Lake Hired As Assistant Coach

MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/01/20)---Concordia men's basketball head coach Tyler Bormann announced that TJ Lake has been hired as the full-time assistant coach for the program.

"TJ's playing and coaching experiences at both the NCAA Division II and III levels provide a great perspective for him to draw upon when recruiting, mentoring players and contributing to our program's success in various areas," Bormann said. "As a former Division III athlete himself, he understands the value we will place on the overall student-athlete experience and role our program will play in the development of the young men in our program."

Lake spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant at NCAA Division II, and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) member, Winona State. He played collegiately at the University of Dubuque for two seasons where he led the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) in scoring during his senior season. He averaged 23.4 points per game in 2018 and was named to the IIAC All-Conference First Team.

Lake started his college career as a student/athlete at Minnesota State Mankato before transferring to Dubuque after his sophomore season. He led the NSIC in 3-point field goal percentage as a redshirt freshman in 2015 when he started 31 games for the Mavericks, helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament, and had a team-high 68 made 3-point field goals.  

"I'm really excited to be able to make an impact on the student/athletes lives at Concordia," Lake said. I've had so many coaches do that for me throughout the years. To be able to build relationships with the Cobber players will be a key thing."  

Lake will join Bormann as first-year coaches with the Cobber men's basketball program. Bormann was named the head coach at the beginning of April.

"TJ brings enthusiasm and a desire to assist student/athletes in their growth both on and off the floor," Bormann added. "He has demonstrated a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn which will be key traits as we continue to build our program. We're excited to add TJ to our staff and we're confident he will have a positive impact on our program moving forward."

Lake is originally from Peosta, Iowa. He was a 3-year starter for Western Dubuque High School where he led the Bobcats to an Iowa State Tournament runner-up finish in 2012 and was named to the Iowa All-State Team in both his junior and senior seasons.

Lake earned a bachelor's degree in Sports Management from the University of Dubuque and is finishing up his master's degree in Leadership and Education from Winona State University.

"I really like what Concordia stands for," said Lake. I'm excited to get the opportunity to raise the bar. Three keys words really stood out to me during the process: excellence, dedication and growth. I can't wait to get started."

Lake will officially start with the men's basketball program on June 1. He will be involved in recruiting, player development, academic monitoring and support, game preparation as well as many other areas in the program.

TJ Lake Audio Interview