Coaching Staff

Jeff Massey | Associate Head Coach

Jeff Massey enters his 10th season as an assistant coach at Toledo and his fourth as the program's associate head coach. He joined the Rockets prior to the 2014-15 campaign after spending seven years as an assistant at St. Bonaventure (2007-14).

Massey has helped the Rockets to 193 victories during his tenure, including 139 wins over the last six years.

Last year, Massey helped Toledo make history as the Rockets became the first current MAC school to win three straight outright league titles. UT tied its school record with 27 victories and posted a 16-2 mark in MAC play and won the conference title by a game over Kent State. During its historical campaign, the Rockets set a school record with a 17-game winning streak that ranks fourth in MAC history. Junior RayJ Dennis became the second Rocket in the last three seasons to earn MAC Player of Year honors. Dennis and senior JT Shumate were each named First-Team All-MAC, marking the third time ever two Rockets were named in the same season. In addition, senior Setric Millner Jr. earned Second-Team All-MAC accolades.
Shumate also became the third Rocket student-athlete ever to be named CSC First-Team Academic All-American on two occasions.

In the 2021-22 season, Toledo registered a 26-8 record and became the first team in program history to capture back-to-back outright MAC titles. The Rockets’ senior-less squad also set a school record for conference victories (17) and won the league title by a game over Kent State. Sophomore Ryan Rollins, junior JT Shumate and junior Setric Millner Jr. earned first-, second-, and third-team all-league honors. Freshman Ra’Heim Moss was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team, the fifth straight year a Rocket has been part of the squad. Rollins was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with 44th pick in the 2022 NBA draft and became just the fourth individual ever to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons in a Toledo uniform. Shumate was honored for his performance on and off the court by become just the second CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American in program history.

Toledo posted a 21-9 record in 2020-21, set a school record for conference victories (15) and captured the league title by two games over Buffalo. Massey also helped the Rockets become the second program in MAC history (joining EMU in 1988) to receive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year with senior Marreon Jackson, Ryan Rollins and Kowalczyk behind honored. Senior Spencer Littleson also enjoyed a remarkable season en route to earning Second-Team All-MAC honors and a spot on the MAC’s All-Defensive team.

The 2019-20 season saw the Rockets battle numerous injuries en route to posting a 17-15 win-loss mark. Toledo won five of its last six games and was building momentum for the MAC Tournament before the season was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Junior Marreon Jackson earned Second-Team All-MAC honors, while senior Luke Knapke received Third-Team All-MAC honors. Senior Willie Jackson ranked third in the nation with 12.0 rpg and was an All-MAC Honorable Mention selection.

An Elkhart, Ind. native, Massey and the Rockets posted a 25-8 record in the 2018-19 season, won their second straight outright MAC West Division title and earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament. Senior Jaelan Sanford earned First-Team All-MAC honors, marking the sixth time in the last seven years a Rockets has been named to the first-team all-league squad. Senior Nate Navigato and sophomore Marreon Jackson were honorable-mention All-MAC honorees, while AJ Edu earned a spot on the MAC's All-Freshman Team.

In 2017-18, the Rockets advanced to the MAC Championship Game and saw guard Tre’Shaun Fletcher become the program’s MAC Player of the Year since 1981. Junior Jaelan Sanford also earned Second-Team All-MAC honors, while Marreon Jackson was named to the MAC’s All-Freshman Team and joined Sanford on the MAC’s All-Tournament Team.

In 2016-17, Toledo made its third postseason appearance in the last six years with a trip to the College Basketball Invitational. Other highlights included senior forward Steve Taylor Jr. earning second-team All-MAC honors after leading the nation with 9.9 defensive rebounds per game and ranking third nationally with 12.2 rpg. Senior guard Jonathan Williams also received third-team All-MAC accolades for a second-straight season after ranking third in the MAC with 19.6 ppg.

