Prior to being at North Dakota's helm, Jones was an assistant coach under Steve Alford at Iowa. PEORIA Former Bradley athletic director and Thornridge basketball coach Ron Ferguson died July 8 at a Peoria senior care facility at age 89. I do believe that, no doubt about it, but it's a matter of: Do our numbers add up? Bradley won 57-54. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson), Bradley head coach Brian Wardle talks to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Missouri Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in Columbia, Mo. Bradley has also led all schools during Wardles tenure with seven All-Freshman Team honorees and with four forwards named to the leagues Most Improved Team. His father-in-law, Bill Murphy, owned Murphy's Sign Studio and Jim eventually went to work for him, then later bought the business. Very similar to my father in a lot of ways. They are turning heads in H-TOWN. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He's been in the signage business for 45 years. "I've been coaching for 27 years and that was the first time I've ever been on a staff that was let go," Jones said. The regular season's hard. He is the seventh Bradley coach to win the honor. He was previously the Wisconsin-Green Bay basketball coach. The team has such versatility, which is nice, and it has veteran guys coming back. As expected, he was named MVC Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday night. He sketched out this little sign when he was really young: "Born to compete." The school's boys basketball program has 14 . Arch Madness: What to watch for Bradley at the MVC tournament. Feb 1, 2023 @ 7:07pm. Tweets by Amie Bradley. The next day, 'Let's go again.' (AP Photo/Michael Woods), Bradley coach Brian Wardle on the sidelines against Arkansas during an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in North Little Rock, Ark. What were your impressions of it? The Braves defeated Northern Iowa 57-54. When it was all said and done, Wardles first two recruiting classes at BU graduated as champions as Bradley won back-to-back conference titles for the first time in school history. Coffee. Men's Basketball Head Coach. No Braves player had won it outright. "When we learned more about social distancing, and the Kinexon system came in, we wanted to bring that into our practices," Wardle said. Gus Bradley also is back With their season-ending win over Valparaiso, the Braves finished with a 17-13 overall record and placed fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference at 11-7. Phone: (614) 921-7430 | Fax: (614) 921-7431. Full Release (PDF) On 1/4, the Bradley varsity basketball team won their home conference game against Lafayette County (Stamps, AR) by a score of 52-49. A Nashville native, Chris began his tenure as a teacher and coach in private education in 1997. . (1999) Coached with an NBA affiliate as an player development instructor. Feb 24, 2023. Bradley University has extended the contract of men's basketball coach Brian Wardle through the end of the 2022-2023 season, according to an announcement by Bradley Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Chris Reynolds. Following his Bradley career, Versace served as an assistant coach with the NBAs Detroit Pistons before being named head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1990. Bradley Braves Athletics. Phone. Brown left the team partway through the 191920 season; Allen coached the last six games of the season. Bradley Braves Men's Basketball Coaches. Top-seeded Bradley meets No. "I was very impressed with the whole program," Jones said. "I was not very good in basketball for a while, I got cut from teams in fifth grade and sixth grade," Wardle said. After the 2009-2010 season, Wardle was named head coach at UW-Green Bay. We were executing, guys knew the gameplan and I just felt good after I woke up this morning around 7 a.m., and that's sleeping in for me, too. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com, Bradley coach Brian Wardle slows his team as they play against Southern Illinois in the second half of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center on Friday, March 6, 2020. "We've known Brian Jones for a while," Wardle said. We're going to celebrate tonight and enjoy this tonight and we'll get back at it tomorrow night.". PEORIA The Bradley Braves filled their vacant assistant coach position with former Illinois State associate head coach Brian Jones on Wednesday afternoon. "It was awesome. PEORIA The Bradley Braves opened the Missouri Valley Conference awards season with a couple of honors on Tuesday, then turned it into a trophy haul on Wednesday. Moline opened with a 23-10 advantage over Bradley-Bourbonnais through the first . Bradley announced Versace's death in a news release Saturday morning, hours before the Braves finished the regular season with a 79-55 win over Valparaiso at Carver Arena. All . [3] Tenure. