Head Coach Ana Wurtz

Ana Wurtz, a Winona State University Hall of Fame athlete and the all-time three-pointer record-holder was tabbed as the next head coach of the Warrior basketball program in July, 2022 by athletic director Eric Schoh.

Wurtz has served for the past ten seasons on the Warrior staff, first as an assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2018-19 season. Either as a player or coach, Wurtz has been been an integral part of many of the most important moments in program history, including all three of the NCAA Division II tournament appearances by the Warriors, first in 2009, followed by bids in 2011 and 2016.

In the fall of 2021, Wurtz accepted her Winona State Hall-of-Fame spot on Oct. 4, joining a class of five other impactful Warrior student-athletes who were also honored.

Wurtz has tutored some of the top players in Warrior history, including recent Winona State standouts Taylor Hustad and Allie Pickrain, both of whom were all-NSIC selections following the 2019-20 season. Hustad was also an all-conference pick following the 2021-22 campaign. Her recruiting and teaching skills paid off for WSU in the form of 2020-21 D2SIDA Women's Basketball Preseason mention, when the Warriors earned 'Receiving Votes' status among the NCAA Division II Central Region ranks.

Over the course of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Warrior seasons, Wurtz was a part of WSU teams which went 32-26 overall and 22-22 in NSIC play.  They advanced to the NSIC post-season both years, including a memorable 2017-18 post-season streak that ended in the NSIC title game against No. 10 Augustana on the championship court.  Wurtz and Winona State won three post-season games, all on the road, en route to their championship appearance.

The 2015-16 campaign was a banner year for the Warriors basketball program. The women won a school-record 30 games and won the NSIC Regular Season Championship. They advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Wurtz helped turn around the WSU basketball program during the 2014-15 season with a 20-8 overall record and a 15-7 conference record, finishing third in the NSIC South and fourth overall. The .714 win percentage on the year is the third-best winning percentage in the program's history.

Wurtz helped tutor Abby Busch to all-conference honors in the 2013-14 season that included the senior setting a new school record with 39 points in the final home game of the season. Tara Roelofs was also named to the NSIC’s All-Freshman team that year.

While at Wisconsin-Oshkosh during the 2012-13 season, Wurtz helped orchestrate an impressive turnaround, leading the team to a 20-6 overall mark after the Titans went just 7-18 in the season before her arrival. The team went 12-4 in conference play to finish second in the WIAC. Both of the Titans’ starting guards earned all-conference honors while the team finished third nationally in free throw percentage.

Wurtz spent two seasons as a graduate assistant with the Winona State program, helping lead the team to a 21-9 record during the 2010-11 season and the 2011 NSIC Tournament Championship. The Warriors also qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament that year, just its second trip to the NCAA postseason in school history. She also helped WSU post an 18-11 mark during the 2011-12 campaign.

One of the best shooters in Winona State history, Wurtz was a two-time all-conference player while graduating as the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 254. She is fourth on the WSU career scoring charts with 1,355 points.

She led the Warriors to a program-record 24 wins during the 2008-09 season and helped the team earn its first-ever spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Wurtz was an all-region selection and was named the Winona State Female Athlete of the Year that season.

Wurtz graduated from Winona State in 2010 with a degree in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Sports Management from Winona State. Ana and her husband, Louis, reside in Winona.