The Toledo Rockets are preparing to start their 16th season under head coach Ted Kowalczyk. While Toledo has consistently been one of the top programs in the Mid-American Conference, the elusive NCAA Tournament bid remains the one goal still out of reach.
Ted Kowalczyk’s Continued Success With the Rockets
Under Kowalczyk, Toledo has gone 72-21 in MAC play over the last five years and captured four straight conference titles before tying for fourth last season. Despite their dominance in the regular season, the Rockets have not yet won the MAC Tournament during his tenure. Still, their sustained success has kept Toledo near the top of the standings year after year.
Before that impressive run, the Rockets won the West Division of the MAC four times, transforming the program into one of the conference’s most stable and successful. It was a remarkable turnaround for a team that won just four games in Kowalczyk’s first season.
Experience and Expectations
Kowalczyk came to Toledo after an eight-year stint at Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he totaled 136 wins. Since arriving in 2010, the Rockets have not finished under .500, and his teams have routinely posted 20-win seasons. Overall, Kowalczyk enters the 2025-26 campaign with 432 total career victories between his two head coaching stops.
Before his first head coaching opportunity, Kowalczyk worked as an assistant at several programs, including Minnesota-Duluth, New Hampshire, Saint Anselm, Rider, Rutgers, and Marquette. Those experiences helped shape his player-first approach and balanced offensive system that has become a Toledo trademark.
Last season, the Rockets went 18-15 overall and 10-8 in MAC play, tying with Ohio for fourth place after a 20-win season the year prior. They will open the 2025-26 season at home inside Savage Arena against South Alabama. Marshall visits on November 8 before Toledo hits the road to face Dayton on November 11.
The highlight of the non-conference schedule comes December 16 when the Rockets travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State. MAC play begins December 30 with a home matchup against Western Michigan.
Kowalczyk’s ability to keep Toledo competitive every year has turned the Rockets into a respected name across the mid-major landscape. As he enters his 16th season, the focus remains on turning consistent success into a long-awaited NCAA Tournament breakthrough.
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