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Wardle also remembers, at age 13,how playing golf with his father and grandfatherforever changed him. Everyone has a hand in it.". The Braves added their second regular-season tournament crown under his watch (and just the sixth in school history) with the 2021 Sun Bowl Invitational title. Ultimately that's our goal. Wardle, claiming he wasn't superstitious, "everyone else is," wore his red shoes. As you know with typesetting, all the symbols on the blocks are backwards. Final. Men's Basketball; Jamie Dixon: Head Coach Tony Benford: Associate Head Coach Duane Broussard: Assistant Coach Jamie McNeilly: Assistant Coach Thomas Montigel: Assistant Athletics Director, Men's Basketball . Wardle left Hinsdale Central as the school's all-time leader in scoring and rebounding. "We won some games, I know in the nonconference. (Henry's) dunk, and Hickman's dunk just kind of sealing the game and getting the crowd nuts in the last two minutes. "I was kind of uncoordinated, couldn't really dribble the ball real well. I was kind of obsessed with the competition part of things. No cause of death was given. Jones took over as interim head coach last season at ISU after Dan Muller resigned. Dick Versace, one of the most successful men's basketball coaches at Bradley University, died Friday at the age of 81. PublishedFebruary 28, 2022 at 12:20 PM CST. Is there extra motivation to get back to the tournament because you won the bid in 2020, but you missed out because it got canceled? I did try to play," Brian Wardle said, laughing. Featuring the nations youngest team in his first season on campus and the youngest in the conference each of his first three years, Wardle quickly improved BUs fortunes increasing by eight wins in 2016-17 and seven victories in 2017-18, while earning the schools first 20-win campaign in nine years to cap the early success. 52-49 (W) Bradley vs. Lafayette County. But yes, we want to get back. "I grew up in Las Vegas, a musical family, my parents all my siblings," Jimsaid. Bradley University 2023 All Rights Reserved 1501 W. Bradley Avenue Peoria, IL 61625. I had never played golf before," Wardle said. He'd see her every time he came into town. And his dad would play in a band at it. I had no problem being alone, basketball was my outlet for a lot of things.". I just thought it would be easier to do social distancing in practice. "My dad is very particular, a perfectionist, in the sign business, and so was my grandfather," Wardle said. A 2006 graduate of Division III Lawrence University in Wisconsin, Bradley played for Hillsdale College head coach John Tharp during the coach's tenure with the Vikings prior to coming to Hillsdale in 2007-08. Bill would be amazed. And what is his scouting report on Bradley? Jones brings coaching experience from the Missouri Valley Conference, Big Ten and Big Sky to the BU staff, filling the void created when longtime assistant coach Drew Adams left earlier this month for Cincinnati. "There was Westmont Park, Prospect Park, others. Probably the best sleep I've had in a long, long time and I kind of knew that might be an omen. He knew everything that was going on.". Wardle is the first Bradley coach win league honors since Jim Molinari in 1996. Login Please take a moment to donate now and fund the local news our community needs. "By the time he won a national championship as a 16-year-old, I knew he was going to be a coach," Jim Wardle said. Individual success has also become common under Wardles leadership and was most recently highlighted with the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year and the programs first All-Valley First Team selection in 11 seasons. The 2022-23 Bradley Braves men's basketball season is off and running. "When we look at the record we have with Reink in the lineup with (Henry) and Zek (Montgomery). Wardle still remembers his time toiling in the familyshop. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. Bradley beats Drake to win the MVC men's basketball championship, Catching up with Bradley's last Missouri Valley basketball champion, How Twitter reacted to Bradley basketball's big MVC victory, How Bradley landed a unique 7-foot-1 recruit, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. You know, I usually drive in with about an hour 15, hour 20 ahead of time and to see all the fans already there, walking in and celebrating and screaming and yelling outside. What to watch for Bradley at the MVC tournament, How to watch Bradleyat the MVCtournament TV, tickets, game time, How Bradley Hall of Famer Lindsay Stalzer ended up back playing volleyball in America, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "Brian Wardle hopes to carry success to Bradley from UW-Green Bay", "Wardle Named Green Bay Head Basketball Coach", "A reporter wouldn't hype Bradley University's "brand," so it pulled his basketball credential", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brian_Wardle_(basketball)&oldid=1142453232, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 13:14. He is the only player in Horizon League history to accumulate 2,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds (467) and would eventually play for the Indiana Pacers during his professional career. Patterson), Bradley coach Brian Wardle talks to his team as they play against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in North Little Rock, Ark. I don't think anyone walked out of that meeting not believing in it. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and . "I don't care what anyone says: That's the identity of our program. He has a recruiting network from so many years of experience in the game, and we needed those connections with (Drew Adams') departure. I can count on those guys.". I'm a very competitive person. Congratulations Coach Wardle, and the entire staff. Visit ESPN for the box score of the Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Bradley Braves NCAAM basketball game on March 3, 2023 . Session I - First Round 7 vs 10, 6 vs 11. Give us a little bit of the day. The Braves and Ramblers split their two regular-season matchups, with Bradley dropping a 78-71 overtime decision on Jan. 8 in Chicago and claiming a 68-61 victory on Feb. 9 at Carver Arena. "That was a scary game," Bradley head coach . Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Our goal was to hold them to six 3s or less, and they had five. The Braves won the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference championship for the first time in 27 years with a 73-61 win over Drake before a sellout crowd of 10,458. I love music, though. [4], National champion Then definitely after COVID, so to see everyone come out this month of February when we've been in first place and definitely show up today. When was the last time you coached in front of a home crowd like that? Our community supports us so well. You together with donors across the NPR Network create a more informed public. We eat at 11, and then I go home and relax and then come here and the best part was driving in. "I could not be more excited about the future of Bradley Women's . Because it is a numbers game.". The elder Wardle is the owner of Murphy's Sign Studio in Westmont. Summary of Bradley Basketball MVC Awards: Rienk Mast All-MVC First Team, All-Scholar Athlete First Team, Malevy Leons- Defensive MVP, All-Defensive Team, All-MVC Second Team, Most Improved Team, JaShon Henry Sixth-Man of the Year, All-Bench Team, Connor Hickman All-Scholar Athlete Second Team. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. After graduating from Marquette in 2001 with a bachelors degree in communication studies, Wardle played professionally for two seasons in the NBA Development League and Continental Basketball Association, before beginning his coaching career as Director of Operations at Marquette from 2003-05. My favorite was Al's Beef downtown.". ST. LOUIS, Mo. The forecast says it'll be During the first media timeout of this Sunday's Red Out game, over 750 T-Shirts will rain down inside Carver Arena in the - in Bradley history! The enigmatic team flopped down the stretch in Snyder's Atlanta coaching debut, losing 119-116 to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. "It's really good timing, in a way, that he was available. The BCAM Hall of Fame inducted the first members in 1985. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Rienk Mast was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, while Leons earned second-team honors and also earned a spot on the Valley's All-Defensive Team. F 6-6 Saskatoon (Athol Murray College of Notre Dame), Sardaar Calhoun, Drake Sr. G/F 6-6 Tappahannock, Va. (Blue Ridge)/Texas Tech/, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Belmont Fr. To replace Noonan, Georgetown hired Bradley Adams as both head football coach and athletic director on Jan. 17. "I remember so many little things with him like that. On March 10, 2019, Wardle led the Braves to the NCAA Tournament by winning The Missouri Valleys Arch Madness Tournament. It's a huge, huge factor, and I couldn't be prouder of our guys. Arkansas, Eric Musselman (4th season). "Hated to lose, still does. . * Private institution that did not list how much it paid its women's basketball coach in its Tax Form 990 . Bradley has continued to thrive under Wardles leadership since the championship runs. Bradley attended college at the University of Arkansas. Jones is believed to be the first coach to move from Illinois State to rival Bradley without a stop somewhere else in between. I said we're gonna win these next three games starting with Southern we're gonna win it because we're gonna be connected and we're gonna execute and play with all-out effort and play together. G 6-0 Calumet City, Ill. (Bishop Noll)/Siena, Ben Sheppard, Belmont Sr. G 6-6 Atlanta, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian), Bowen Born, UNI So. ", Technology, trust and an 11-hour flight:How Bradley landed a unique 7-foot-1 recruit. When you have that as a coach, you know, you have a chance and I just believe that we were going to win this thing and win three in a row to end it and they did, too. Bradley University Men's Basketball Coach Brian Wardle about the team's Missouri Valley Conference title victory against Drake yesterday at Carver Arena. The first game Friday (at the MVC tournament) is always the hardest. After college, Wardle played in the NBA Developmental League and the Continental Basketball Association. Do you have any difference in opinion now about an at-large bid for this conference? The Braves saw senior Ja'Shon Henry named to the All-Bench Team on Tuesday and designated captain. Promotions and Red Sea Email Sign Up 50/50 Raffle PNC Bank Achiever of the Game Molly Maid Game Day Crew Voice of the Braves Coaches Show Yearbook Bradley All-Access Live Events . Dressed in his red blazer, Bradley coach Brian Wardle sat down in the Carver Arena press room on Sunday and basked in the glow of a Missouri Valley Conference championship victory. I'm very grateful, humbled. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. We got mentally tough for the season. In his days coaching at Green Bay, he'd host a block party to celebrate the finish of the season. But hey, I can still play. Brian Wardle (born October 9, 1979) is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball coach at Bradley University. A Bradley Athletics official revoked media access to a local beat reporter due to not "promoting the Bradley brand." (AP Photo/Michael Woods), Bradley coach Brian Wardle talks to his team during a time out against Arkansas during an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in North Little Rock, Ark. You knew where they would be on what days of the week, all over the western suburbs.". 03-01-2023 . "Guitar? "What's in my head right now?," Wardle said. Smith . The Braves have had 14 coaches in their 118-season history. Bradley University head men's basketball coach Brian Wardle has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year during the MVC Awards Banquet on Wednesday, March 1, in downtown St. Louis. It was just a big game for everybody.". Bill didn't have any sons, so we gave his name to Brian as a middle name, to carry it on.". That included the program's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2017. No cause of death was given. The Celtics announced Wednesday morning that head coach Brad Stevens is transitioning from his head-coaching position to becoming the franchise's new head of basketball operations, replacing . It's really hard to score and I love competing in it, because it's a challenge every day. I'm a fast player now. @CoachAmie5. ':How Twitter reacted to Bradley basketball's big MVC victory. G 6-5 Indianapolis, Ind. It was the first OCC title in program history and first league title in . Very handsy team, and we knew that. Jan 11, 2023 @ 1:20pm. Having reestablished Bradley mens basketball as a championship-level program, Brian Wardle is in his eighth year as head coach of the Braves. All the way up the sidelines and then two rows behind the baselines.". His Braves put together the nation's third-longest active home win streak at 17 games, and head into Arch Madness on a 10-game overall win streak and with the No. I felt confident. And here you are today. 76-65. I got a lot of respect for (Drake coach) Darren (DeVries) and his program. You got a good healthy balance, can't be one-dimensional offensively. We couldn't let them get 3s. ", More: How to watch Bradleyat the MVCtournament TV, tickets, game time. (AP Photo/Michael Woods). 