychology from Saint Mary in May of 2004.

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T.J. Eskildsen enters his first season as an assistant coach at William Woods University. Eskildsen, a native of Davenport, Iowa, comes to William Woods from Iowa Wesleyan College. Coach Eskildsen played at Iowa Wesleyan and spent two seasons as a student assistant. Prior to Iowa Wesleyan, Eskildsen spent his freshman season at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. Eskildsen played one year at Domincan as a starter. Eskildsen is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Athletic/Activities Administration at William Woods.