MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: VegasWarrior77 on March 23, 2015, 09:21:36 PM
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http://phearthephoenix.webs.com/apps/blog/show/43192921-brian-wardle-a-potential-candidate-for-bradley-job
Posted by Brian Dickmann on March 23, 2015 at 9:05 PM
Green Bay Phoenix head coach Brian Wardle is being mentioned as a possible replacement for Geno Ford at Bradley University.
Ford was fired Sunday after compiling a 46-86 record in four years at Bradley. The Braves are coming off a 9-24 season in which they finished last in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Wardle is mentioned among 5 potential candidates for the position, including Michigan State assistant and former IPFW head coach Dane Fife, former Indiana and current Texas Southern head coach Mike Davis, recently fired Alabama head coach Anthony Grant, and South Dakota State head coach Scott Nagy.
Wardle signed a 5-year contract last April after leading Green Bay to its first Horizon League regular season championship since 1996. The extension included a bump in base pay up to $230,000 with other possible incentive-based increases. He earned a $3,000 bonus for reaching the NIT this season which could've gone up to $10,000 had the Phoenix reached the semi-finals.
While on the surface it may seem like a lateral move at best to move from a winning Horizon League program like Green Bay to a team that has finished below .500 in 4 of the last 5 seasons and hasn't finished in the top half of the MVC since 2009-2010, Bradley would offer an increase in competition as well as a return to Wardle's home state of Illinois.
There's also the money. Geno Ford was making triple that of Wardle with a base salary of $700,000 that could have escalated to $900,000 with incentives. Bradley is committed to men's basketball, spending the 2nd most in the Missouri Valley Conference behind only Wichita State. Their $3.8 million in 2013 is more than double than that of Green Bay, who spent $1,399,814.
We shouldn't have to wait long for news regarding the Bradley coaching search. A source told the Peoria Journal Star that Bradley's new director of athletics Chris Reynolds "told the current BU players on Sunday that a new head coach would be in place soon, possibly as quickly as within two days."
Wardle has also been mentioned as a possibility for the head coach opening at DePaul, though they seem to have their sights set on Buffalo head coach Bobby Hurley or Valparaiso's Bryce Drew.
Wardle is 95-65 in five seasons as head coach at Green Bay, leading the Phoenix to NIT bids the past two seasons.
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Peoria vs Green Bay is probably a push as well. If it wasn't for the money, I'd stay put. But that's a big bump.
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Peoria vs Green Bay is probably a push as well. If it wasn't for the money, I'd stay put. But that's a big bump.
He can triple his salary and go back to his home state. Also Bradley spends the second most on hoops in the conference behind only Wichita State. Can you say no brainer?
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If you are a young coach like that and get a guaranteed 2 mil contract over 3 years in a better conference, you need to take it. You can always find a spot back in the horizon league if needed.
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I hear you, I'm just not a big believer in forever being on the move. Sometimes you need to stay and build and then when you make a jump it's not to Bradley.
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Isn't living in GB five years enough?
Season School Conf G W L W-L%
2010-11 Green Bay Horizon 32 14 18 .438
2011-12 Green Bay Horizon 30 15 15 .500
2012-13 Green Bay Horizon 34 18 16 .529
2013-14 Green Bay Horizon 31 24 7 .774
2014-15 Green Bay Horizon 33 24 9 .727
Career Green Bay Horizon 160 95 65 .594
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Isn't living in GB five years enough?
Season School Conf G W L W-L%
2010-11 Green Bay Horizon 32 14 18 .438
2011-12 Green Bay Horizon 30 15 15 .500
2012-13 Green Bay Horizon 34 18 16 .529
2013-14 Green Bay Horizon 31 24 7 .774
2014-15 Green Bay Horizon 33 24 9 .727
Career Green Bay Horizon 160 95 65 .594
Brian has been there since 2005 though as an assistant and head coach. Time to broaden his portfolio. With Ford's buy-out and the cost of the others, pretty sure it is Brian's job for the taking.
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Peoria vs Green Bay is probably a push as well. If it wasn't for the money, I'd stay put. But that's a big bump.
Peoria may be a push with Green Bay, but Bradley is better than UWGB.
Although Bradley hasn't fully exploited it of late, and it may not be what it used to be, Peoria is fertile recruiting territory, and also a reasonable distance from St. Louis and Chicago.
Also, MVC >>> Horizon. Most years, the MVC is a multi-bid league in which getting upset in the conference tourney won't necessarily ruin an otherwise tournament-worthy season. In the Horizon, winning the conference tourney is pretty much the only way into the NCAAs.
FWIW (likely not much), Bradley is much better academically, as well.
Bradley has been an underachiever for most of the past 20+ years, whereas Green Bay may be maxed out right now.
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I hear you, I'm just not a big believer in forever being on the move. Sometimes you need to stay and build and then when you make a jump it's not to Bradley.
Lets say you live in Green bay and make $200k/yr. A respectable living in Green Bay I imagine. But then you get a Job offer in Peoria for $600k/year. With nearly the same cost of living...you consider it right? With a 3 year contract, you would have to work 9 more years in Green Bay to get to the same income.
To me, it's almost a no-brainer. But everyone's personal situation is different.
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Lets say you live in Green bay and make $200k/yr. A respectable living in Green Bay I imagine. But then you get a Job offer in Peoria for $600k/year. With nearly the same cost of living...you consider it right? With a 3 year contract, you would have to work 9 more years in Green Bay to get to the same income.
To me, it's almost a no-brainer. But everyone's personal situation is different.
Yeah, but it's Illinois....
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Also, if he finishes top two or three in the MVC, he has a shot at a bid, whereas in the Horizon he has to win the tourney. Bradley would be a big step up. Not on paper, but in terms of money and potential it's a much better job.