1:14. His parents never had to tell him to go practice. Most of the discussion on BradleyFans.com is about basketball and specifically, Bradley basketball, so click on the top Forum titled Basketball Fan Talk. And out of that timeout, I believe we went on a little bit of a run. Basketball did not come easy to Brian Wardle. You better pull your own weight and keep up. Bradley's Brian Wardle Named 2023 MVC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. They've worked really hard. Joe Stowell is an American former college basketball coach and broadcaster. "I went over and got a glass of water. I leave that up to the experts to tell me where we're at. I mean, our league's really good. Brian was close to grandpa. Talk about that crowd today? : https:// bubrav.es/3IcpjtV My favorite. "I believe in this team, and I like this team against anybody. Adams previously has held both positions at Georgetown High School. Transition defense was huge to make up for our turnovers, because 15-15 with the points off turnovers when you have 16 (turnovers) we haven't had that many in a long time. Everything coach Brian Wardle said after Bradley's big win over Drake Feb. 27, 2023. By his sophomore year he was 6-foot-3, and he kept growing through high school until he reached 6-5. He was selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (23rd pick overall) of the 1981 NBA draft.Born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, Bradley was a 6'5" shooting guard from the University of Wyoming.He played in three National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons, from 1981 to 1984, with the Celtics . Jeff White, jwhite@virginia.edu. Get all the latest details for the Murray St. Racers at Drake Bulldogs NCAAB basketball game on March 04, 2023 from Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri. And for all the newbies that came today, bandwagoners: I love you, too. "We wanted it to carry on," Wardle said. They have children Davin, 8, Emery, 11 and Mya, 14. Prior to Bradley's NCAA Tournament game against Michigan State, Wardle was involved in a controversy that gained national attention. [1], Bradley's current head coach is Brian Wardle. The couple has three children daughters Mya and Emery, and son, Davin. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 309-677-2668. Here is a look at Brian Wardle, the Bradley University Braves men's basketball head coach. The Valley teams assembled at an awards banquet on Wednesday evening at which the league announced the winner of the Coach of the Year, Larry Bird Trophy for Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and the first, second and third All-Missouri Valley Conference teams. Coaches: Bradley, Brian Wardle (8th season). Bradley played two seeded Michigan State on March 21, 2019. A lot of people don't know this, but three games ago, before we went over to Southern Illinois, I put '16-4' up in the locker room, and I put the 'MVC Champs 2023' up on the practice gym wall. Wardle earned first-place votes in 37 of 56 ballots, and finished nearly 100 points ahead of Indiana State's Josh Schertz (8 first-place votes) and Belmont's Casey Alexander (8). There's about 60 of those stickers. (AP Photo/L.G. Bradley will open play in the MVC Tournament against defending champion Loyola at 2:30 p.m. Friday. The early-season crown wouldnt be the last trophy the Braves lifted that campaign as Wardle helped BU win its first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title in 31 years, overcoming an 18-point second-half deficit for the largest comeback in title game history as Bradley reach the top of the podium for the first time since 1988. Visit ESPN for the play-by-play of the Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Bradley Braves NCAAM basketball game on March 3, 2023 . High-majors can sometimes overcome it with depth and players that they have, but you miss a Reink Mast. