Courtesy Binghamton Sports Information
Binghamton University will introduce Kevin Broadus as its new men's basketball coach at a 3 p.m. press conference today at the Events Center. Broadus served the last three years as an assistant at Georgetown University, and has 17 years of college coaching experience. He replaces Al Walker, who stepped down after seven seasons at the helm.
"From the beginning I was looking for someone with great personal integrity, great academic integrity, and someone who knows how to win," Director of Athletics Joel Thirer said. "We are delighted to be able to have a coach of Kevin's character; someone who has advanced his career in measured steps. He has been a winner everywhere he's been, and I'm confident that he will be a winner with Binghamton University."
Broadus (pronounced BROAD-us), a 43-year-old Washington, D.C. native, has been a key recruiter for a Georgetown program that will be playing in the NCAA Final Four this weekend. He was ranked No. 6 by online publication hoopscoop.com on their list of the Top 100 Assistant Coaches in the College Game Today and is known for his strong recruiting ties, particularly in the competitive scholastic hotbed of Washington, D.C.
At Georgetown, Broadus worked alongside head coach John Thompson III, and the Hoyas' recent national resurgence is a direct result of his recruiting success in the D.C. metro area. This year's squad won both the regular season and post-season Big East titles before advancing through the first four rounds of the NCAA tournament. The 2004-05 team went 19-13 and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals, and last year's team went 23-10 and reached the NCAA "Sweet 16."
"I look forward to coming to Binghamton," Broadus said. "I believe the program is untapped with all the support it has - both in terms of fan base and resources. We should be gunning to win the America East Championship - that's my goal. I've just fulfilled one goal - to get to the Final Four - and we'll begin to strive for that next goal - to win the America East title. Every student-athlete should enjoy the thrill of playing in the NCAA tournament and I think all the necessary elements are in place to do that at Binghamton."
Prior to Georgetown, Broadus was an assistant coach at George Washington for three years. In 2003-04, his Colonials team won 18 games and was selected to the NIT. From 1998 to 2001, he was an the staff at American University and also had coaching stints at University of the District of Columbia (1994-97) and Bowie State University (Md.) (1990-93).
Broadus earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Bowie State in 1990 and went on to receive his master's degree in counseling from UDC in 1995.
He was a three-year letterwinner at Bowie State, earning conference all-rookie honors in 1984 and leading the team in scoring as team captain in his senior season. He played his first collegiate season at Grambling University in Louisiana. Broadus attended Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md.
In addition to his college coaching resume, Broadus has worked as a summer camp coach and counselor for both the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks. He also served four years as a research assistant at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda.
Broadus and his wife, Belinda, have four children: Nicol (23), Milan (14), Paris (13) and Kevin Jr. (11).
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT: KEVIN BROADUS
I want to thank all of you for being here today. I'm pretty sure you had a lot going on today. We all have busy schedules, family, work and all those type of things. I'm elated to be here first and foremost. I'd like to thank Dr. Thirer and Dr. DeFleur and the whole athletic department here at Binghamton. I'm very excited to be here and I appreciate you welcoming my family and I here, I'm deeply appreciative of that. I'd like to thank my lovely wife and my kids who couldn't be here because of school.
I'd like to thank Coach Walker for leaving the program in good shape. The program is not bare at all, it's in good shape. I'm happy and excited for the opportunity to build a successful program with all of you, with all of your support and enthusiasm. I'm looking forward to working with all of you
I'd like to thank people who have helped me along the way. I'd like to thank my wife because it's been a long road from my Bowie State days, to the D.C. days, to my time at American, George Washington and now with the Georgetown.
I'd first like to thanks Georgetown and John Thompson III who taught me a number of things about basketball that I didn't know before I got there. Both him and his dad have taught me a lot.
Of course, Karl Hobbs, who is one of my mentors who I was fortunate to work with to build a program to national precedence. He is an important mentor and I'd like to thank him.
There are many others who have been very instrumental in my career. Will Jones is a mentor, John Thompson Jr., Ed Myers and Al Brathaway.
Binghamton has good tradition and a lot to build on and I'm very aware of that. I've been taught in the few days with Dr. Thirer, about some of the things that he expects. I was going through some literature and I've done my homework...100 % graduation rate and I plan to keep that up. The commitment is huge, just to see the faces and the people here and to feel the warmth of the community. It was hard with the calls I've gotten from people that I tried not to let it out, but I feel blessed right now and I want to make everyone here happy.
We have goals and aspirations. I talked with the guys before and we want to be America East Champions, and that's a goal that is easier said than done. We have to work hard and I know that.
We have goals and aspirations. I talked to the guys (players). We want to be America East champs. It's easier said than done, but I think these guys understand. These guys want to win. I told them we have to have burning desires for two things: to be very good students...they have to get a degree...and second of all, to play at the next level, which means hard work. Its' easier said than done, but I think these guys understand and they want to win. To have a 100% graduation rate is incredible. I haven't really seen that anywhere and I've been at some very strong institutions.
I just want to thank everyone for being here. I don't want to talk long and I don't want to bore you, I'm on one hour of sleep. We played last night then drove home while the kids and wife slept whole way and then drove here today. I would just like to thank everyone, I can't say that enough.