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As a Peoria native (and sometimes follower of Bradley basketball) and Marquette alum, I'd like to see Wardle get the job. As others have said, the pay increase alone may be worth it, particularly if he feels he won't be getting any larger offers in the next couple years. There are always good players in the Peoria area, and if you can snag a couple under-the-radar kids from Chicago, you may be onto something. I don't know if this is true for Green Bay, but Peoria is a great basketball town and the fans will return in droves if you put a winner on the court. Lastly, I know I'm biased, but Peoria seems like the better town to me unless you are a die hard cheesehead.
Fun fact: Bradley plays in an off campus arena downtown (I wonder where I've heard that before?) so alcohol is sold at the games.
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Good luck if he goes, but Bradley hasn't been important in basketball since Hershey Hawkins. The local high schools aren't very good educationally so many of the local players cannot qualify, so they end up recruiting Chicago and St. Louis against a plethora of more attractive options. The campus is a desperate place and the training facilities are nothing special. The "Peoria Civic Center Arena" does seat about 10k and Bradley used to draw a good crowd, but it's not really walking distance from campus and attendance lately has been so poor that they couldn't even fill up their 4000 seat on campus arena when they tried one game there last year.
If I were Wardle, I'd wait for something better, even for 3x the money.
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I don't understand the home state angle. Isn't he from Hinsdale? Peoria is like a different continent. Not even close. It's like saying I'm from Milwaukee, therefore I would like to live in Eau Claire.
My God, Bradley has been horrible for a long time. I gotta say, if Jim Les couldn't get that turned around, I doubt Wardle can.
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Bradley is a very solid university. Wardle's move their could signal solid improvement for the program and make them a regular tourney contender. As others have said, Brian could have any gig he wants back in the Horizon. Seems like a smart move to me putting him one step closer to a major opportunity if he's successful.
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Good luck if he goes, but Bradley hasn't been important in basketball since Hershey Hawkins. The local high schools aren't very good educationally so many of the local players cannot qualify, so they end up recruiting Chicago and St. Louis against a plethora of more attractive options. The campus is a desperate place and the training facilities are nothing special. The "Peoria Civic Center Arena" does seat about 10k and Bradley used to draw a good crowd, but it's not really walking distance from campus and attendance lately has been so poor that they couldn't even fill up their 4000 seat on campus arena when they tried one game there last year.
If I were Wardle, I'd wait for something better, even for 3x the money.
What exactly is Wardle going to get that's better? He hasn't gotten to the NCAAs yet, once after being upset at home in the Horizon tournament, and is losing his point guard. It's not as though big name programs line up to take a guy who runs the second or third best Horizon program.
Bradley is a decent program. Access to good recruiting. The spend the money. One of the best mid-major conferences around.
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A couple of you have made the point that Bradley BB hasn't been relevant for awhile. That's exactly the reason Wardle SHOULD take the job (along with tripling his pay, better league). If he succeeds in turning things around his status is greatly improved.
Conversely, I would NOT want to be the first coach to replace coach K. The success rate of coaches replacing a legend is not great. I would want to be the coach who replaces the coach who replaced coach K.
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What exactly is Wardle going to get that's better? He hasn't gotten to the NCAAs yet, once after being upset at home in the Horizon tournament, and is losing his point guard. It's not as though big name programs line up to take a guy who runs the second or third best Horizon program.
Bradley is a decent program. Access to good recruiting. The spend the money. One of the best mid-major conferences around.
I agree with Sultan. I once asked Larry Williams if a guy like Brian might be in line for the Northwestern or DePaul jobs and he was quite clear in saying no. I'd assume he had a pretty good feel for where a guy might land given his position.
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Bradley is a decent program. Access to good recruiting. The spend the money. One of the best mid-major conferences around.
Didn't Bradley make the 2nd weekend 5 years ago? And I know that doesn't make Bradley relevant, but they have had their moments.
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Didn't Bradley make the 2nd weekend 5 years ago? And I know that doesn't make Bradley relevant, but they have had their moments.
The last time they were in the tournament was 2006 - and they made the Sweet 16 as a 13 seed.
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I hear you, I'm just not a big believer in forever being on the move. Sometimes you need to stay and build and then when you make a jump it's not to Bradley.
If the build isn't going real well, maybe you need to jump while you can.
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I agree with Sultan. I once asked Larry Williams if a guy like Brian might be in line for the Northwestern or DePaul jobs and he was quite clear in saying no. I'd assume he had a pretty good feel for where a guy might land given his position.
Axed who?
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Axed who?
Chief Sweaty Cap ;)
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The last time they were in the tournament was 2006 - and they made the Sweet 16 as a 13 seed.
Man that makes me feel old. Ok, so 9 years ago.
Thanks.
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Wardle going from Green Bay to Bradley wouldn't be any different than Tod Kowalczyk going from Green Bay to Toledo, would it?
Not a huge jump up the ladder, but still a move up, and winning in the MAC or MVC is more likely to put you in position to land a high-major gig than winning in the Horizon (unless your last name is Drew).
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Wardle going from Green Bay to Bradley wouldn't be any different than Tod Kowalczyk going from Green Bay to Toledo, would it?
Not a huge jump up the ladder, but still a move up, and winning in the MAC or MVC is more likely to put you in position to land a high-major gig than winning in the Horizon (unless your last name is Drew).
Still a move up, and I think Kowalczyk tripled his pay in that move.
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On the pro side is the significant pay increase and it is a move up the ladder, albeit not a big move. On the con side if Wardle can't make it work at Bradley, he's pretty much put a huge black mark on his resume. There's no high probability of success at Bradley and it's not that great of a job that it's a "can't pass this up" opportunity. There are plenty of mid-major jobs out there that are more attractive than Bradley.
