As you enter UW-Platteville’s Williams Fieldhouse, the first thing you notice is the beautiful new kiosk in honor of former Pioneer men’s basketball coach, Bo Ryan. On the front of the display it reads, “Forever. Pioneers.” This idea of family and belonging is an attitude that is something current men’s head basketball coach Paul Combs believes strongly in and instills the same loyalty in his players.

Combs is currently in his 10th season as a head coach and his sixth with the Pioneers. He started his coaching career at Ripon College where he also was a player before he took an assistant coaching job. He then went to Lakeland for four years where he received his first head coaching position. Combs has many accolades as the leader of the Pioneers, including recently picking up his 100th win with the blue and orange.

One of the biggest reasons Combs has been able to be so successful at Platteville is his understanding of a Division III athlete and the commitment that goes along with that.

“Having been one myself, I have a great respect for this level,” Combs said.

He and his coaches all stress that in the term student-athlete; the word student comes first and needs to be top priority for the players.

Assistant coach Jeff Gard, UW-P alum and an assistant under Combs dating back to his days at Lakeland, said that they tell the players all the time “You’re no good to us if you’re ineligible,” obviously stressing good classroom performance. Gard also mentioned that self-discipline and effort are things that Combs preaches and expects from his players.

Jeff Skemp, a fifth year senior and star center for the men’s basketball team, says that the one thing about coach Combs is that he’s always going to get the best out of his players both on and off the court.

“Off the floor he cares more about you as a person than as a player,” Skemp said.

Skemp says that one of his best memories with coach Combs has been this season in which the Pioneers went 21-4 and earned the number two seed in the WIAC tournament. He believes that when a team is winning they are better able to relax and have fun with each other.

Nick Allen, a sophomore guard who is in his second season under Combs, attributes his defensive improvement to the defense-first mindset that his coach has.

“He pushes us to be the best players we can be and the best team we can be,” Allen said.

Paul Combs takes great pride in the basketball players he has produced throughout his time at UW-P but is even more proud of the great human-beings and ambassadors for the university that have come through his program.