Bruce Weber (basketball)
Weber at Illinois open practice prior to the 2009 NCAA Tournament. | |
Sport(s) | Basketball |
---|---|
Current position | |
Title | Head coach |
Team | Kansas State |
Conference | Big 12 |
Record | 100–68 |
Annual salary | $1.85 million |
Biographical details | |
Born |
Milwaukee, Wisconsin | October 19, 1956
Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1979–1980 | Western Kentucky (assistant) |
1980–1998 | Purdue (assistant) |
1998–2003 | Southern Illinois |
2003–2012 | Illinois |
2012–present | Kansas State |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 413–223 |
Tournaments |
12–11 (NCAA) 3–2 (NIT) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
NCAA Final Four (2005) Big 12 regular season (2013) 2× Big Ten regular season (2004, 2005) Big Ten Tournament (2005) 2× MVC regular season (2002, 2003) | |
Awards | |
Naismith College Coach of the Year (2005) AP National Coach of the Year (2005) Big 12 Coach of the Year (2013) Big Ten Coach of the Year (2005) MVC Coach of the Year (2003) Henry Iba Award (2005) Adolph Rupp Cup (2005) NABC Coach of the Year (2005) |
Bruce Brett Weber (born October 19, 1956) is an American college basketball coach who is currently the men's basketball head coach at Kansas State University.[1] Weber was formerly head coach at Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois.[2]
Weber has won conference championships and conference coach of the year awards at each of the three schools where he has served as head coach. He has guided his teams to a combined total of eleven NCAA Tournaments, including an appearance with Illinois in the championship game of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Weber was the consensus national coach of the year in 2005.
Coaching
Early career
Weber began his coaching career with a brief stint as a graduate assistant coach at Western Kentucky University during the 1979–80 season under head coach Gene Keady. In 1980, Weber moved to Purdue University along with Keady. He remained an assistant coach at Purdue for 18 seasons before becoming the head coach at Southern Illinois University in 1998.
Southern Illinois
In his five seasons at Southern Illinois, Weber led the Salukis to consecutive Missouri Valley Conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003, including a Sweet Sixteen finish in 2002.
University of Illinois
On April 30, 2003, Weber was hired by Illinois to replace Bill Self, who had departed from Illinois to take the head coaching job at Kansas.
2003–04 season
The Illini played a tough early season game against North Carolina on December 2 in Greensboro, and were tied at 69 with just six minutes to go. Illinois eventually lost the game 88–81, but it proved to be a good test for the young team with no seniors in the starting lineup. Weber faced his toughest test after starting the conference schedule with an even 3–3 mark. He changed many doubters' minds by winning the remaining ten games on the conference schedule, winning the Big Ten title outright for the first time since 1952. The Illini finished second losing to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. They received a bid as a #5 seed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament, defeating Murray State and Cincinnati in the first two rounds to reach the Sweet Sixteen. A 72–62 loss to top-seeded Duke ended their tournament run, but capped a solid first season for coach Weber.
2004–05 season
The 2005 season opened with high expectations and the return of all the team's starters. On December, 1 the Illini defeated the number-one ranked team, Wake Forest, 91–73, at Assembly Hall. Weber sported a glowing orange blazer for the game, and Assembly Hall was painted orange by the 16,618 fans wearing school colors. The pressure grew for Weber as the victory vaulted the Illini to the top spot in the polls the following week, a spot they would carry for the rest of the season. Regular season perfection and their 29-0 record ended on the last game of the regular season, however, as Illinois lost a 12-point, second half lead to Ohio State and lost on a last second shot to the Thad Matta-coached Buckeyes, 65–64. The Illini won the Big Ten regular season and Tournament titles.
In the 2005 NCAA Tournament the team received the overall #1 seed, and top seed in the Midwest Regional. Illinois defeated Farleigh Dickinson and Nevada in the first two rounds in Indianapolis. In the Sweet Sixteen, Weber led the Illini to a victory over his alma-mater, Milwaukee, then defeated Arizona in an amazing comeback to advance to the Final Four.[3] After leading Illinois to a win over Louisville in the Final Four, Weber could not deliver the Fighting Illini their first national championship, falling 75–70 to North Carolina in the National Championship game.
Weber coached the team to the best record in school history, finishing 37–2, and tying the NCAA record for most wins in a season. Weber won many coaching awards after the season, including the Naismith Award and the Henry Iba Award.
2005–2012
Despite losing three starters to the NBA, the Illini finished the 2005–06 season with a 26–7 record and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2006–07 season had a disappointing start, including the first three-game losing streak in Weber's tenure. However, the Illini rebounded to finish 23–11 and again qualify for the NCAA tournament.
The 2007–08 season marked the first time during Weber's tenure that the Illini did not qualify for a postseason tournament, finishing the season with an overall record of 16–19, 5–13 in the Big Ten.[4]
The team improved markedly the following year, however, finishing 24–10, 11–7 in the Big Ten and returning to NCAA Tournament.
After a 10–0 start to the 2011–12 season, Weber's Illini went 7–15, finishing the season with a 17–15 record.