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On the pro side is the significant pay increase and it is a move up the ladder, albeit not a big move. On the con side if Wardle can't make it work at Bradley, he's pretty much put a huge black mark on his resume. There's no high probability of success at Bradley and it's not that great of a job that it's a "can't pass this up" opportunity. There are plenty of mid-major jobs out there that are more attractive than Bradley.
Did you miss the part about the second highest basketball budget in the MVC after Wichita State?
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On the pro side is the significant pay increase and it is a move up the ladder, albeit not a big move. On the con side if Wardle can't make it work at Bradley, he's pretty much put a huge black mark on his resume. There's no high probability of success at Bradley and it's not that great of a job that it's a "can't pass this up" opportunity. There are plenty of mid-major jobs out there that are more attractive than Bradley.
What jobs open right now are better?
So if you are Wardle, you have a choice. You either take the job that is likely going to triple your salary, at a school where you likely don't have to create a bunch of new recruiting contacts, at a problem that is well supported financially when compared to its peers...or...
You stay at UWGB and pray that your team without three of its four leading scorers from the year before, including the two team Horizon player of the year, manages to not slip back to .500 and taking the bloom off your rose in the process. That leads to you taking a job that is the mid-major equivalent of Virginia Tech.
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Good luck if he goes, but Bradley hasn't been important in basketball since Hershey Hawkins. The local high schools aren't very good educationally so many of the local players cannot qualify, so they end up recruiting Chicago and St. Louis against a plethora of more attractive options. The campus is a desperate place and the training facilities are nothing special. The "Peoria Civic Center Arena" does seat about 10k and Bradley used to draw a good crowd, but it's not really walking distance from campus and attendance lately has been so poor that they couldn't even fill up their 4000 seat on campus arena when they tried one game there last year.
If I were Wardle, I'd wait for something better, even for 3x the money.
I would leap at 3x the money in a better conference and in a basketball town/state.
And why wait? If Bradley is good in 2-3 years, Wardle will be able to take a different job.
UWGB's 1, 2 and 4 scorers were seniors, and 3 and 5 were juniors. Nobody else averaged even 5 points. I know nothing about their young players or recruits, but this might have been their best chance.
To me, it's an absolute no-brainer unless he loves Green Bay. Which is hard to imagine!
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I thought about Wardle's prospects. His team's took a crap in the conference tourney the last two years. He had arguably two of the best players in the conference in the past two seasons. These two players will probably both get a taste of the NBA at some point. I always thought he could prove himself legit if he would have made the NCAA tourney the past 2 seasons. He didn't make the tourney. He had a player that craped himself then had his momma tell on him.
He obviously already has ties to recruiting Chicago with 5 of this season's roster from Chicago. He will get paid 3 times more with a larger program budget. You don't have to win the conference tourney to ever get in the NCAA tourney.
Time to move on Brian. Bring Baroney with you.
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Lets say you live in Green bay and make $200k/yr. A respectable living in Green Bay I imagine. But then you get a Job offer in Peoria for $600k/year. With nearly the same cost of living...you consider it right? With a 3 year contract, you would have to work 9 more years in Green Bay to get to the same income.
To me, it's almost a no-brainer. But everyone's personal situation is different.
Really. No Packers in Peoria
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Really. No Packers in Peoria
This is a "pro," not a "con"!
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To me, it's an absolute no-brainer unless he loves Green Bay. Which is hard to imagine!
Excuse me? Some others of us live in and love Green Bay. Go, Pack!
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All I know is that right now Green Bay has better men and women's basketball teams than ours.
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Isn't living in GB five years enough?
Season School Conf G W L W-L%
2010-11 Green Bay Horizon 32 14 18 .438
2011-12 Green Bay Horizon 30 15 15 .500
2012-13 Green Bay Horizon 34 18 16 .529
2013-14 Green Bay Horizon 31 24 7 .774
2014-15 Green Bay Horizon 33 24 9 .727
Career Green Bay Horizon 160 95 65 .594
Despite his relative success the past two years, as a whole, as a UWGB Phoenix fan, I would say good riddance to him (just as I did to Tod Kowalcyzk when he exited for Toledo). You look at his records, as well as Kowalcyzk's before him, come February and March, it will make you sick to your stomach. Except for the past year and a half, his teams' performance(s) come that time of the year are less than stellar. He was pretty good last year, I'll give him that (the ONLY year his Feb/Mar record is really impressive), and this year he did an admirable job too (although he broke even in Feb/March, and most of his record came in non-conference & low impact/resistance of lower half of Horizon). Up here, we call the February/March time period, the "Wardle Wobble," and before that it was the "Kowalcyzk Killoff" (when Coach Mini-K was here). Due to the way that their team(s) often "killed" off ANY chance of proceeding further into the year, I think it was quite appropriate!!! So, I for one, will NOT miss him if he leaves. It might be a chance to get someone like Gary Grzesk, or some other good DII/DIII coach to come into this program and pull it out of it doldrums!??!
I thought about Wardle's prospects. His team's took a crap in the conference tourney the last two years. He had arguably two of the best players in the conference in the past two seasons. These two players will probably both get a taste of the NBA at some point. I always thought he could prove himself legit if he would have made the NCAA tourney the past 2 seasons. He didn't make the tourney. He had a player that craped himself then had his momma tell on him.
He obviously already has ties to recruiting Chicago with 5 of this season's roster from Chicago. He will get paid 3 times more with a larger program budget. You don't have to win the conference tourney to ever get in the NCAA tourney.
Time to move on Brian. Bring Baroney with you.
