Brian Wardle hopes to carry success to Bradley from UW-Green Bay
By Rob Valentin Pioneer Press
April 13, 2015, 3:11 PM CT
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/burr-ridge/sports/ct-dch-basketball-bradley-brian-wardle-tl-0416-20150413-story.htmlBradley hired Brian Wardle as its men's basketball head coach on March 27, five days after firing Geno Ford.
The 35-year-old Willowbrook native is a 1997 graduate of Hinsdale Central and is the Red Devils' all-time leading scorer (1,632), while holding the No. 2 spot in rebounds (668), assists (319) and blocks (91).
After high school, Wardle played four years at Marquette, where he averaged 18.8 points as a senior. He spent one year each in the NBA Developmental League and the Continental Basketball Association.
After two years as an assistant at Marquette and five more at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wardle took his first head coaching job, with the Phoenix. At age 31, he was at the time the youngest head coach in Division I basketball. He was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2014.
Pioneer Press freelance reporter Rob Valentin recently spoke with Wardle, who's hoping to turn around a Braves' team that finished 9-24 this season, including 3-15 in the Missouri Valley, under Geno Ford.
Ford was fired on March 22, after compiling a four-year record of 46-86 after replacing Jim Les
Pioneer Press: You spent 10 years at Green Bay, five as a head coach and five as an assistant. How difficult of a decision was it to leave?
Wardle: It was very difficult. We built some life-long relationships within the community. Green Bay and the University embraced me and my family right from the get-go. We're sad to leave the city but we put 10 great years in. We're very confident that the program is in a better place than it was and we're excited about the opportunity taking over a Bradley program that, growing up in Illinois, we all know of its rich tradition and the great coaches and players that have been through this program.
Pioneer Press: Green Bay plays in the Horizon League and Bradley competes in the much tougher Missouri Valley Conference, which had two teams in the NCAA Tournament, including Wichita State, a team that made the Sweet 16. How big of a role did the level of play between the two conferences factor into your decision?
Wardle: I've had a lot of success against Missouri Valley teams at Green Bay. We know about the Missouri Valley and how great of a basketball league it is. That's what it's all about, basketball, so that's very attractive to me. It can also be a multi-bid league. If you have a season where you win 23 or 24 games and have a misstep in the conference tournament, a bad 10 minutes or a bad half ,you'll still be rewarded.
Pioneer Press: Other than being back in your home state of Illinois, why was Bradley the right choice for you?
Wardle: I think it's in my wheelhouse. I have a lot of connections and I have a pretty good network in the Midwest when it comes to recruiting. It's in a league I'm familiar with, but it's also a program that has great support in the community. In Peoria, it's all about Bradley Braves basketball and their passion for the game and love for basketball is something I want to share with the community and Peoria has that.
Pioneer Press: You leave Green Bay with a 95-65 record, but have yet to make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. How important is it to you to get Bradley to the Big Dance and how quickly can fans expect an NCAA Tournament appearance?
Wardle: I think it is important but it's something that's going to take some work. We need to build a foundation; we need to build a culture in that locker room of winning like we built in Green Bay and then take it to another level. That's what the focus is going to be on in the first year; getting the right young men in the locker room, building that culture of winning and unselfishness. I'm smart enough to never give guarantees as a coach, but one guarantee I've told people here is that our teams are going to play extremely hard. They're going to play together and we're going to play with some passion. I think that fans will get excited to see us.
Pioneer Press: Hinsdale Central's boys basketball team put together its best season this year since 1997, your senior year when you helped the Red Devils win a sectional title while going 28-3 and making it to the Elite Eight in Class AA. Looking back, what did you learn at Hinsdale Central as a player that is now helping you as a coach?
Wardle: What I learned is the lessons I learned in my household from my parents. When you have a destination you want to reach, you have to go above and beyond and work for it. You're going to have to make sacrifices. You might have to sacrifice social time or this and that. You have to get outside your comfort zone and I think when I was in high school I realized that at a pretty young age and I think that has a lot to do with my parents and the way I was raised. It's obviously helped me to get to the places I've been. You have to sacrifice some things to build and be successful as a coach. I'll never sacrifice family but there are a lot of other things you have to do to try and be successful.
Pioneer Press: Back in 2013, following allegations that you verbally mistreated UW-Green Bay players, the school had you work with an adviser to improve your methods of motivating student athletes. How did that experience change you as a coach?
Wardle: Thanks for calling. I appreciate it.
Valentin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
