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NEW ULM -- Martin Luther College women’s basketball coach Dan Gawrisch will miss the 2018-19 season as he begins his work in pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois.
Assistant Coach Dave Biedenbender will coach the program this season on an interim basis, with Gawrisch set to return for the 2019-20 season and beyond.
Gawrisch finished his fourth season as coach of the MLC women’s program in 2017-18, but knew this day was coming. Gawrisch and his family moved to Illinois in July to start work on his doctorate in Kinesiology, with an emphasis on Physical Education Teacher Education. He will be at the University of Illinois for this school year, but will be able to complete the rest of the program from New Ulm.
Biedenbender finished his first season as an assistant coach at MLC last year, but has significant experience as a head coach at the high school level. In 15 seasons at head coach of the girls' basketball program at Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School (MVL), Biedenbender finished with a 316-99 record.
He was named Coach of the Year four times in the Tomahawk Conference and coached MVL to eight conference titles during his tenure.
"I’m excited and honored to serve as the interim coach this season," Biedenbender said. "My goal is to maintain the same high standards and work ethic that Coach Gawrisch established for the program over the past few years. I am really looking forward to working with and coaching what I feel is an outstanding group of Christian young ladies."
The MLC women’s basketball team will begin practice for the 2018-19 season on Monday.