GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Men's Basketball Coach Doug Gottlieb has announced the addition of Preston Ruedinger as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.
 
A familiar face to Green Bay fans, Ruedinger returns to the sidelines after completing one of the most accomplished playing careers in recent program history, earning recognition both on the court and in the classroom.
 
"Preston exemplifies everything we dream of for Green Bay Athletes," said Gottlieb. "He is a pillar in the community, a graduate of GB, and he has given the school/team/fans everything he has to raise the bar of the basketball program. I am so happy to follow through on a promise I made that he would join us. Rudy will focus on defense and recruiting in his first year on staff, while bringing both our players and staff the idea of what it is actually like in games in the Horizon League. Welcome Home, Rudy. I can't wait to be a part of your growth as a coach."
 
Ruedinger spent three seasons with the Phoenix after transferring from Valparaiso, appearing in 88 games and developing into one of the Horizon League's best guards. During the 2025-26 season, he started all 33 games, averaging 11.6 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game, which earned him All-Horizon League Second Team honors. He finished among the league leaders in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio while helping lead Green Bay's resurgence on the court in Gottlieb's second year at the helm.
 
"I am very grateful for the chance to pour into the same program and community that poured into me for the last three years," Ruedinger added. "I'm grateful for the opportunity and ready to help our student-athletes reach their potential on and off the court. Go Phoenix."
 
In 2024-25, Ruedinger earned Horizon League All-Academic Honorable Mention recognition while leading the Phoenix in minutes played and assists.
 
A native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Ruedinger starred at Lourdes Academy before beginning his collegiate career at Valparaiso. At Lourdes, Ruedinger was an Associated Press First Team All-State Selection in 2020-21 and led the school to its first WIAA state championship while averaging 25.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, five assists and 2.5 steals per game his senior season. He also shot three-pointers at a 45.3 percent clip throughout his career and is 12th on the state of Wisconsin's all-time scoring list with 2,349 career points.
 
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