Meet Brian Wardle
Experience: Fourth season
College: Marquette, ’01
Career record: 47-48 (28-24 Horizon League)
2013-14 Season Outlook
- For the first time since 1995, and just the second-time in Green Bay history, the Horizon League Preseason Poll tabbed the Phoenix as the favorite.
- Finished the 2012-13 season with a record of 18-16 (10-6 Horizon League). The Phoenix lost to Bradley 75-69 in the First Round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).
Career Background
- Wardle was named the head coach of the Green Bay Phoenix on April 15, 2010.
- Previously served as an assistant coach at Green Bay (2005-10) and the director of basketball operations at Marquette (2003-05).
- In each of Wardle’s three seasons, the Phoenix have increased their win totals (14-15-18).
- Led Green Bay to the Semifinals of the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship last season. It marked the first time since 1998 the Phoenix won two conference tournament games.
- During the 2011-12 season, Green Bay came on late in the season winning eight of its last 11 contests to finish the season at 15-15 (10-8 Horizon League).
- In Wardle’s rookie campaign, the Phoenix finished 14-18 (8-10 Horizon League).
For the first time since 1995 Green Bay is picked first in the Horizon League Preseason Poll. What does that say about where you and your coaching staff have taken the Phoenix in your three-plus seasons?
As a coach you want to keep developing as a program and improve each year and I think we’ve done that. My first three years, and going into our fourth year, we’ve developed our players and developed our program on and off the floor. That’s nice to see and it’s good for the community, good for the fans to hear that and understand how hard these young men have worked to improve and put us in this position. But in the scheme of everything, we understand it doesn’t mean anything. I’ve been in this League going into my ninth year and I’ve seen the last place team finish first. As long as the expectations stay high and we meet our own expectations we’ll be fine.
You had a decorated playing career at Marquette, one that still leaves you seventh in school history in scoring. What was excitement like when Marquette came to Green Bay last season and the Phoenix topped the Golden Eagles 49-47?
It was a great win for us and more importantly we needed that win during the season. We struggled early on in our non-conference and then we came down with injuries. Getting that big win made our guys really believe. It shows that on any given night a Horizon League team can beat anybody. I think that’s how good our League is top to bottom and that is also what makes it challenging to schedule teams and get them in your arena. It was a huge win for me and my family. My wife and I are big supporters of Marquette, I cheer for them in every game except when they’re playing Green Bay.
Green Bay hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament since 1996, what's the excitement like in the community?
I think there’s a nice buzz going on; these preseason predictions are good for our community and fans to generate even more enthusiasm. These young men deserve it. Our program has improved every year and this year we have an opportunity to compete for a championship, and an opportunity is all you can ask for.
The Phoenix led the Horizon League last season with five postseason selections. What makes these young men want to come play at Green Bay?
As a University it really is a hidden gem. It’s a beautiful campus, you get a great education and you got great facilities. But more important to anything it’s the people, the relationships. You have to feel you’re a part of the family and people care about you not as just a basketball player but also off the floor. I think these basketball players feel that and understand that and have really embraced it. It starts with recruiting but it also starts with just getting the recruits to campus. Once we get them here, we’ll be in the mix because we have a lot to show that a lot of people don’t realize.
Green Bay has historically had a very successful women’s basketball program. Matt Bollant coached the Phoenix from 2007-11 and is the current coach at Illinois. Kevin Borseth came back to Green Bay last season for second-stint (1998-2007; 2012-present) after coaching at Michigan (2007-12). Have you picked their brains to tap into the success they've had at Green Bay?
I think you pick every coaches brain from junior high to high school to college. People that know me will say I’ll sit and talk basketball with anybody and try to steal something to make our program better. There’s no doubt I have Matt Bollant as a good friend and we still talk about things like what we’re doing in practice. When it’s all said and done the game is a little different, but it’s basketball. Coaching is coaching. I think you can learn a lot from coaches like Matt and Kevin.
The Phoenix went on a foreign tour to the Bahamas in August and posted a perfect, 3-0 record. Talk about the experiences the team had both on and off the court.
Wonderful experience. We practiced a little bit before we left and we prepped for the games, but we didn’t have one practice down there, we really just worked on things we needed to do to get better. I was able to see different lineups and see the team without Alec Brown (out with a sprained ankle) which is something I haven’t seen, and I don’t know if I liked seeing a whole lot (laughs). Alec got to enjoy the beach and got a tan and got to sit back and watch the team play without him. What I loved was our depth, I like the players we have and how we can mix and match different lineups and our versatility. We’ve recruited just a bunch of basketball players, not positions. I think that’s key for our team to understand, we’re going to have to sacrifice for each other because of our depth.
Name a team or player you played against in your days at Marquette (1997-2001) that was a matchup nightmare?
The first team that pops up was Cincinnati. Just the way they defended and rebounded, and that’s the two things we have tried to establish as our identity in our program. They murdered you on the glass every night; you knew what you had to do to stay in the game against them. Kenyon Martin was a great player who I had the chance to play against. I think of another guy named Larry Hughes who played at Saint Louis and has played in the NBA for a long time (1998-present). He was an unbelievable college player, played for one year and he just caused a lot of matchup problems.
You still feel like you have it in you to take your guys on in practice?
No, I think that ended (laughs). My conditioning isn’t up to par with these guys. Every year I tell these guys when you hit 30—Alec and I think some guys we have will have a long playing career— but when you hit 30 you slowly loose a step of speed and quickness and it kind of all goes downhill from there. Add on having three kids at home, it has put a damper on my game a bit. I still love to play; sometimes our administration will play three-on-three in the offseason which is better than running on a treadmill. I still love trying to play but not against my players (laughs).
Your wife Lecia was a soccer student-athlete at Marquette. Where does that leave you three young kids—basketball or soccer players?
(Laughs). I really want them to just play what they enjoy and I know that’s probably cliché as a parent. Basketball is going to be interesting, my little man who is one has a basketball in his hand everyday already. My two daughters are into soccer. But whatever keeps them happy and active and in athletics I’ll support them.
If you weren’t coaching basketball what would your profession be?
I was in sales before I was coaching. I love broadcasting, I love doing games and going on the radio and going to television sets. That’s what I wanted to do at Marquette but I didn’t have the time as a player. But really anything that involves interacting with people and talking with people. As long as I’m around good people, I’m sure I’d have a good time.
Tags: Green Bay - Men's Basketball