On March 9, 2012, one day after the Illini lost its Big Ten Tournament opening-round game to Iowa, Weber was relieved of his duties.[5] During his nine-year tenure as Illinois coach, Weber amassed a Big Ten record of 89–64, and an overall record of 210–101. His overall win percentage with Illinois (67.5%) stands as second only to Bill Self in the modern era.
Kansas State University
On March 31, 2012, Weber was hired as head coach at Kansas State University, a school that was coming off three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.[1] In his first season at K-State, Weber led the Wildcats to 27–8 record and tied for the Big 12 Conference title with a 14–4 conference mark. The title was K-State's first regular season conference championship since 1977. Weber was named the 2012–13 Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. His first season at KSU ended with an upset loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to LaSalle 63-61, in Kansas City's Sprint Center.[6]
Shortly after the end of Weber's first season, starting point guard Angel Rodriquez and reserve forward Adrian Diaz announced their intentions to transfer.[7][8] Also, freshman guard Michael Orris, a member of Weber's original recruiting class, left the team to join Northern Illinois.[9] Kansas State's roster was further thinned when incoming freshman Neville Fincher was declared ineligible for the 2013–14 season, and incoming point guard Jevon Thomas was declared ineligible for the fall semester.[10][11]
Weber started his second season at Kansas State 0–1 after losing at home to the Big Sky Conference's Northern Colorado Bears, but finished the non-conference schedule with an 8-game winning streak and a 10–3 record. In its first conference game, Kansas State upset #6 Oklahoma State and earned a #25 ranking in the following week's AP Poll. The team finished the regular season with a 20–12 record, 10–8 in the Big 12 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for a school-record fifth straight season.
Weber's third season at Kansas State ended with a 15–17 record (8–10 in Big 12 play). The school did not advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009. The losing record was just the second for Weber in his 17 seasons as a head coach. Following the season, Weber's squad saw the transfer and departure of six scholarship players, including Marcus Foster, Jevon Thomas, Nigel Johnson, Tre Harris and Malek Harris.[12]
As a result of the departure of those players, the 2015–16 season was difficult. The Wildcats finished 17–15, 5–13 in Big 12 play.
Professional players coached
Player | Years Coached | NBA Draft | Current/Last Pro Team | Highest Level |
---|---|---|---|---|
Southern Illinois | ||||
Rolan Roberts | 1, Graduated | Undrafted, 2002 | Cergy-Pontoise | International |
Jermaine Dearman | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2003 | UBA Select (North) | International |
Illinois | ||||
Deron Williams | 2, Graduated | 3rd, Utah Jazz, 2005 NBA Draft | Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA |
Luther Head | 2, Graduated | 24th, Houston Rockets, 2005 NBA Draft | Caneros LR | NBA |
Roger Powell | 2, Graduated | Undrafted, 2005 | Skyliners Frankfurt | NBA |
Jack Ingram | 2, Graduated | Undrafted, 2005 | KK Krka | NBA Summer |
James Augustine | 3, Graduated | 41st, Orlando Magic, 2006 NBA Draft | PBC CSKA Moscow | NBA |
Dee Brown | 3, Graduated | 46th, Utah Jazz, 2006 NBA Draft | PBC Lukoil Academic | NBA |
Aaron Spears | 2, Transferred | Undrafted, 2006 | Saint John Mill Rats | International |
Warren Carter | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2007 | Chorale Roanne Basket | NBA Summer |
Marcus Arnold | 2, Graduated | Undrafted, 2007 | Baloncesto Fuenlabrada | International |
Brian Randle | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2008 | Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. | NBA Summer |
Shaun Pruitt | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2008 | Rafael Barias | NBA Summer |
Chester Fraizer | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2009 | s.Oliver Baskets | International |
Trent Meacham | 3, Graduated | Undrafted, 2009 | ASVEL Basket | International |
Rodney Alexander | 1, Transferred | Undrafted, 2009 | Vaqueros de Agua Prieta | International |
Jamar Smith | 3, Transferred | Undrafted, 2010 | Baloncesto Málaga | NBA Summer |
C.J. Jackson | 4, Transferred | Undrafted, 2010 | ASC Denain-Voltaire PH | International |
Dominique Keller | 2, Graduated | Undrafted, 2010 | Frayles de Guasave | International |
Alex Legion | 2, Transferred | Undrafted, 2011 | F.Kontatto BO | International |
Mike Davis | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2011 | Socar Petkim S.K. | International |
Brian Carlwell | 2, Transferred | Undrafted, 2011 | Perry Lakes Hawks | International |
Bill Cole | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2011 | Cheshire Phoenix | International |
Demetri McCamey | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2011 | F.Kontatto BO | NBA Summer |
