Wisconsin Lutheran College head women’s basketball coach Klay Knueppel has announced that Jim Datka has joined his coaching staff for the 2012-2013 season. Datka brings over 20 years of coaching experience, including several years as a collegiate head coach.

Last season, Datka served as an assistant boys’ varsity basketball coach at Milwaukee Lutheran High School, leading the Red Knights to an 11-10 record. Prior to coaching at Milwaukee Lutheran, Datka was the head boys’ basketball coach at Messmer High School for three seasons (2008-2011).

A 1988 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran College, Datka brings several years of collegiate coaching experience to the WLC sidelines. Datka served as associate head men’s basketball coach at St. Francis College (N.Y.) from 2005-2008. As recruiting coordinator, Datka brought in a top 50 recruiting class to St. Francis.

Datka has also served as a collegiate head coach, leading both the St. Scholastica (1994-2000) and Concordia University St. Paul (2000-2003) men’s basketball programs. At Concordia, he successfully guided the Golden Bears to their first three seasons as a NCAA Division II men’s basketball program. At CSS, he guided the Saints to the 1996-1997 UMAC Championship.

Datka’s coaching journey began when he was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Marquette during the 1987-1988 season.

Since 2011, Datka has been the Dean of Students at Milwaukee Lutheran High School. He and his wife, Jeaneen, have three children, Kate, John, and Thomas. The family resides in Bayside.

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