Crescent-News.com - DC hires Brumett as new men's basketball coach

By LYNN GROLL

groll@crescent-news.com

Just weeks after one Hanover College product resigned from his position as head men's basketball coach at Defiance College, another Hanover College graduate is on his way to town and to the bench at the Karl H. Weaner Center.

Defiance College announced this morning the hiring of Kyle Brumett as the successor for the departed Jon Miller, who left DC to take the same position at his alma mater.

"Fortunately for us, I believe that we've caught another 'rising star' that will make a solid impact on the basketball program, the college and the area as a whole," conveyed DC athletic director Dr. Dick Kaiser. "This is a good hire not only for Defiance College, but also for the community."

"My wife, Steffanie, and I are extremely excited about being part of the community," expressed Brumett. "And more than just the college community, the Defiance community. We got a young little boy (Leon Maxwell) and it's a move that's going to bring us a little bit closer to our family. We definitely think it is (the right move) and we're ready to get started.

"I'm extremely excited," added Brumett. "I'm a Division III guy, so I'm well aware of the success that Defiance's had recently and over the years. Coach Miller and I are not only friends, but we were at Hanover together and I'm well aware of the success he's had and the direction he's had the basketball program in. That was a big plus for me ... to be following a guy that I have a lot of respect for."

Brumett spent the past two seasons at Division III institution Lakeland College in Sheboygan, Wis., as the Muskies' mentor and went 33-22 during his tenure. He guided Lakeland to the Northern Athletics Conference tournament championship this past season in thrilling fashion.

The Muskies entered the NAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed following a 10-8 conference mark in the regular season and pulled off an unlikely tournament run. Lakeland defeated the tournament's top three seeds, all in overtime, on its way to the tournament title.

However, the Muskies did not receive a berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament because the conference only automatically qualifies its regular-season champion.

Before his time with Depauw University as an assistant from 1999-2006, Brumett was an assistant for current University of Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl at the University of Southern Indiana during the 1998-99 campaign. The Screaming Eagles were ranked No. 1 that season in Division II and finished the year with a 26-6 record.

Brumett's path to DC is very similar to Miller's in the fact that each played under 20-year Hanover mentor Mike Beitzel and each was an assistant at Depauw University. Miller was a 1997 graduate of Hanover while Brumett was a 1998 Hanover grad.

"Most importantly, Kyle Brumett fits the criteria we were searching for to serve as the new leader for the Yellow Jacket basketball team," said Kaiser. "First, he's been a successful coach at the collegiate level. That was very important because we wanted someone that was 'battle-ground' tested and was successful in leading teams to quality seasons.

"Second, he has significant experience as an assistant coach in outstanding programs under great mentors. That was important because most assistant college coaches serve as the primary recruiters, so it meant he knew how to recruit and how to land big-time players. Third, he knows the schools and teams that make up the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. He not only played in the HCAC, but as an assistant he helped head coaches prepare teams to play HCAC opponents," continued Kaiser.

"Fourth, Lakeland College and Defiance College are mirror images of each other as they relate to size, admissions, financial aid and general atmosphere plus philosophy of the intercollegiate program. Coach Brumett understands completely the plusses and minuses of Defiance College because he lives them every day within the Lakeland position. There basically won't be any major surprises or disappointments.

"And finally, he is characterized by everyone that knows him as an individual. He has the high level of coaching intensity that I believe has to be present to be successful at a D-III institution like Defiance College."

Kaiser and DC had to navigate through more than 160 applications before whittling the list down to five finalists and it was Brumett that kept standing out.

"With more than 160 applicants for this position we had lots of people to choose from as it relates to this job," remarked Kaiser. "The five finalists were all quality individuals and anyone of them could have performed admirably within the head coaching position. However, it just seemed like coach Brumett's name kept rising to the top over and over again as the search process continued. In my mind, Kyle and his family are definitely the right fit for this job at this time."

Brumett inherits a program that returns three of its five starters and its entire bench for the upcoming season. The Jackets captured their first outright league championship in 14 years this past winter and also came within minutes of reaching the NCAA Tournament the last two years following back-to-back trips to the HCAC Tournament championship game.

"Those guys were really close to playing in the (NCAA) Tournament and that's what our goal is going to be every year," stated Brumett. "I think it's going to be a tough goal because it's such a great league, but it's an attainable goal."

The Jacket returnees are highlighted by reigning HCAC Player of the Year Anthony Pettaway. The 6-8 center netted 15.7 ppg while hauling down eight rebounds a game and was a double-double machine in the final month of the season.

"To step into a place where you get to coach the conference Player of the Year, in a conference that in my opinion is one of the top five or six conferences in the country, is always going to be exciting," remarked Brumett. "Anthony Pettaway is going to be a lot of fun to coach. Jon and I have a little bit different styles as far as our style of play but I think that Anthony and Nick Sales are going to excel in the way we want to play."

Sales, a 6-3 forward, was one of DC's top bench players a year ago and will form one of the league's top big-man combos next season. Starting point guard Mike Floyd also returns for his junior campaign while senior wing and Ayersville product Anthony Jackson returns from the starting five.

"Mike Floyd and Anthony Jackson and some of those guys that came off the bench with a lot of experience like (Heath) Armstrong, (Eric) Stolly, and guys like (Joe) Nowak that are really good team guys, I think all of them are going to have a lot of fun in the way we play," stated Brumett. "I really want to stress and get these guys to understand togetherness and how important it is to be a team from top to bottom. I know that was a big deal to Jon, so I don't think that's going to be anything new."

Brumett wants to bring an exciting brand of roundball to DC and emphasizes an up-tempo brand of basketball.

"It'll be an extremely up-tempo style," illustrated Brumett. "We want to get the best shot we can get as fast as we can get it. I think the people that have followed Defiance basketball on the men's side are going to have a lot of fun watching us. Mike Floyd is going to be perfect for that style of play. He's going to be able to make a lot of plays and make a lot of people better.

"We're also going to be aggressive defensively. We'll be playing a lot of man-to-man which they're used to. Transition offensive basketball is going to be the name of the game. I think it's an exciting way for kids to play, they'll have a lot of fun. Also it's a lot of fun to watch.

"We take a lot of the style that we played here (Lakeland) and a lot of things we did at Depauw when I was an assistant," added Brumett. "It's taken from Roy Williams and North Carolina and his teams at Kansas. If you're familiar with that, there's going to be a lot of similarities. To have great success doing that, you need to have a great point guard and some really good post players. I think I'm lucky enough to be getting a job that has both."