In 2015-16, the Rockets registered their fifth-straight winning season with a 17-15 ledger with Nathan Boothe (first-team) and Jonathan Williams (third-team) receiving all-conference accolades.

In his first season on the Toledo bench, Massey helped Toledo register its second-straight 20-win campaign. In addition, four Rockets — Julius Brown (first-team), Justin Drummond (third-team), J.D. Weatherspoon (third-team) and Nathan Boothe (honorable-mention) — were named to the MAC all-league squad for a second-straight season.

A 15-year coaching veteran, Massey helped Head Coach Mark Schmidt develop St. Bonaventure into a consistent winner in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Bonnies improved their conference win total in five straight seasons, starting in 2007-08 and culminating with an NCAA Tournament trip in the 2011-12 campaign.

During his time with the Bonnies, Massey played a key role in the development of 2012 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and AP Honorable Mention All-American Andrew Nicholson. The 6-foot-9 Nicholson, who ended his career ranked second in SBU history in scoring (2,103 points) and fourth in rebounds (887), was selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round (No. 19 overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft.

St. Bonaventure’s guards thrived under Massey’s tutelage. Over his two seasons with the Bonnies, Chris Matthews (2008-10) made 182 three-pointers, including a school-record 101 as a senior in 2009-10. Jonathan Hall helped Matthews get open looks and became the second player in SBU history to lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same season. In 2007-08, seniors Zarryon Fereti and Tyler Relph posted career-highs in every statistical category, while Relph finished as the NCAA leader in free-throw percentage. Fereti’s big season resulted in a professional contract in the top division in Germany.

A 1995 Xavier graduate, Massey spent two seasons (2005-07) working with Schmidt at Robert Morris and one year (2004-05) serving as the director of basketball operations at Owens Community College in Toledo. He is Owens’ all-time leading scorer with 1,894 points and had his No. 30 jersey retired in 1997.

During his time at Xavier, Massey was named the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year in 1993-94, when he averaged 12.7 ppg and 2.1 rpg and helped guide Xavier to the third round of the NIT. In his senior season, Massey served as team captain and led the Musketeers in scoring (18.9 ppg), steals, free throw percentage and blocked shots as Xavier advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

After his collegiate career, Massey spent four seasons playing professionally in France and Poland.

Massey holds a master’s degree in counseling from Xavier. He and his wife Jonelle have two daughters, Aubrey (15) and Kayla (12)..

Jusin Ingram | Assistant Coach

Justin Ingram begins his sixth season as an assistant coach for the Toledo men's basketball program in the 2023-24 season. Ingram also served as the program's Director of Operations in the 2017-18 campaign.

During his time on the Rocket staff, Ingram has helped the Rockets to a 139-59 (.702) record, appearances in the 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 National Invitation Tournaments, three straight outright MAC titles (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23) as well as two outright MAC West Division titles (2017-18, 2018-19).

Last year, Ingram helped UT make history as the Rockets became the first current MAC school ever to win three consecutive outright league titles. UT tied its school record with 27 victories, posted a 16-2 mark in league action and won the conference title by a game over Kent State. During its historical season, the Rockets set a school record with a 17-game winning streak that ranks fourth in MAC history. Junior RayJ Dennis became the second Rocket in the last three seasons to earn MAC Player of Year honors. Dennis and senior JT Shumate were each named First-Team All-MAC, marking the third time ever two Rockets were named in the same season. In addition, senior Setric Millner Jr. earned Second-Team All-MAC accolades. Shumate also became the third Rocket student-athlete ever to be named CSC First-Team Academic All-American on two occasions.

Toledo posted a 26-8 record in the 2021-22 campaign and became the first team in program history to win back-to-back outright MAC titles. The Rockets’ senior-less squad also set a school record for conference victories (17) and won the league title by a game over Kent State. Sophomore Ryan Rollins, junior JT Shumate and junior Setric Millner Jr. earned first-, second-, and third-team all-league honors. Freshman Ra’Heim Moss was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team, the fifth straight year a Rocket has been part of the squad.

