Let me preface this by saying I do not want to open a can of worms. This is to piggy back something that DC said in the Dan Muller thread, but figured I would put it here. Has any Bradley men's basketball coach left on their own terms? i.e. a bigger job? I admire Coach Wardle's commitment to doing things "the right way". What he and his staff have brought us fans from is more than commendable. It is simply amazing. To go from a complete roster turnover with 10 Freshman and 1 Sophomore to an NCAA bid in 4 years is somewhat unheard of. Especially when you consider that it was done with a majority of Freshman recruiting class with a sprinkling of JC help. This article talks about Versace's quick turnaround, but also emphasizes his heavy use of JC talent. It also chronicles the firing of 2/3 of these profiled coaches. One from a BS NCAA violation and the other for under performing. Watching from afar, there has to be a handful to a dozen power 6 ADs that are seeing Wardle's success at Bradley.
The last time we were this successful I didn't think too much of Coach Les leaving because of his loyalty to the University. I mean there were rumors of him being "considered" for other jobs, but those mentions quickly dissipated. I know there haven't been many rumors of Coach Wardle being discussed for jobs, but does this eat at anybody else? Also, does Bradley have the resources to counter a Power 6 offer? Can we hold on the Wardle as long as UNI has Jacobson? How happy is Wardle in Peoria? Lastly, how much would losing Coach Wardle impact the program? This seems to be the "elephant in the room" and these are majority hypotheticals, but thoughts that go through my head at least 2-3 times a week, LOL!!! What are your guys' thoughts?
