Lance Westberg enters his first season as the Northwestern Men's Basketball Head Coach in 2026.
Westberg returns to Northwestern after nine years as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, spanning two stints (2014-19, 2022-26). While he was on staff, the Falcons produced a 124-111 record, including a WIAC Championship (both regular season and conference tournament) in 2016-17, which earned the UWRF staff the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Coaching Staff of the Year honor. That season, the Falcons advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. As a member of the UW-River Falls staff, Westberg was responsible for leading recruiting efforts, developing scouting reports and coordinating the defense, among other projects, and helped produce 16 all-conference student-athletes, including one NABC Third Team All-American. He also served as an admissions counselor and Head Women's Golf Coach at UWRF, and as a math teacher at River Falls High School during his time in River Falls.
For the three years in between his stints at UW-River Falls, Westberg received his first head coaching opportunity at Houghton College in Houghton, New York, a Division III and NCCAA institution. Westberg led the Highlanders through a difficult period during the Covid-19 pandemic, including a very brief 2020-21 season, but was able to implement new and productive elements to the program, such as a JV team, prospect camp, and alumni events to connect the past players with the present ones.
Westberg's playing career as an Eagle was among the best four-year stretches in program history, culminating in an 81-32 record. As a freshman, Westberg was part of the 2010 NCCAA DI National Championship team, the first in team history. The following season, in Northwestern's and the UMAC's first year of NCAA Tournament eligibility after transitioning from NAIA, Westberg and the Eagles made the program's first of nine DIII National Tournament appearances, and would go on to do so in his junior and senior seasons, as well. As a senior in 2012-13, Westberg started 20 games and averaged 13.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.7% from the field. His crowning moment game in the UMAC Tournament Championship, when his 23 points in a 79-73 win over Bethany Lutheran earned him Tournament MVP honors. That season, he also earned All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition, as well as an All-Sportsmanship nod.
After graduating from Northwestern in 2013 with a Bachelor of Educational Studies, Westberg eventually went on to obtain his Master in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2018. He and his wife, Courtney, live in River Falls with their son, Leo, who will turn two in July. In his offseasons, Coach Westberg enjoys golfing, fishing, hunting and cutting wood.
