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Thursday, April 15, 2004 11:43 AM CDT
Bruce to Eastern: Believe in success
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
CHARLESTON -- Steve Bruce made the jump from junior high to NCAA Division I assistant basketball coach.
So he expressed no fear about trying to turn around an Eastern Illinois women's basketball program where its past two head coaches have failed to win.
The associate head coach for Valparaiso's women's basketball program talked about defense and a winning attitude Tuesday during an open session in his second day of on-campus interviews for the EIU head job.
"I think what needs to be done is this group needs to believe they can be successful," Bruce said. "It will be a paradigm shift.
"We're going to leave all the psychic weight from the past behind," Bruce said.
Bruce was the first candidate to interview on campus following the firing of Linda Wunder, who was fired after going 36-101 the past five years, including the past season's 8-19 record.
Bruce has been on coach Keith Freeman's staff for winning seasons the past five years at Valparaiso, including a Mid-Continent Conference championship and NCAA appearance the past season. Valpo's record the past three seasons was 64-32.
With Bruce in charge of the defense, Valparaiso ranked 16th in the nation for fewest points allowed at 57.9 per game.
"We are a half-court man-to-man defense," Bruce said. "Our philosophy has been to do the simple things better."
Bruce pointed out that Valpo was able to win despite a lower shooting percentage than Eastern the past season.
"We want to score in the easiest possible way," he said of his offensive plans. "We want to speed the ball down the court and get the ball to the post player. If the post player can score easily, we don't have to run an offense. "
Otherwise, his team moves into a motion offense.
A former football player at Ohio Wesleyan where he graduated in 1981 and then a graduate assistant in football at Morehead State, Bruce made the transition to basketball coaching girls at Bowling Green (Ky.) High school and then at Bowling Green Junior High where he twice won the southern Kentucky Middle School championship.
During those years he ran a summer exposure basketball camp and while conducting an instructional session impressed Freeman, who eventually added Bruce to his staff at Valparaiso in 1999.
Now Bruce is looking to make the move to a head coach in college.
"I run our defense and post play," Bruce said. "As far as coaching basketball and teaching basketball it would be no different. As far as administrative duties, I would have more on my plate."
Another candidate is expected to be at Eastern for interviews next week.
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6586.
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