Mike Tisdale | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2011 | Maine Red Claws | NBA D League |
Jereme Richmond | 1. Graduated | Undrafted, 2011 | Huracanes PP | International |
Meyers Leonard | 2, Graduated | 11th, Portland Trailblazers, 2012 NBA Draft | Portland Trailblazers | NBA |
Stan Simpson | 2, Transferred | Undrafted, 2013 | Texas Legends | NBA D-League |
Tyler Griffey | 3, Coach Change | Undrafted, 2013 | Swans Gmunden | International |
Brandon Paul | 3, Coach Change | Undrafted, 2013 | Anadolu Efes S.K. | NBA Summer |
D.J. Richardson | 3, Coach Change | Undrafted, 2013 | Spirou Charleroi | International |
Joseph Bertrand | 2, Coach Change | Undrafted, 2014 | Dresden Titans | International |
Kansas State | ||||
Rodney McGruder | 1, Graduated | Undrafted, 2013 | Miami Heat | NBA |
Martavious Irving | 1, Graduated | Undrafted, 2013 | Pelita Jaya Energi Mega Persada | International |
Jordan Henriquez | 1, Graduated | Undrafted, 2013 | Saigon Heat | NBA Summer |
Shane Southwell | 2, Graduated | Undrafted, 2014 | Winterthur | International |
Thomas Gipson | 3, Graduated | Undrafted, 2015 | Boulazac Basket Dordogne | International |
Ángel Rodríguez | 1, Transferred | Undrafted, 2016 | Vaqueros de Bayamón | NBA Summer |
Justin Edwards | 2, Graduated | Undrafted, 2016 | Orlandina Basket | NBA Summer |
Stephen Hurt | 2, Graduated | Undrafted, 2016 | KD Hopsi Polzela | International |
Wesley Iwundu | 4, Graduated | 33rd, Orlando Magic, 2017 NBA Draft | Orlando Magic | NBA |
D.J Johnson | 4, Graduated | Undrafted, 2017 | Lavrio B.C. | International |
Head coaching record
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southern Illinois Salukis (Missouri Valley Conference) (1998–2003) | |||||||||
1998–99 | Southern Illinois | 15–12 | 10–8 | T–5th | |||||
1999–00 | Southern Illinois | 20–13 | 12–6 | 3rd | NIT Second Round | ||||
2000–01 | Southern Illinois | 16–14 | 10–8 | T–4th | |||||
2001–02 | Southern Illinois | 28–8 | 14–4 | T–1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
2002–03 | Southern Illinois | 24–7 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA Round of 64 | ||||
Southern Illinois: | 103–54 (.656) | 62–28 (.689) | |||||||
Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten Conference) (2003–2012) | |||||||||
2003–04 | Illinois | 26–7 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
2004–05 | Illinois | 37–2 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Runner–Up | ||||
2005–06 | Illinois | 26–7 | 11–5 | T–2nd | NCAA Round of 32 | ||||
2006–07 | Illinois | 23–12 | 9–7 | T–4th | NCAA Round of 64 | ||||
2007–08 | Illinois | 16–19 | 5–13 | T–9th | |||||
2008–09 | Illinois | 24–10 | 11–7 | T–2nd | NCAA Round of 64 | ||||
2009–10 | Illinois | 21–15 | 10–8 | 5th | NIT Quarterfinals | ||||
2010–11 | Illinois | 20–14 | 9–9 | T–4th | NCAA Round of 32 | ||||
2011–12 | Illinois | 17–15 | 6–12 | 9th | |||||
Illinois: | 210–101 (.675) | 89–65 (.578) | |||||||
Kansas State Wildcats (Big 12 Conference) (2012–present) | |||||||||
2012–13 | Kansas State | 27–8 | 14–4 | T–1st | NCAA Round of 64 | ||||
2013–14 | Kansas State | 20–13 | 10–8 | 5th | NCAA Round of 64 | ||||
2014–15 | Kansas State | 15–17 | 8–10 | T–6th | |||||
2015–16 | Kansas State | 17–16 | 5–13 | 8th | |||||
2016–17 | Kansas State | 21–14 | 8–10 | 6th | NCAA Round of 64 | ||||
Kansas State: | 100–68 (.595) | 45–45 (.500) | |||||||
Total: | 413–223 (.649) | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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Personal
Weber was born in Milwaukee to Louis and Dawn Weber, growing up with two sisters and two brothers. Weber graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in education. Weber added a master's degree in education administration and physical education from Western Kentucky University in 1981.[1] He is married to Megan Weber, and has three daughters – Christy, Emily, and Hannah.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "KSU Weber biography". Retrieved 2017-03-25.
- ↑ "Illinois Weber biography". Archived from the original on 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
- ↑ "Arizona vs. Illinois - Game Recap - March 26, 2005 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times. Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/03/09/illinois-fires-bruce-weber.html
- ↑ Kellis Robinett. "K-State upset 63-61 by La Salle". The Kansas City Star, March 22, 2013.
- ↑ Kellis Robinett. "Adrian Diaz leaves Kansas State basketball". The Wichita Eagle, April 8, 2013.
- ↑ Sports Illustrated, April 22, 2013.
- ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, April 1, 2013. Archived October 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Ken Corbitt. "K-State recruit Fincher fails to qualify". The Topeka Capital-Journal, June 6, 2013.
- ↑ Kellis Robinett. "New York point guard Jevon Thomas to join Kansas State basketball next season". The Wichita Eagle, February 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Kansas State’s Marcus Foster will transfer to Creighton, Wildcats add recruit". kansascity. Retrieved 2016-02-17.