As I mentioned above in my other reply, I will NOT miss Wardle, or his lack of effective results, nor will I miss ANY of his assistants (other than Jimmie Foster), as they would be essentially sequels to Kowalcyzk or Wardle. Truth be told, the Women's team is the ONLY team we really get excited about up here, and that is because they play consistently tough, crisp, and aggressive offense/defense (plus they've had very good coach continuity, as well as those coaches actually knowing what they are doing). In short, EVERYTHING the Men's team hasn't & NEVER will, as long as the ex-Marquette alum charade continues. I'm NOT bashing Marquette alumni, just those two/three ('Mini' Coach K, Wardle, and Barone), and they're coaching style/philosophy. It ALMOST makes me miss Heideman and Bob Semling, which believe me, wasn't a bed of roses either!!!
Thanks Sincerely,
--- vbprogjoe (Joe W.)
vbprogjoe@new.rr.com
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Despite his relative success the past two years, as a whole, as a UWGB Phoenix fan, I would say good riddance to him (just as I did to Tod Kowalcyzk when he exited for Toledo). You look at his records, as well as Kowalcyzk's before him, come February and March, it will make you sick to your stomach. Except for the past year and a half, his teams' performance(s) come that time of the year are less than stellar. He was pretty good last year, I'll give him that (the ONLY year his Feb/Mar record is really impressive), and this year he did an admirable job too (although he broke even in Feb/March, and most of his record came in non-conference & low impact/resistance of lower half of Horizon). Up here, we call the February/March time period, the "Wardle Wobble," and before that it was the "Kowalcyzk Killoff" (when Coach Mini-K was here). Due to the way that their team(s) often "killed" off ANY chance of proceeding further into the year, I think it was quite appropriate!!! So, I for one, will NOT miss him if he leaves. It might be a chance to get someone like Gary Grzesk, or some other good DII/DIII coach to come into this program and pull it out of it doldrums!??!
As I mentioned above in my other reply, I will NOT miss Wardle, or his lack of effective results, nor will I miss ANY of his assistants (other than Jimmie Foster), as they would be essentially sequels to Kowalcyzk or Wardle. Truth be told, the Women's team is the ONLY team we really get excited about up here, and that is because they play consistently tough, crisp, and aggressive offense/defense (plus they've had very good coach continuity, as well as those coaches actually knowing what they are doing). In short, EVERYTHING the Men's team hasn't & NEVER will, as long as the ex-Marquette alum charade continues. I'm NOT bashing Marquette alumni, just those two/three ('Mini' Coach K, Wardle, and Barone), and they're coaching style/philosophy. It ALMOST makes me miss Heideman and Bob Semling, which believe me, wasn't a bed of roses either!!!
Thanks Sincerely,
--- vbprogjoe (Joe W.)
vbprogjoe@new.rr.com
With the salary that UWGB pays, they aren't going to do much better than a guy like Wardle. If he goes, UWGB will have lost two, moderately successful coaches to other mid-major schools.
That's not a good trend.
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Dude, it's a given Wardle and Tod are gonna take a powder in March. They're both direct descendants of the master of March malaise, Too Tanned Tommy. I rest my case, ai na?
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Dude, it's a given Wardle and Tod are gonna take a powder in March. They're both direct descendants of the master of March malaise, Too Tanned Tommy. I rest my case, ai na?
Tying the pieces together.
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Despite his relative success the past two years, as a whole, as a UWGB Phoenix fan, I would say good riddance to him (just as I did to Tod Kowalcyzk when he exited for Toledo). You look at his records, as well as Kowalcyzk's before him, come February and March, it will make you sick to your stomach. Except for the past year and a half, his teams' performance(s) come that time of the year are less than stellar. He was pretty good last year, I'll give him that (the ONLY year his Feb/Mar record is really impressive), and this year he did an admirable job too (although he broke even in Feb/March, and most of his record came in non-conference & low impact/resistance of lower half of Horizon). Up here, we call the February/March time period, the "Wardle Wobble," and before that it was the "Kowalcyzk Killoff" (when Coach Mini-K was here). Due to the way that their team(s) often "killed" off ANY chance of proceeding further into the year, I think it was quite appropriate!!! So, I for one, will NOT miss him if he leaves. It might be a chance to get someone like Gary Grzesk, or some other good DII/DIII coach to come into this program and pull it out of it doldrums!??!
As I mentioned above in my other reply, I will NOT miss Wardle, or his lack of effective results, nor will I miss ANY of his assistants (other than Jimmie Foster), as they would be essentially sequels to Kowalcyzk or Wardle. Truth be told, the Women's team is the ONLY team we really get excited about up here, and that is because they play consistently tough, crisp, and aggressive offense/defense (plus they've had very good coach continuity, as well as those coaches actually knowing what they are doing). In short, EVERYTHING the Men's team hasn't & NEVER will, as long as the ex-Marquette alum charade continues. I'm NOT bashing Marquette alumni, just those two/three ('Mini' Coach K, Wardle, and Barone), and they're coaching style/philosophy. It ALMOST makes me miss Heideman and Bob Semling, which believe me, wasn't a bed of roses either!!!
Thanks Sincerely,
--- vbprogjoe (Joe W.)
vbprogjoe@new.rr.com
I think 24 -7 and 24 -9 are "doldrums" Bradley could tolerate.
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Oscar Rueda @MUFanaticDotCom 8s8 seconds ago
N. Kentucky targeting Larry Davis and Brian Wardle for HC vacancy
http://hoopdirt.com/blog/24e8866b/northern-kentucky-dirt/ … #mubb family
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Northern Kentucky is in the Atlantic Sun, making the transition to D1, and not even eligible for post season until 2016-17. That's....pretty sad.
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I think 24 -7 and 24 -9 are "doldrums" Bradley could tolerate.