Rollins was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with 44th pick in the 2022 NBA draft and became just the fourth individual ever to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons in a Toledo uniform. Shumate was honored for his performance on and off the court by becoming just the second CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American in program history.

Toledo posted a 21-9 record in the 2020-21 campaign, setting a school record for conference victories (15) and capturing the league title by two games over Buffalo. Ingram also helped the Rockets become the second program in MAC history (joining EMU in 1988) to receive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year with senior Marreon Jackson, Ryan Rollins and Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk being honored. Senior Spencer Littleson also enjoyed a remarkable season en route to earning Second-Team All-MAC honors and a spot on the MAC’s All-Defensive team.

Ingram and the Rockets notched a 25-8 win-loss mark in the 2018-19 season, won their second straight outright MAC West Division title and earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament. Senior Jaelan Sanford earned First-Team All-MAC honors, marking the sixth time in the last seven years a Rocket has been named to the first-team all-league squad. Senior Nate Navigato and sophomore Marreon Jackson were honorable-mention All-MAC honorees, while AJ Edu earned a spot on the MAC's All-Freshman Team.

In Ingram’s first year at Toledo in 2017-18, the Rockets advanced to the MAC Championship Game and saw guard Tre’Shaun Fletcher become the program’s first MAC Player of the Year since 1981. Junior Jaelan Sanford also earned Second-Team All-MAC honors, while Marreon Jackson was named to the MAC’s All-Freshman Team and joined Sanford on the MAC’s All-Tournament Team.

Ingram also enjoyed a standout playing career for the Rockets that resulted in him being inducted into Toledo’s Varsity ‘T’ Hall of Fame in 2014. He graduated from Toledo in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in communication.

Ingram resides in Toledo with his wife Tiewjuan and two sons, Justin, Jr. (9) and Jaxson (5).

Below is a list of Ingram's playing accomplishments:

Former Rocket who started all 123 games of his collegiate career in a Midnight Blue and Gold uniform.
Currently tied for 13th place on UT’s all-time scoring list with 1,494 points. Also ranks in Top 10 in three-pointers made (sixth: 213); free-throw percentage (fourth: 81.6%); and steals (third: 217).
Enjoyed immediate success as a Rocket by being selected as the 2003-04 Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Increased his scoring average to 14.6 points per game as a junior en route to earning second-team All-MAC honors. His stellar play helped Toledo win 10 of 11 contests down the stretch to propel the Rockets into the 2006 MAC Tournament championship game.
Served as a co-captain in senior year to help Toledo claim the 2006-07 MAC regular-season championship with an impressive 14-2 record. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game on his way to earning first-team All-MAC honors.
Played for various teams and leagues overseas in France, Hungary, Estonia, Greece and Switzerland during his professional career.
Inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of the 2000 Waverly Warriors MHSAA Class A state championship team.
Graduated from Waverly High School in Lansing, Mich. in 2003.
Earned first-team All-State selection by the Detroit Free Press, Associated Press and Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan as a senior.
Received all-conference honors on three occasions in his prep career, including a unanimous first-team pick as a junior and senior.
Averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game as senior and was named to the Lansing State Journal Dream Team as well as the Player of the Year.

Jordan Lauf | Assistant Coach

Jordan Lauf enters his second season as an assistant coach for the Toledo men's basketball program after serving as its director of operations for four years (2018-22) and as a graduate assistant for one season (2017-18).

Over the last six years, Lauf has helped the Rockets to three Mid-American Conference titles (2021, 2022, 2023), four National Invitation Tournament appearances (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), a 139-59 (.702) record during his time on the staff. Toledo's 139 victories during this stretch rank 18th in the nation.

