Despite the fact that many people assumed new men’s basketball coach Kevin Broadus would revamp Binghamton’s coaching staff, there will be a familiar face on the bench when the Bearcats take the court next season.
Lawrence Brenneman, who was Al Walker’s right-hand man for all seven seasons he spent as BU’s head coach, will serve as assistant coach to Broadus next year.
‘I’m really excited about working with coach Broadus,’ Brenneman said. ‘Whenever there’s a change in staffs, sometimes it’s good to have somebody that’s kept on from the previous staff that knows the University and the community, and I feel that I’m going to be able to help coach Broadus bridge that gap.’
Brenneman served as associate head coach under Walker, but had to agree to accept a lesser title if he wanted to remain in Binghamton. Broadus and Brenneman do know each other from the recruiting trail, where their paths crossed several times.
Broadus decided to keep Brenneman on the staff, citing his familiarity with the Binghamton basketball program and the opponents the Bearcats will face.
‘I’ve felt really comfortable with him,’ Broadus told the Press & Sun-Bulletin. ‘The transition from one staff to another is not always as smooth as people might think it should be. I like how he knows the [America East] conference and I like his contacts on campus.’
What Brenneman brings back to BU is a mix of good and bad. He brings back experience working within the AE conference, as well as familiarity with the University code and the players who will return to Binghamton. The downside is that he was part of a system that many felt it was time for the University to completely wash its hands of and start all over with Broadus.
One of the biggest knocks on Brenneman is that as Walker’s lead tactician, he advised the former Bearcat coach to make many of the pregame and in-game strategic decisions for which Walker was widely disparaged.
As the Walker era came to an end, people complained that there was no set rotation and that the players did not know their roles. It was Walker who ultimately chose to tinker with his starting lineup and substitution patterns frequently, but Brenneman supported that system.
In working for Broadus, Brenneman will have to deal with a new on-court game plan and the feel of a new environment. Despite the changes, Brenneman said he is already seeing improvement in many ways, and is looking forward to a fresh start.
‘So far it’s been a pleasure working with coach Broadus. He’s brought a new enthusiasm to the players on the team, to the University and to the community, and I’m very impressed thus far with his leadership skills.’
Brenneman also remarked on how Broadus’ experience as an assistant coach is already helping him form ties with the players on his new roster.
‘I’ve really noticed an excitement with coach Broadus in his relationships that he’s developed with the players already, and I think that’s naturally going to stem from the fact that he was an assistant coach for so long. Usually the assistant coaches are the ones that are very close to the players.’
Broadus decided not to hold on to Walker’s two other assistants, Ali Ton and Anthony Green. Ton spent two years with the Bearcats, and many hoped he would land a recruit from the highly regarded Turkish national program, which never materialized. Green returned to the Binghamton bench after playing for Walker from 2001 to 2003.