Yeah, screw Wardle and his combined 6 conference losses over the last 2 years. What epic swoons in March. Screw his 2 NBA-caliber players. Bring back Heineman who made the NCAA's with Dick Bennett's team and then proceeded to miss the postseason every year going forward with no conference titles. He's now a DBO at WSU, not even an assistant. Halycon days compared to the demand for Wardle and "Mini-Coach K" services.
To be fair, NKU has shown a financial motivation and incentive to step up their program and have a sparkly new arena, they'd probably offer a substantial salary upgrade.
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Northern Kentucky is in the Atlantic Sun, making the transition to D1, and not even eligible for post season until 2016-17. That's....pretty sad.
Northern Kentucky's AD is former Green Bay AD Ken Bothof. Associate AD Dan McIver also held the same position at Green Bay. Both are very familiar with Wardle and their athletic budget is higher than it is at Green Bay. It's also rumored that Northern Kentucky may be a good fit to become a Horizon League member. Take that into account and it's less surprising.
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Did you miss the part about the second highest basketball budget in the MVC after Wichita State?
I didn't miss it. If their budget has been second highest in the MVC for awhile, they have precious little to show for their investment. Four NCAA appearances in the last 30 years isn't exactly a juggernaut.
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Bradley has made the Sweet 16 in 1986, 1996 and 2006. Using Golden Warrior's Quantum Theory of College Basketball Repetition, Brian will be going to the Sweet 16 next year if he takes the Bradley job.
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Seems like a lateral move except that 1) Bradley is a better springboard for more profile HC positions and 2) he is in the center of more basketball talent than at GB.
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Seems like a lateral move except that 1) Bradley is a better springboard for more profile HC positions and 2) he is in the center of more basketball talent than at GB.
Name a springboard from Bradley......
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Name a springboard from Bradley......
The NBA (Dick Versace)
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The NBA (Dick Versace)
As an assistant at Detroit. Did get 2 years at Iniabpna as HC later. Going as an assistant is not really a springboard. Versace's success at Bradley was all about Hersey Hawkins.
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If someone offered you 3x your salary, would you consider it a lateral move?
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Seems like a lateral move except that 1) Bradley is a better springboard for more profile HC positions and 2) he is in the center of more basketball talent than at GB.
In what kind of lateral move do you get 2-3x the money???
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In what kind of lateral move do you get 2-3x the money???
Yah, but........ Is it a good long-term career move for a young person. Extra bucks in the short term could lead to a career assistant role in the long term....
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Way better recruiting ground. Gets to see the best of Illinois in his home gym every year.
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Yah, but........ Is it a good long-term career move for a young person. Extra bucks in the short term could lead to a career assistant role in the long term....
But less bucks now can lead to a career assistant role in the long term. I'm not sure what you're saying. Having 3x the salary with a wife and little kids can come in really handy
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But less bucks now can lead to a career assistant role in the long term. I'm not sure what you're saying. Having 3x the salary with a wife and little kids can come in really handy
In short, it's not always about $$$$$$$
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In short, it's not always about $$$$$$$
That's true when you're in the 7-figure pay grade. But when you're not, it's largely about the $$$.
$200k is a nice salary, but $900k would make almost every person on earth willing to take a lighter to that $200k
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As an assistant at Detroit. Did get 2 years at Iniabpna as HC later. Going as an assistant is not really a springboard. Versace's success at Bradley was all about Hersey Hawkins.
He had 26- and 23-win seasons at Bradley and took them to the NCAA tournament before Hawkins got there.
That said, history shows that if you win in the the MVC, you will get an opportunity at a high-major job.
Steve Alford, Dana Altman, Bob Bender, Mark Turgeon, Kevin Stallings, Nolan Richardson, Bruce Weber, Tubby Smith and Cuonzo Martin all coached in the MVC.
The MVC is an established path to a high-major gig. Not so much for the Horizon.
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The MVC is an established path to a high-major gig. Not so much for the Horizon.
I'm not here to be the PR guy for the Horizon League, it's not as strong as the MVC historically. But come on, Bruce Pearl, Dick Bennett, Butler University itself, have all moved onward and upward with Horizon League roots.
If you're really good, the majors will find you.
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I may have missed it, but no mention of the allure of Big Al's in taking the Bradley gig? ;D
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I'm not here to be the PR guy for the Horizon League, it's not as strong as the MVC historically. But come on, Bruce Pearl, Dick Bennett, Butler University itself, have all moved onward and upward with Horizon League roots.
If you're really good, the majors will find you.
Bo Ryan
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I'm not here to be the PR guy for the Horizon League, it's not as strong as the MVC historically. But come on, Bruce Pearl, Dick Bennett, Butler University itself, have all moved onward and upward with Horizon League roots.
If you're really good, the majors will find you.
Bo and Dick may be exceptions in that I'm not sure they'd have landed high-major gigs at any place other than UW. Heck, Bo was the Badgers' third choice when they hired him, after Majerus and Ben Braun turned them down.
Not claiming a coach can't go from a Horizon gig to a major, but it's much more rare than from a conference like the MVC. I think the numbers support this.
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He had 26- and 23-win seasons at Bradley and took them to the NCAA tournament before Hawkins got there.
That said, history shows that if you win in the the MVC, you will get an opportunity at a high-major job.
Steve Alford, Dana Altman, Bob Bender, Mark Turgeon, Kevin Stallings, Nolan Richardson, Bruce Weber, Tubby Smith and Cuonzo Martin all coached in the MVC.
The MVC is an established path to a high-major gig. Not so much for the Horizon.
I was referring to Bradley as opposed to the MVC. Bradley has been mostly a dead end for its HCs in term of moving up in Div I (Versace went to the NBA as an assistant). In the end, will it (MVC) play in Peoria for Brian..... ;)
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Bo and Dick may be exceptions in that I'm not sure they'd have landed high-major gigs at any place other than UW. Heck, Bo was the Badgers' third choice when they hired him, after Majerus and Ben Braun turned them down.
