Illinois Wesleyan

Matt Lewis joined Ron Rose's staff as an assistant coach in May 2026. He enters his first season at IWU in 2026-27. In addition to serving on the men's basketball staff, Lewis also assists with external events, golf outing management, special projects, and NIL.

Lewis comes to Illinois Wesleyan following an eight-year run as head coach at UW-Oshkosh, where he compiled a 141-62 record. Under Lewis’ direction the UWO made four trips to the NCAA Division III Championship, won the WIAC regular season title three times, and secured two league postseason championships. In 2019, in Lewis' first year as head coach, the Titans won the NCAA Division III Championship.

As head coach, Lewis has helped nine players achieve a total of sixteen All-WIAC First Team honors. During Lewis’ seven-year tenure, five Titans have garnered a total of twelve All-Region accolades and four players have received a total of ten All-America honors. In 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023, a Titan was selected as the WIAC Player of the Year and a National Association of Basketball Coaches First Team All-American.

The Titans qualified for the WIAC Tournament in 2024-25 as Lewis mentored Joey LaChapell to WIAC Newcomer of the Year honors. LaChapell was the third Titan to earn the award in six seasons. Posting an overall record of 13-13 and going 4-10 in the WIAC, UW-Oshkosh reached the conference tournament for the 11th time in 12 years. The Titans ranked second in the conference in both three-point field goal percentage (.352) and free throw percentage (.752), while opponents shot a league-low .736 from the charity stripe.

Lewis began his coaching career as an assistant men's basketball coach at Rhodes College (Tenn.) in 2010. He also had coaching internships with Cornell College (Iowa) and NCAA Division I Tulane University (La.), where he was the director of basketball operations from 2010-12. 

Lewis, a forward on the Cornell College basketball team from 2005-10, was an American Rivers Conference First Team selection in 2010. He received Cornell College's 2010 Sportsman of the Year award after averaging 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds. In 2009, Lewis helped the Rams to a 21-7 record and a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.

A Southeastern High School (Augusta, Ill.) graduate, Lewis earned his bachelor's degree (2010) in economics and business from Cornell College and his master's (2013) in business administration from Bethel University (Tenn.).