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WSU BASKETBALL
Brownell had offers, but he expects to stay
Says 'I like it here at Wright State ... a lot,' but adds 'very few guys admit they're going to stay at a place forever.'
COMMENT: How good a coach do you think Brad Brownell is?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
FAIRBORN — Wright State basketball coach Brad Brownell has fielded calls about job openings, but says he was not a candidate for the Marquette position, which was filled Monday night, April 7.
On Tuesday, Brownell said he expects to return for his third season with the Raiders.
"It's flattering to be mentioned for jobs," said Brownell, whose name also came up when the Indiana job opened. "There are only 340-some Division I jobs and plenty of people who want those jobs. If you're not getting any calls, you're probably not as successful as you want to be."
Brownell is 44-20 at WSU with a Horizon League championship and an NCAA tournament appearance. That makes him a hot coach in a competitive market that often has athletic directors raiding other schools without asking permission.
Wright State AD Mike Cusack said that in Brownell's two years, no AD has called for permission to speak with Brownell.
"Just because your name comes up doesn't mean you're involved in (another) job," Brownell said. "I've had offers. Some I've told Dr. Cusack about. I don't bother him every time somebody calls.
"I like it here at Wright State ...a lot. They're just good people. Dr. David Hopkins (WSU's president), Dr. Cusack and (assistant AD) Bob Grant, who's my immediate boss.
"Dr. Hopkins knows what athletics can do at a school. ... I don't think people realize how hard it is to win on a consistent basis. It's competitive as heck. In the athletics department, if you don't have people on the same page, it's tough.
"Our job is to compete for the Horizon League championship every year, to do the right things not only on the court, but off the court, and graduate players. If I didn't like it here, I would have left last year. I had a lot of offers. There comes a time when you owe it to your family to look at certain situations."
Situations often involve money. After receiving a 30 percent raise after his first season, Brownell's contract at WSU called for a $300,000 base salary this season, and he's probably in line for another substantial raise. At Marquette, Tom Crean had a base salary of about $1.5 million. Had Marquette talked with Brownell, he would have listened. Instead, the Milwaukee school promoted assistant coach Buzz Williams.
"I'm not going to get into specifics of any jobs, or how far they went," Brownell said. "I think very few guys admit they're going to stay at a place forever."
Brownell's philosophy: "Do a good job in the job you have and enjoy the experience."
His experience right now is at Wright State.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Comments
By Greg
April 22, 2008 11:20 PM | Link to this
Brownell is a PROVEN winner & solid recruiter. He has a full roster which hasn’t happened for a long time & the talent level is substantially higher. What he has done the past 2 years at WSU is nothing short of miraculous. However,let’s not kid ourselves. WSU is a stepping stone to bigger opportunities. He is gone within 2 years even with large raucous crowds. I just hope that he has the program firmly on the map so that we can continue to attract young up & comers to coach the program.
By ryan
April 13, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
bob…you know nothing
By Bill
April 10, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
Brownell is an excellent x and o coach; saying he is not because we lost a few close games at home is idiotic. A coach can influence free-throw shooting only so much. We didn’t have the bench depth (due to injuries) to go full tilt the entire game; Duggins and Brown were playing close to 40 minutes as it is. The fact we won so many close games is proof enough how great a coach he is.
By Larry
April 10, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
I’ll let the experts decide if Brownell is a top notch quote or not. When other AD’s (experts) at high level schools continually have him as one of their top 3 or 4 canditates that speaks volumes as to what people in the know think of him as a coach and a person. WSU is very fortunate to have a coach of this caliber.
By Jeff
April 9, 2008 5:19 PM | Link to this
Brad Brownell’s weakness is his in-game coaching decisions. This past season the Raiders consistently opened up double-digit leads by playing up-tempo and taking open shots. Once they got a secure lead, Brownell slowed down the tempo and the opposition was able to creep back into the game. They lost at least three home games this way. So while he is a good coach for Wright State, he may not be the answer for a truly “big-time” college basketball program. Let’s hope he understands this and stays.
By Bob
April 9, 2008 2:01 PM | Link to this
Brad Brownell’s talent matches the abilities Wright State has as a University - nothing more and nothing less!!!!
By Facts
April 9, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this
I am a UD season ticket holder. UD has a great fan base, one of the best in the country. This year UD finished 28th while WSU finished 93rd in Div 1 attendence. I believe this places WSU in the top third in Div 1. WSU attendence is very good, it’s just that the Nut looks empty on TV. There are nights when over 20k people attend a Div 1 game in Dayton, that is very rare for any city in the US.
By Roger Chudde
April 9, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this
Brad is a very good coach. It is my hope that WSU can retain him and allow him to build the program we need. His pay should be more than WSU would normally pay. He should be compensated in the range of UD’s Gregory. If WSU does not pay up, even though the fans are not in the stands, WSU will always be a wannabe program. If Brad is good—-keep him, the program will catch up! The money will put WSU on the map, if he really can earn it. Recruiting is the name of the game!