Parkside Athletics

Alma Mater | UW-Platteville – 1995
Years at Parkside | 22nd season as head coach in 2024-25, 24th season overall
Career Record entering 2024-25 | 310-281
 

2013 Jack Bennett Man of the Year Award winner Luke Reigel begins his 22nd season as head coach of the Parkside men’s basketball program in 2024-25 and his 25th season overall at the University. Reigel has guided the Rangers to seven NCAA tournament appearances and six division titles with four coming in the GLVC and two in the GLIAC. 

In the 2023-24 campaign, Reigel saw the Rangers finish 13-16 overall and 8-10 in GLIAC play. The Rangers were eliminated in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament, 84-82 on the road against No.3 Ferris State. The highlight of the season came when Reigel collected his 300th career win against Maryville University on 11/22/23. Another milestone came of 2/3/24, when Colin O'Rourke scored his 1,000th career point against Saginaw Valley State. When the season was all set and done, Reigel saw Colin O'Rourke get recognzed on First Team All-GLIAC, Josiah Palmer earn Second Team All-GLIAC, and Nick Brown found a spot on GLIAC's All-Defensive Team. 

In the 2022-23 season, Reigel led the Rangers to a GLIAC Championship with a 21-9 overall record. Additionally, the team finished 14-4 in conference play. They were brilliant at home, notching a 14-3 record at De Simone Arena. Reigel led the group to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh NCAA of his career, where they fell in the first round. After the championship season, Reigel earned 2023 GLIAC Coach of the Year. Reigel saw Rasheed Bello recognized as GLIAC Player of the Year, Jamir Simpson, Josiah Palmer, and Colin O'Rourke earn Second Team All-GLIAC, and Nick Brown was named to the GLIAC All-Defensive team.  

Reigel broke Parkside's all-time record for wins on Jan. 14, 2017 in an 86-59 win over UMSL, passing the legendary Steve Stephens. 

In the 2021-22 season, Reigel led the Rangers to a 14-14 overall record and a 10-9 record in the GLIAC. The team earned the No. 7 seed in the GLIAC Tournament, where they dropped game one to No. 2 seed Michigan Tech. At the end of the season, Tray Croft earned First Team All-GLIAC and Rasheed Bello earned GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

In the COVID shortened year of 2020-21, Reigel led the Rangers to a 9-10 overall season and a No. 7 seed in the GLIAC Tournament. The team started 8-4 on the season and went 5-4 on the road. 

In 2019-20, Reigel's squad finished 10-18 overall and 6-14 in the GLIAC. Per usual, Reigel's team was extremely tough at home in De Simone Gymnasium, where they finished 9-5 but started 9-1 at home during the season. At the end of the season, junior Ramar Evans was named to the All-GLIAC Defensive Team. 

In 2018-19, Reigel guided Parkside in its first year as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after a highly successful career in the GLVC. The Rangers went on to finish 16-12 overall, 13-7 in the GLIAC and win the GLIAC North Division. The team finished 12-1 at home in De Simone Gymnasium and ended the season on an 11-game home winning streak. The Rangers earned the No. 3 seed in the GLIAC Tournament and defeated No. 6 Lake Superior State in the GLIAC Quarterfinals before falling on a last second shot in the semifinals. Following the season, redshirt-senior Chavares Flanigan was named First Team All-GLIAC and All-GLIAC Defensive Team. 

Reigel earned National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Midwest District Coach of the Year and GLVC Coach of the Year accolades in 2016-2017, piloting the Rangers to their fourth consecutive GLVC East Division crown. UW-Parkside advanced to the GLVC Tournament Championship game for the first time in program history while serving as host for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional where the squad downed ninth-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan College for the program's first NCAA tournament win. The Green and White finished the season 25-6 overall and 15-3 in conference action while winning 32 of its last 33 GLVC home games inside De Simone Gymnasium. Three Rangers captured All-GLVC accolades, including Andy Mazurczak, who won GLVC Player of the Year and became the third Ranger in four years to participate in the NABC Division II All-Star Game.  

The 2014-2015 squad had a banner campaign, setting program records for overall wins (26) and GLVC wins (17), claiming the GLVC East crown for the third consecutive season en route to their third consecutive NCAA Division II appearance. Reigel was named the GLVC Coach of the Year, claiming the honor for the second time in three years.

His 2013-2014 team won the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division crown for the second consecutive season, posting a 23-7 overall mark and a program-best 15-3 record in conference action. Reigel's Rangers advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season while boasting a 14-1 record inside the friendly confines of DeSimone Gymnasium.

Reigel’s 2012-2013 squad captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division title for the first time in program history while recording the first 20-win campaign since 1987. The 2012-13 Rangers knocked off seven ranked opponents during the year including a regular season sweep of perennial powers Kentucky Wesleyan and Southern Indiana while climbing as high as 13th in the NABC Coaches' Poll. For his efforts, Reigel was named the 2013 GLVC Coach of the Year and the 2013 NABC Midwest District Coach of the Year while Jeremy Saffold was the GLVC Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program history to claim the honor.

In 2010-2011, Reigel led a young Rangers squad back to the GLVC Tournament thanks in part to GLVC Freshman of the Year, Jordan Mach. Mach was the first Ranger to ever receive this honor. Regiel also led his team to a victory over border-rival, Lewis University, the eventual North Division Champion.

The 2009-10 season marked the fourth time the Rangers were a participant in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament. The team made good on their entry, knocking out Missouri-St. Louis in the first round. This was the second post-season win since the move to Division II. Another milestone came with Jeremy Saffold becoming the first freshman in school history to be named to the all-conference team.

In 2006-07, Reigel’s Rangers led the entire nation in fewest turnovers per game. He was tabbed Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coach of the Year for Divisions II and III that season, leading the UW-Parkside program to the first NCAA tournament appearance in school history. The storied season was kicked off with three wins in three consecutive days in winning the Disney Classic championship in Orlando and culminated with a trip to regionals in Findlay, Ohio.

Other highlights in Reigel’s tenure include a regular season win at NCAA Division I Illinois-Chicago, a team which was looking to defend its Horizon League crown. The conquest was tabbed ‘Dick Vitale’s Upset of the Week.’ The Ranger mentor also owns a win over neighboring UW-Milwaukee in exhibition play.

Reigel’s role at UW-Parkside is more than that of a head basketball coach. He is a major player in the athletics corporate sponsorship program, which assists in keeping all Ranger athletics competitive. Sponsor banners in the DeSimone Gymnasium and in the game programs helped find their way there thanks in part to Reigel’s efforts.

Reigel, who is originally from Twin Lakes, lived in Racine and now resides in Kenosha, is an active community member. The Junior Rangers program which he teaches area youth the finer points of the game of basketball in a structured environment, all while having a great time. Over 100 youths are thrilled to participate each fall.

Reigel spent three notable years as an assistant at UW-Parkside before taking over the reins as head coach. Prior to UW-Parkside, Reigel served as an assistant coach at UW-Platteville under legendary University of Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, winning a national title with the Pioneers as both a coach and a player.

After his playing career, which started at UW-Stevens Point and culminated in a ring at UW-Platteville, Reigel coached three successful seasons at Platteville High School, before returning to re-join the Pioneers for another national crown.

At Wilmot high school, Reigel played for his father, Tom, where together they had an undefeated season and won a state championship. The two have come full-circle, as Tom now serves as an assistant at UW-Parkside.

Reigel holds a comprehensive social science degree and master's degree in secondary education from UW-Platteville. He and his wife, Merideth, have two children, Jake and Cole.