Bill Engel named new Lancer Men’s Head Basketball Coach

TORRINGTON, Wyo. – Bill Engel has been named the new Eastern Wyoming College men’s basketball coach and interim athletic director. Engel comes to the Lancers from Minnesota North – Rainy River. 

“This is a great opportunity to be surrounded by tremendous people in an outstanding community,” Coach Engel said. “Our goal is to build the program with industrious young men of character that will embrace the hardworking nature of Torrington.”

Engel has coached at Minnesota North College-Rainy River since 2015. He was named the North Plains District, NJCAA Region 13, and Minnesota Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) Northern Division Coach of the Year last year. He led his team to a District Championship with a 28-4 record. Over the last nine years his record in the MCAC was 140-54, which included four MCAC Northern Division Championships, one Region XIII Championship, and a national tournament berth in 2024. He was named Coach of the Year for the MCAC Northern Division in 2023-2024, 2022-2023, 2021-2022, and in 2017-2018.

He was also named the Athletic Director at Minnesota North College-Rainy River in 2022.

From 1995-2015, Engel was the science teacher and basketball coach at Griggs County Central High School in Cooperstown, North Dakota.

“Bill has an exciting style of basketball,” EWC Interim Vice-President of Administrative Services said. “It is a fast-paced offense and attacking defense.”

At Minnesota North College-Rainy River Coach Engel’s teams ranked second in the nation among NJCAA Division III teams for field goals per game and for three-point field goals per game. His teams also were first in forcing turnovers per game.

“Ultimately,” Engel said, “our players displayed love, passion, and commitment, as they embraced the guiding principles of our program: be a good person, be the best student you can become, be coachable, and be relentless.”

Engel received his Associate of Arts in Business from Mesabi Community College in Virginia, Minnesota in 1991. He earned his Bachelor of Science in 1995 from Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota and his Master of Science-Sports Management in 2015 from Texas A & M, in College Station, Texas.

“Coach Engel will be a great asset to the Lancer nation,” EWC President Jeffry Hawes said. “We are excited to have him on our team.”

Engel said he is “Thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to developing a championship program and becoming part of the Torrington community.”