Master class: Former Marquette, Indiana coach part of basketball clinic at Bradley
PEORIA — Brian Wardle studied under Tom Crean as a player and an assistant years ago at Marquette.
But student and teacher teamed up Saturday to deliver a master class in coaching at Renaissance Coliseum on the Bradley campus.
Peoria-area coaches from high schools and colleges lined the court in chairs, took notes, shot video, and watched Illinois Central College players demonstrate drills as Bradley men's team head coach Wardle, BU women's team head coach Kate Popovec-Goss and Crean each made one-hour presentations in a coaching clinic.
"Work ethic, thinking outside the box, how to motivate others," Wardle said. "Those are things I learned from Tom. He was a big part of who I am as a coach today."
Crean, 56, was head coach at Marquette from 1999-2008, then Indiana (2008-2017) and Georgia (2018-22). Wardle played for him at Marquette and joined his coaching staff as an assistant from 2003-05.
Crean and his wife, Joani — the sister of the NFL Harbaugh coaching clan — live outside Sarasota, Fla. Their son, Riley, has joined the Dallas Mavericks staff as a video/player development coach. As for Crean, he says he's looking to get into TV commentary for his next basketball adventure.
The Marquette years
So what do two longtime coaches do when they get together for a reunion the night before giving a clinic together?
"We watched film at my house," Wardle said. "I got my love of watching film from Tom, and the importance of preparation. My biggest fear when I coach a game is that the other guy prepared more. I just can't let that happen, the idea of someone out-working me. Tom challenged me as a coach."
Wardle was a senior when he recognized a moment that was pivotal for his basketball career, Crean's career and the Marquette program.
"We swept Cincinnati," Wardle said. "That was a big moment for me and for him. And huge for Marquette. That was a moment I'll never forget."
More:Why Bradley's projected starting lineup might surprise you, plus MVC's great expectations
Shot clocks and the Wardle scoreboard
Crean was asked for his best Brian Wardle story, and it was one he told the Bradley coach's kids during his visit in Peoria.
"We were down 39-19 at DePaul," Crean said. "Brian scored all 19 of our points. No one else did anything. I told his kids, 'I never saw anything like that before, and I never wanted to see it again.' "
Crean recalled a Marquette game against South Florida in which his team trailed by 16 points with 15 minutes left. They came back to win it. "No deficit is insurmountable," Crean said.
That was a theme, along with shot-clock offense, that he preached in his presentation during Saturday's clinic.
'It was an honor'
Crean and Wardle watched film together at Wardle's home, and then Crean sat in on BU's practice, watching Wardle put his team through its workout.
"That was an honor, a joy to watch," Crean said. "First time I've ever seen Brian at practice. He had a commanding presence. Made an impact.
"It's funny, thinking back I didn't necessarily see coaching in his future when he was a player. I thought he'd go into business, honestly. But he joined our coaching staff and you could see right away what a future he had.
"He has unmatched passion for the game. That will lead you to a lot of success."
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley coaching clinic: Brian Wardle, Tom Crean reunite in Peoria
