After a season of speculation, Bradley coach Jim Les was relieved of his duties today by the university, days after finishing his ninth season on the Hilltop. As a fan, during the season, I had gone back and forth on whether I thought the university should fire Coach Les. My contention was that Les deserved another year (in part due to the Sam Maniscalco and Taylor Brown injuries), but if he was fired than BU would have been justified in doing so.
Based on the performance of this past season, especially the last 10 games, Jim Les clearly deserved another season. At one point, Bradley was 6-16 on the season. Bradley ended the season with a 6-4 record in their last ten games and Les had been a key factor in helping the team bond and weather the storm of injuries that hampered the Braves this season.
Ultimately, the decision to fire Les wasn't based on this season alone, but rather his whole body of work at Bradley. Other than the Sweet 16 appearance in 2006, and an NIT appearance the following season (my freshman year at Bradley), Bradley basketball has consistently been in the middle of the Missouri Valley Conference during Les' tenure. Les' record of 154-140 indicates the mediocrity of Bradley basketball (save for the Sweet 16 over the past decade).
Les, though, should be commended for his character during his time on the Hilltop. Bradley has developed some real quality student-athletes, and this isn't something that every coach can necessarily do in college sports. Les has definitely ran a clean program unlike John Calipari or Bruce Pearl, or some of the other scumbags in college coaching.
I think Bradley is going in the right direction, as I think they can regularly compete for MVC Championships. I think they can legitimately make the NCAAs every three years with the right coach. I hope they hire someone who will value character and student-athlete performance as much as wins. Aside from President Glasser, the head basketball coach is the most prominent ambassador for BU. Don't get me wrong, wins matter, but I'll be really disappointed if Bradley hires someone like any of the following people: Calipari, Pearl, Tim Floyd, Kelvin Sampson, Larry Eustachy (google their college basketball rap sheets).
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