Last season, Lauf and the Rockets made history as Toledo became the first current MAC school ever to win three consecutive outright league titles. UT tied its school record with 27 victories, posted a 16-2 mark in league action and won the conference title by a game over Kent State. During its historical season, the Rockets established a school record with a 17-game winning streak that ranks fourth in MAC history. Junior RayJ Dennis became the second Rocket in the last three seasons to earn MAC Player of Year honors. Dennis and senior JT Shumate were each named First-Team All-MAC, marking the third time ever two Rockets were named in the same season. In addition, senior Setric Millner Jr. earned Second-Team All-MAC accolades. Shumate also became the third Rocket student-athlete ever to be named CSC First-Team Academic All-American on two occasions.

Toledo posted a 26-8 record in the 2021-22 campaign and became the first team in program history to win back-to-back outright MAC titles. The Rockets’ senior-less squad also set a school record for league victories (17) and won the conference title by a game over Kent State. Sophomore Ryan Rollins, junior JT Shumate and junior Setric Millner Jr. received first-, second-, and third-team all-league honors. Freshman Ra’Heim Moss earned a spot on the MAC All-Freshman Team, marking the fifth straight year a Rocket has been part of the squad.

Rollins was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 44th pick in the 2022 NBA draft and became just the fourth individual ever to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons in a Toledo uniform. Shumate was honored for his performance on and off the court by becoming only the second CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American in program history.

Toledo notched a 21-9 record in the 2020-21 campaign, setting a school record for conference victories (15) and capturing the league title by two games over Buffalo. Lauf also played a part in the Rockets becoming the second program in MAC history (joining EMU in 1988) to receive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year with senior Marreon Jackson, Ryan Rollins and Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk receiving honors. Senior Spencer Littleson also produced a remarkable season en route to garnering Second-Team All-MAC honors and a spot on the MAC’s All-Defensive team.

Lauf and the Rockets posted a 25-8 win-loss mark in the 2018-19 season, won their second straight outright MAC West Division title and earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament. Senior Jaelan Sanford received First-Team All-MAC honors, marking the sixth time in the last seven years a Rocket has been named to the first-team all-league squad. Senior Nate Navigato and sophomore Marreon Jackson were honorable-mention All-MAC honorees, while AJ Edu earned a spot on the MAC's All-Freshman Team.

In Lauf’s first year on Toledo’s coaching staff in 2017-18, the Rockets advanced to the MAC Championship Game and saw guard Tre’Shaun Fletcher become the program’s first MAC Player of the Year since 1981. Junior Jaelan Sanford also earned Second-Team All-MAC honors, while freshman Marreon Jackson was named to the MAC’s All-Freshman Team and joined Sanford on the MAC’s All-Tournament Team.

Lauf graduated from Toledo in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and received his master’s degree in recreation & leisure studies in 2020.

Lauf resides in Toledo with his wife Quincy and daughter Collins (2) and newborn son Jeter.

Below is a list of Lauf's playing accomplishments:

Played in school-record 133 games over last four years (2013-17) for the Rockets.
Earned Academic All-MAC honors as a senior after starting 33 of 34 contests and averaging career-high 8.3 points in career-best 33.6 minutes.
Paced team with 59.0 FG% and ranked second with career-best 6.2 rpg.
Earned Academic All-MAC honors as a junior after averaging 4.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.2 minutes off bench.
Tied for first on team in 2015-16 campaign with 61 offensive rebounds and ranked second on squad with 2.33 assist/turnover ratio and fourth with 3.8 rpg.
Served as team’s top reserve as sophomore and averaged 4.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.3 minutes.
Tied for fourth on team with 34.4 3PTFG% (11-of-32).
Ranked fifth on team as freshman with 3.5 rpg and averaged 3.8 ppg in 14.6 mpg.
Graduated from Napoleon High School in 2013.
Lettered four times in basketball, twice in soccer and once in football.
Named to Associated Press Division II third-team all-state team as senior, second-team as junior and honorable mention as sophomore.
Earned all-district and all-conference honors on three occasions.
Received second-team Division II all-state honors as junior as well as District VII, Northern Lakes League and Crescent-Review Player of Year accolades.
Averaged 21.6 ppg and 9.4 rpg as senior, 21.6 ppg and 9.6 rpg as junior, 20.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg as sophomore and 13.7 ppg and 4.4 rpg as freshman.
Garnered first-team Division III all-state honors at wide receiver as senior after catching 33 passes for 721 yards (21.9 ypc) and scoring 16 touchdowns for Wildcat squad (11-1-1) that reached regional final.

