'Happy house, happy coach': What the Bradley basketball coach is thankful for this holiday
Feeding his team Thanksgiving dinner will be no small task for Brian Wardle.
“This team, this year, might eat more food than any team I’ve ever had,” the Bradley men’s basketball coach said a week before the holiday.
Amid a six-day break between games, Wardle counted his blessings — both on and off the court — in 2023. The Braves were unbeaten at the time, heading next contest to the 2023 SoCal Challenge in San Juan Capistrano, California.
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His praise for the coaches around him as well as his players comes from a place of appreciation and genuine admiration.
“The staff I have around me,” he said of one thing he’s grateful for basketball-wise. “High character men that are loyal and thankful for my players in the locker room. I got a lot of guys that have self-awareness and have maturity to them. I’m always grateful and thankful for that when it comes to coaching.”
Of course, Wardle didn’t forget his family – his wife, Lecia, daughters Mya and Emy and son, Davin.
“The No. 1 thing I’m thankful for, in general, is health,” the Wardle patriarch said. “My family’s health is good. Everybody’s healthy.
“My family that supports my crazy career in college coaching and that we’re able to find time to support each in everything that we do. I have a very supporting wife and very supporting kids.”
He doesn’t believe in the "old-school way" of living in the office, all day, year round. Wardle was taking the time to go see his daughters play for Peoria Notre Dame at the Pontiac tournament that Thursday night.
Work-life balance is always being stressed among his assistants, especially to the fathers on his staff.
“If you have a happy household, I think you’re a happier coach,” Wardle said. “The more time you can spend with your kids and your wife and be a father, the better coach you’ll be. I’ve always believed that.
“The better husband and father you are, the better coach you are for your players. We try to really live that, not just talk about it.”
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Don’t get Wardle, wrong, he does bring his work home with him, diving into it once his household is asleep. That’s when from around 10 p.m. to midnight he’ll break down film.
As for the big meal, Wardle says his family and team will gather for a late afternoon Thanksgiving feast. Everyone will be coming home from California following Bradley’s final game between either Cal or UTEP.
No one, though, will be worrying about fixing dinner.
“I couldn’t put that on my wife,” Wardle said, “while we’re flying back from California to make a big Thanksgiving meal because it might be three, four turkeys for these guys.”
He’ll indulge in his Thanksgiving favorites — stuffing and gravy — and says he "likes turkey but loves ham," planning to eat both. His family will head to the movies later in the evening, then Wardle will watch more game film in preparation for Vermont coming to Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 25.
But, how will he attack the leftovers?
“I’m not a huge leftover guy,” he said, “but I will have leftovers for Thanksgiving, for sure. Very rarely do I eat turkey outside of Thanksgiving.”
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley Braves basketball: Coach Brian Wardle thankful for team, family