Not claiming a coach can't go from a Horizon gig to a major, but it's much more rare than from a conference like the MVC. I think the numbers support this.
I sure don't recall Braun being higher on the Badgers list than Bo back in '01. I think they zeroed on Bo almost immediately. I don't think they even made a play for Majerus either, they knew they weren't going to get him.
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I sure don't recall Braun being higher on the Badgers list than Bo back in '01. I think they zeroed on Bo almost immediately. I don't think they even made a play for Majerus either, they knew they weren't going to get him.
They very publicly went after Majerus and put out feelers for Braun, who said he wasn't interested.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=20010321&id=i2VWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a_IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3949,104308&hl=en
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Bradley interviews Nagy, Wardle for basketball job; Fife also in mix, sources say
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150327/SPORTS/150329228/11130/SPORTS
By Dave Reynolds
of the Journal Star
Posted Mar. 27, 2015 at 5:20 PM
PEORIA — South Dakota State head coach Scott Nagy and Green Bay head coach Brian Wardle have been interviewed by Bradley director of athletics Chris Reynolds and that Michigan State assistant coach Dane Fife was expected to be interviewed, multiple sources have confirmed.
Jim Crutchfield, the 11-year head coach of high-scoring Division II national power West Liberty (W.Va.), also has been mentioned by multiple sources as an interview target of Reynolds, who is conducting the meetings in Chicago.
A decision on Bradley’s 14th head coach could come by Monday.
Other candidates also could be on the interview list, but their names have not been confirmed.
Crutchfield is the new name among the group and a surprising one. The 59-year-old West Virginia native has compiled a 300-53 record (.850) at West Liberty, averaging over 100 points per game throughout his 11-year run.
The Hilltoppers were the division’s top-ranked team at season’s end two of the last four years. This year’s squad finished 28-4 and ranked No. 5 after falling in the Division II regional final. They averaged 100.5 points per game and shot 52 percent from the field.
West Liberty’s offense defies college basketball’s downward trend in scoring not by playing a frenetic pace, but by “calculating risk versus reward,” Crutchfield told Grantland.com.
“I don’t think teams seriously look to score in transition enough,” Crutchfield told the website. “You get 20 seconds of ‘We’re kind of looking to score, we’re passing the ball, but really not doing anything.’ And then, ‘OK, here we go, 12 seconds on the shot clock, here comes the high ball screen.’ That’s when I change the channel and look for a different game.’”
Wardle's name also has been connected with the Northern Kentucky job.
Fife’s connection with Reynolds came at Indiana, where Fife played for the Hoosiers while Reynolds was an assistant athletic director.
Nagy and Northwestern AD Jim Phillips were at Illinois together in the early 1990s when Nagy was a graduate assistant and Phillips was a student assistant in the athletic department. Phillips was Reynolds’ boss at Northwestern.
Dave Reynolds can be reached at 686-3210 or at dreynolds@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter at davereynolds2.
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He got the job, good for him.
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Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein 32s32 seconds ago
Bradley has hired Green Bay's Brian Wardle as its next head coach, sources told @CBSSports. Story: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25126001/bradley-hires-green-bay-coach-wardle …
Bradley hires Green Bay coach Brian Wardle
By Jon Rothstein | CBS Sports
March 27, 2015 9:35 pm ET
Bradley has hired Green Bay's Brian Wardle as its next basketball coach, sources told CBSSports.com on Friday night.
An official announcement is expected on Saturday.
Wardle went 95-64 in five years at Green Bay. He replaces Geno Ford, who was fired on March 23.
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Congrats to Wardle. Good chance Barone is promoted at GB; would be nice to get another MU alum with a head D1 gig.
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Crean to UWGB, ai na?
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Congrats, Brian. First round at Jimmy's is on me.
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When I said it was a lateral move, UWGB is pretty much the same level of program in a national view.
And while GB was doing better, Bradley was spiraling downward.
The money is definitely great for Wardle, but Bradley is a better school to move on to better positions than GB is.
Molinari, Versace, Les, Anderson and Vanatta all landed at bigger profile schools after Bradley.
Not a lot of "springboarding" that took place, but then again Bradley's had 13 head coaches in their history.
I hope Wardle is able to successfully recruit the type of players throughout the great state of IL to make his program a success and avoid the pitfalls that fell Geno Ford.
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Congrats to one of my favorite Warriors
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Congratulations Brian. Great move. Frankly I'd love to see a MU/Bradley series. Could we get a 3 for 1?
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Congratulations Brian. Great move. Frankly I'd love to see a MU/Bradley series. Could we get a 3 for 1?
I would be all over this. Braves vs. Warriors.
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Per ESPN: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12573832/brian-wardle-leaving-green-bay-phoenix-become-coach-bradley-braves (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12573832/brian-wardle-leaving-green-bay-phoenix-become-coach-bradley-braves)
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Crean to UWGB, ai na?
Ai'na--- cracks me up every time.
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Smart move for Wardle. More money and he can most likely build the program with the same type of players he recruited to Green Bay. Attractive arena and good competition. Will take a couple of years to get some traction though.
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Total no-brainer for Wardle. Happy for him. It's not easy to win at Bradley, but those who do have a nice road to greater things.
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Who you kidding, Brian?
Mark Miller @WisBBYearbook
Stevens Point junior Sam Hauser picked up a scholarship offer today from new Bradley coach Brian Wardle.
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Who you kidding, Brian?
Mark Miller @WisBBYearbook
Stevens Point junior Sam Hauser picked up a scholarship offer today from new Bradley coach Brian Wardle.