Brandon Pritzl | Assistant Coach

Brandon Pritzl enters his first season as an assistant coach for the University of Toledo men's basketball program.

"Brandon possesses a lot of experience of coaching at the college level and is extremely versatile," Kowalczyk said. "He also had a really good playing career at Hillsdale and comes highly recommended. Brandon is from my hometown, and I've been familiar with him for almost 20 years and my dad coached his dad at St. Norbert's College. I have a great deal of respect for him and his family."

A De Pere, Wis. native, Pritzl joins the Rockets after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the Green Bay men's basketball program. Prior to his time with the Phoenix, Pritzl served as an associate head coach and assistant coach at Hillsdale College, where he helped guide the Chargers to four straight winning seasons and three straight years of 19 or more victories.

"I am very excited to join the staff at Toledo," Pritzl said. I have been able to play against and coach against Coach Kowalczyk's teams at Toledo and have always admired their successes. I look forward to working with the great players, coaching staff, and support staff. Go Rockets!"

Pritzl was also an integral part of a team that won a G-MAC regular-season title in 2019-20 and reached the finals of the G-MAC tournament in 2017-18, earning a bid to the 2018 NCAA Division II tournament in the process.

After Pritzl graduated from Hillsdale in 2014, he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for Ohio's men's basketball program.

As a player at Hillsdale from 2010 to 2014, Pritzl was a key part of two 20-win teams. He was a three-year starter at shooting guard and was twice named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team (2011-12, 2013-14). In his career, Pritzl scored 843 points and started 81 games while helping lead the Chargers to their first overall GLIAC regular-season title since 1981-82 and their first regular-season crown at the Division II level in 2011-12.

Pritzl and his wife Michele, have two daughters, Lucy and Olivia.

BRANDON PRITZL COACHING HISTORY
2023-Pr.: Assistant Coach, University of Toledo
2020-23: Assistant Coach, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
2016-20: Associate Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Hillsdale College
2014-16: Graduate Assistant, Ohio University

Brett Rau | Director of Player Development

Brett Rau enters his first year as Toledo’s Director of Player Development. He previously has served as a men’s basketball graduate assistant at the University of Akron and as a Player Development Intern for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.

Rau helped the Zips to a 39-15 overall record during his two-year stint, highlighted by capturing the 2019-20 Mid-American Conference title. He also assisted in the development of 2019-20 MAC Player of the Year Loren Cristian Jackson as well as All-MAC players Tyler Cheese and Xeyrius Williams.

With the Mavericks, Rau collaborated with coaches in helping facilitate practices, individual workouts and game-day activities. He also contributed to Dallas’ analytic efforts by assisting with film breakdown. Some of the players Rau worked closely every day were Dirk Nowitzki, JJ Barea, Deandre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr., Kristaps Porzingis, and Luka Doncic.

As a player, Rau played his final two seasons of his collegiate career for Missouri of the Southeastern Conference. He helped Mizzou reach the NCAA Tournament in 2018 for the first time in four seasons. He was selected to the SEC Men’s Basketball Leadership Council to represent Mizzou and the conference.

Prior to joining the Tigers, Rau spent two years at Elgin Community College where he led the program to its first conference title in 19 seasons. He was named Skyway Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-Region, and Second Team All-America.

A native of Elgin, Ill., Rau earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Missouri in Sport Management in 2018 and his Master of Science degree in Education from Akron in 2021.

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