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam), Bradley head coach Brian Wardle, left, talks with Elijah Childs following an NCAA college basketball game against Northern Iowa in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, Sunday, March 10, 2019, in St. Louis. I don't know the numbers well enough. His wife, Lecia, was born in Wisconsin but grew up in Sarasota, Fla. The Braves have also been very active within the Peoria community and consistently lead the athletic department in volunteer service, totaling more than 5,000 hours of community service under Wardles leadership. The purpose was to honor those coaches who had been successful for many years. Sr. G 6-6 Chesterfield, Va. (Lloyd C. Bird)/Lincoln Memorial, Lance Jones, S. Illinois Sr. G 6-1 Evanston, Ill. (Evanston Township), Rob Perry, Murray State Jr. G 6-4 Orlando, Fla. (Oak Ridge High)/Stetson. Leons and wing Zek Montgomery were named to the MVC Most Improved Team on Tuesday, joined by Tytan Anderson (Northern Iowa), Darnell Brodie (Drake) and Ben Krikke (Valparaiso). Here's everything Wardle said in his news conference after Bradley's 73-61 victory over Drake in Peoria: Champions: Bradley beats Drake to win the MVC men's basketball championship. "I've done this a long time, and expanding to doing other things is great, the more I can learn the better for me. They ended up traveling all over the country, everywhere, says Wardle, but Alaska and Hawaii. Mostly tried to stay in Las Vegas and Reno, went up through Canada. "It was in me from a very young age, a competitive thing I got from my parents," Wardle said." Then they started to have kids, and it was time to settle down. The following is a list of Bradley Braves men's basketball head coaches. "Now it's all digital. I don't know if they factor in health I wish they would. "Yeah, believe me. In his first seven seasons on the BU sideline, Wardle has built Bradley into a perennial Missouri Valley Conference contender, capped by winning back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020. Overall, Bradley has featured 10 all-conference performers during the last five seasons leading the league with three selections during the 2019-20 campaign. It can't all be inside. You guys are playing your best right now. "But defense wins, and you got to have balance on offense this time of year. "I don't get Coach of the Year, Rienk first team All-Conference, Malevy Defensive Player of the Year, Zek Most Improved team, Ja'Shon Sixth Man, all the guys, all the honors, none of that happens if we don't all work together," Wardle said. Bill Murphy was tall, a very direct man with an endlesswork ethic. Former Bradley University basketball coach Dick Versace, who went on to coach in the NBA, died Feb. 25 in Chicago, which he made his home most of his adult life. So is my staff, and I got a great staff. G/F 6-7 Waukee, Iowa (Waukee High), Duke Deen, Bradley Jr. G 5-8 Shreveport, La. (Photo by Matt Riley, UVA Athletics) September 15, 2019. Bradley University head men's basketball coach Brian Wardle has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year during the MVC Awards Banquet on Wednesday, March 1, in downtown St. Louis. Division regular season champion You might not play for another 30 minutes.". As I got older, I got better every year.". While building for success on the floor, Wardle has also made academic success and community involvement pillars of the Bradley program. G 5-11 Norwalk, Iowa (Norwalk High), Jace Carter, UIC So. Jones worked for Alford at Missouri State, where he was an administrative assistant for a Bears team in 1998-99 that advanced to the Sweet 16. Bradley is the No. "He picked up the guitar a little bit. Execution's huge. Crouch played professional basketball in Germany's top division for one season, and he was the director of basketball operations at Bradley for two years under ex . Wardle led the Braves to a 23-8 overall record and a 16-4 mark in . And I never played sports, only a little bit in high school. [3] Upon his hiring, Wardle became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I basketball. He'd show up with an old, big camera, watch us play park games.". Smart basketball is huge this time of year. Bradley High School | 2800 Walker Road | Hilliard, OH 43026. I listen to old-school hip-hop, kind of from my basketball roots, and my wife likes country so I listen to that, too. Wardle believes deeply in his family, the one on the basketball court at Bradley, the one that raised him, and the one he's raising now. We're gonna celebrate tonight and tomorrow we'll get back to work.". After attending Bradley University and playing on the basketball team from 1947-50, he returned as an assistant coach in 1956 and became Bradley's ninth head coach in 1965. "Standup, high-character guy. When (Henry) hit that dunk and Malevy hit that corner 3, I mean felt good that that crowd was energizing us and energizing us defensively, too. Where were you during the court storming? Brian Wardle: A look at the Bradley University basketball head coach. Take us with you from breakfast or whatever through the day. "I had stopped playing baseball, stopped playing football, was really focused on basketball. 0:49. Men's Basketball at Session I - First Round 7 vs 10, 6 vs 11 March 2, 2023 6:00 PM.