If he has a poor summer, and the big schools lose interest, this offer makes sense. Right now Marquette is his only high major offer. This is what a lot of mid major programs do.
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Why not offer Hauser? It doesn't really hurt anything. He was working in on Hauser years ago before he blossomed to the player he is. I don't think that Hauser would go there. What's the worst that could happen?. No thank you.
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Who you kidding, Brian?
Mark Miller @WisBBYearbook
Stevens Point junior Sam Hauser picked up a scholarship offer today from new Bradley coach Brian Wardle.
He got tweeted about by Mark Miller on his first day on the job. Mission accomplished.
That certainly doesn't mean that "Who you kidding, Brian?" isn't spot on.
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He got tweeted about by Mark Miller on his first day on the job. Mission accomplished.
That certainly doesn't mean that "Who you kidding, Brian?" isn't spot on.
Last year Buzz (and possibly Wojo) along with Creighton and Nebraska offered Cody Schwartz....he then had a bad summer and ended up at San Jose State.
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Last year Buzz (and possibly Wojo) along with Creighton and Nebraska offered Cody Schwartz....he then had a bad summer and ended up at San Jose State.
SJSU is bad. Really bad. 2-28 last season, no conf wins.
It's hard to win there. The fan base is small but the gym is nice for their level.
Look at their roster: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/roster/_/id/23/sort/experience/order/true
They even added a few FB players this season.
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SJSU is bad. Really bad. 2-28 last season, no conf wins.
It's hard to win there. The fan base is small but the gym is nice for their level.
Look at their roster: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/roster/_/id/23/sort/experience/order/true
They even added a few FB players this season.
Grading every head coaching hire
http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12566295/grading-every-head-coaching-hire-college-basketball?addata=2009_insdr_mod_ncb_xxx_xxx
Bradley Braves: Brian Wardle
Career record: 95-65 in five seasons at Green Bay (2010-15)
Wardle won the Horizon league regular-season title, has taken the program to the NIT each of the last two seasons, and is a combination recruiter and coach. This is a quality get by new athletic director Chris Reynolds.
Grade: B+
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Last year Buzz (and possibly Wojo) along with Creighton and Nebraska offered Cody Schwartz....he then had a bad summer and ended up at San Jose State.
Man, SJSU is so bad it makes you wonder why he just doesn't take a scholarship at a good D2 school.
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New Bradley coach's ties to Peoria long, varied
By Kirk Wessler of the Journal Star
Posted Mar. 28, 2015 @ 9:53 pm
PEORIA — Brian Wardle will coach his first game for Bradley next fall, already with an 0-2 personal record on the Braves’ home court.
Wardle’s participation in the first two IHSA state tournaments played at Carver Arena in Peoria constitute just one of several indirect ties to the Bradley program he has had over the past 20 years.
As a junior at Hinsdale Central in 1996, Wardle played in the very first Class AA quarterfinal at Carver Arena. Manual held him to just eight shots and eight points in defeating Hinsdale Central, 60-53. The Rams went on to win their third consecutive state tournament.
The next season, Wardle made 8 of 12 3-pointers and scored 34 points, but Hinsdale Central lost a quarterfinal to Harvey Thornton, 77-61. The next day, Manual defeated Thornton in their historic semifinal en route to a record fourth straight state championship.
Another connection between Wardle and Bradley began in 1994, when the Braves lost to Siena in the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals. Siena was coached by Mike Deane, who parlayed his NIT success into the head coaching job at Marquette, where he recruited and signed Wardle.
Wardle played two years for Deane, then his final two seasons for Tom Crean. After graduating from Marquette, Wardle played two pro seasons before Crean hired him to be a member of the Warriors coaching staff in 2003.
In 2008, Crean left Marquette for Indiana, where he worked with an athletics administrator named Chris Reynolds, who earlier this month was hired to be Bradley athletics director.
And Friday, Reynolds hired Wardle to be Bradley’s head coach.
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Man, SJSU is so bad it makes you wonder why he just doesn't take a scholarship at a good D2 school.
I live in SJ. They occasionally give tickets away.
And I turn them down regularly!
The last time I can recall they were good was with Olivier St. Jean, the Michigan transfer, now known as Tariq Abdul-Wahad. Before that, the ill-fated Ricky Berry (Sac Kings player who committed suicide).
My fondest memories was watching UNLV (90-93) at the then-new Event Center.
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SJSU was one of the few teams in the MWC that UNLV could beat this year. And they had the number five recruiting class in the nation come in last August!
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Man, this guy seems pretty impressive.
Peoria native Chris Reynolds named Bradley athletics director
By Dave Reynolds of the Journal Star
Posted Mar. 16, 2015 @ 8:25 pm
Updated Mar 16, 2015 at 10:26 PM
PEORIA — Chris Reynolds, a native Peorian and a longtime college athletics administrator, has been named the 10th director of athletics at Bradley University, the school confirmed Monday night in a news release.
Reynolds, who will be introduced to the public at noon Wednesday at Renaissance Coliseum, becomes the first African-American to lead Bradley athletics.
A 1989 graduate of Peoria High School, Reynolds led the Lions to a Class 2A runner-up finish in the ’89 state tournament and was a two-time all-state guard.
He was recruited to Indiana by coach Bob Knight and played with him for four seasons. As a junior, he helped the coach to his last NCAA Final Four appearance in 1992. Reynolds was named a co-captain at IU as a senior when the Hoosiers reached the NCAA Elite Eight. He was a 1993 academic all-Big Ten selection and still ranks among the top 12 in school history in games played (129), single-season steals (49 in 1991-92), career steals (135) and career assists (356).
“Bradley has an excellent reputation for academics and the athletics facilities are phenomenal,” Reynolds said in the statement. “I remember the college environment that Bradley provided was always something special for high school students. My family and I are very much looking forward to being a part of the Bradley community.”
