Kellee Clay & Shareece Burrell
COM 360- Final exam project
May 6th 2016
Change.
In the world of athletics, that word is perceived in many different ways. By those making the change, very positive and for those at the root of the change very dampened. Major changes in a program such as the Bears getting rid of 8-year head coach Lovie Smith, the Bulls hoping for a brighter future with new coach Fred Hoiberg or the Cubs picking up number nine draft pick Ian Happ, change is inevitable for the future of successful athletics.
Change is something Bradley University experienced in a major way in the school year of 2014-2015. Eight-year president Joanne Glasser, announced her retirement for Bradley in January of 2015, and it did not stop there. Glasser’s retirement had a snowball effect on many leadership roles at Bradley.
One area that was hit hard was Bradley’s Athletics. After the conclusion of the Bradley Women’s basketball 2014-2015 season, Athletic Director Dr. Michael Cross, announced his retirement from the school. With part of the athletic director’s job base in hiring and firing the coaching staff, major changes continued.
Under the new hire of current athletic director Dr. Chris Reynolds, there have been three major head coaching changes. The first with the men’s basketball coach staff in the spring of 2015, taking on current head coach Brian Wardle. Second, change with the women’s head volleyball coach in winter of 2015, taking on current head coach Carol Price-Torok. Most recently the women’s basketball coaching staff in the spring of 2016 taking on head coach Andrea Gorski.
Major changes are followed by major emotions. With hundreds of people affected in these changes, the feelings of the staff, coaches and players all aimed in different directions.
In an interview with volleyball player Savana Peterson, she states her team’s feeling towards their change saying, “At first when she [Coach Torok] came in everyone was really nervous for the change.”
With Peterson being only a freshman, recruited by the former coach, fear of a solidified spot on the 2016-2017 roster was high.
The uncertainty to maintain a spot as a Brave felt by freshman women’s volleyball player Peterson was mutually felt by senior men’s basketball player Ka’Darryl Bell.
Bell explains his first thoughts about the coaching change as a senior, reiterating the same feeling volleyball player Peterson felt about not staying a Brave.
Not only does Bell talk on the fear of possible release, but also speaks on his fear of not fitting in saying, “…besides getting released, I [had to take into account] him [Coach Brian Wardle] telling me I don’t fit his program,” which would then force Bell to also be left looking for another school.
With Bell graduating in the spring of 2016 from Bradley, the impact of this coaching change was not as severe to him as most. When interviewing Bell, the question was raised on his thoughts of the future of the men’s program.
Bell states, “To be honest they are still young…[Yet] I expect them [with the new leadership] to sit in the middle of the conference next season.”
Unlike senior Bell, the experience of the change hit differently for current sophomore Donte Thomas. Thomas will be the only player left of the men’s basketball team which have endured the coaching change.
Thomas was excited about the change and was looking forward to a fresh start with Coach Wardle. He did not know what to expect at first, but he was willing to give it a shot since he was so committed to Bradley.
Thomas said, ”My concerns were, can he make me a better player? Was he a good guy? How connected was he with basketball? Can he help me further my career in basketball?”
It was hard for him at first because a lot of his fellow teammates decided to transfer and a lot of people thought it would be best for him to do it. He wanted to make sure he did it was going to benefit him in the long run. He knew he had to do what was best for him not what other people thought.
Thomas said, “My thoughts were, should I transfer? Or should I stick it out with him? And I decided to stay and be loyal to the program, it ended up being the best decision I could made.
Thomas is happy he did not transfer because he has done some tremendous things at Bradley. He has grown a relationship with his new teammates and coaches. He got an award for being apart of the “MVC Most Improved Team” and he got an award for the “Bradley Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week.”
Thomas’ game has improved so much and he believes it was because of Coach Wardle being their for him and helping him exceed to his full potential. Wardle has been a positive role model to him in many aspects in his life.
“Coach Wardle pushes me to my limit and I never had a coach really do that. He is a great guy, I feel like I learned a lot from him in just the year that he has coached me. I hope we can turn this program around to turn it to a winning program.”
Thomas is looking forward to his last two years at Bradley and he is hoping to turn the program around and to potentially win the Missouri Valley Conference. He knows that with a great coach he and his teammates have a great chance to do it. As long as they all work together they can make a difference at Bradley.
The coaching change has been very successful for Bradley, the athletic director is looking forward to turning Bradley athletics program around. Bradley has had some tough years, they did not have that many winning teams but with the coaching changes they are expecting to have more winning teams.
https://youtu.be/Yy69-fS1RP8
https://youtu.be/aMywFR4uau4