He replaces Dr. Michael Cross, Bradley’s director of athletics for the past five years, who resigned last month. Cross’ final day at BU was Monday.
Reynolds, who holds a law degree and a Ph.D. from Indiana, began his sports administration career as an intern with the NCAA followed by a stint in the Western Michigan athletics compliance office. He went on to positions at Michigan State, Notre Dame and Indiana before being named deputy AD at Northwestern 15 months ago.
“Chris Reynolds is a proven leader with impressive credentials, a wide range of experience in athletics administration, and a passion for the student-athlete experience,” said BU President Joanne Glasser in the statement. “We are proud to welcome him home to Peoria to lead Bradley athletics forward.”
At the Evanston school, Reynolds served on the athletic director’s executive staff and held direct responsibility for the planning and management of Recreation, Equipment Operations and the Facilities and Event Management units.
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Wardle will have his work cut out for him. Neighbors kid plays on the women's team there. The men's team could use some discipline. Some may not make it too long with Wardle.
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Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN
Green Bay candidates include assistant Brian Barone and former UNC and in-state high school star Joe Wolf, sources told ESPN.
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Wardle will have his work cut out for him. Neighbors kid plays on the women's team there. The men's team could use some discipline. Some may not make it too long with Wardle.
6 transfers already since Monday. Cleaning house.
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Joe Wolf? That's out of left field. Been thinking it'd be Greszek.
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Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN
Green Bay candidates include assistant Brian Barone and former UNC and in-state high school star Joe Wolf, sources told ESPN.
Crean coaching tree in action the last two weeks
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Bullseye like the pick:
By Roy & Harv Schmidt
March 28, 2015
10:00 A.M. CST
As is the case almost any time the coaching carousel spins in the world of college basketball, the moment it was announced that Geno Ford would not be retained as the head coach of the men's basketball program at Bradley their fan base began asking us who we thought his likely replacement would be.
Having sources that were very much in tune with the situation, Illinois Prep Bulls-eye did not hesitate to let them know who the likely choice would be and why. And sure enough, things played out exactly the way we expected it to, with Brian Wardle being named the 14th head coach in the history of the Bradley men's basketball program last night. The official introduction will be made at a 5:00 PM press conference this afternoon.
To put it in simple terms, Wardle's hiring at Bradley makes perfect sense and is an ideal fit in so many ways. We are about to examine some of those in this entry.
First of all, there is no question that Wardle knows the lay of the land when it comes to being familiar with both high school and college basketball in the state of Illinois. He played at Hinsdale Central High School, where he was an all-stater who led his team to the state quarterfinals on Bradley's home court at Carver Arena as both a junior and senior. He is also well-aware of the proud basketball tradition at Bradley and the rich basketball community and passionate atmosphere that awaits him upon his arrival in Peoria.
But above all else, the greatest impact that Wardle figures to make at Bradley from the get-go figures to be with respect to recruiting. At Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wardle was successful at recruiting a roster where the bulk of its talent was comprised of players from the Chicago area. He did his homework and simply outworked others for Horizon League Player Of The Year Keifer Sykes, in addition to landing other recruits from the Windy City who proved to be hidden gems.
Make no mistake about it--Wardle's recruiting success at UWGB will pay immediate dividends at Bradley for a number of reasons. To begin with, Wardle is well-respected by all of the top coaches in the Chicago area on both the high school and traveling team circuits.
One such travel team program is the Mac Irvin Fire. That is important because it just so happens that Bradley's current top player and our choice for Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Of The Year--Josh Cunningham--played for the Fire. While questions have already been raised regarding the possibility of Cunningham deciding to transfer, in our opinion Wardle's strong relationship with the people who are instrumental in running the Fire should go a long way in being able to keep Cunningham in the fold at Bradley. Needless to say, this should be one of Wardle's first orders of business.
Not only that, but there could be additional recruiting carry-over that could prove to work in Bradley's favor. That is because we have already been told that there is a strong possibility that one of the recruits that Wardle landed in his 2015 recruiting class at UWGB could seek release and end up following Wardle to Bradley. Time will tell on that one.
Finally, the question abounds as to how Wardle will fill out the remainder of his coaching staff at Bradley. He figures to bring at least two of his assistants from UWGB with him. However, one also has to wonder about the possibility of him retaining Ronald "Chin" Coleman as an assistant. After all, Coleman's roots are also with the Fire plus he was Bradley's lead recruiter on Cunningham. Coleman's retention would only further solidify the stronghold Wardle already has in Chicago recruiting-wise.
Not to be forgotten in all of this is the man who was responsible for Wardle's hiring at Bradley--new Athletic Director Chris Reynolds. In many ways Reynolds is a carbon copy of Wardle in that he is young, energetic, bright and fully committed to doing what it takes to return Bradley basketball to its glory days. With that said, there is no question that it is a truly exciting time if you are a Bradley fan.
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^ too bad Cunningham already announced he's transferring (yes I know this article was written before that)
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Joe Wolf? That's out of left field. Been thinking it'd be Greszek.
It's strange to me that NBA guys, who have coached a lick of college ball and the recruiting that comes with it, are considered "no brainer" choices for schools like UWGB. But a successful D3 coach is a risk, even though they have had to recruit players needed to win.
For instance, what if UWM had gone with Jack Bennett from UWSP instead of Rob Jeter?
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Joe Wolf? That's out of left field. Been thinking it'd be Greszek.
Jeff Wolf's twin daughters are going to UWGB to play next year, so there would be a connection there for Joe now with his niece's.
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Watch for Drew Diener at GB. I have heard that a who's who of the state high school coaches have been making calls on his behalf. If the coaches I have heard have actually endorsed him he will get a good look.