Coach Brady Probably Would Not Extend Coach Brady Either

JMU head basketball coach Matt Brady is under contract to coach the Dukes through the 2012-2013 season. A clause in his contract that required the school to notify him this Spring if the contract was to be extended. Athletic director Jeff Bourne decided to let the deadline pass and hold off on extending Brady’s contract. Bourne spoke on the matter last week and said he’d like to see more consistency and better tournament play from Brady’s teams before he decides if Brady is the right man for the job beyond 2013. After just completing a 21 win season, some might think Brady has already earned the right to a contact extension. Jeff Bourne disagrees however.

I’m quite certain Coach Brady wants an extension. I’m also quite certain that if he were in Bourne’s shoes, he wouldn’t give him one either. Brady has led the Dukes to two 20 win seasons in his 3 years on the job. His one losing season was with a team decimated by injuries. Considering where the JMU program was when he took over, he has done a pretty remarkable job getting it back to respectability. JMU didn’t pay him to get the program back above .500, they paid him to win the CAA and get the Dukes back to the tournmanent.  He’s proved that he can come in and stop the bleeding, now Bourne and the adminstration just want to see if he can take the next step and build a consistent winner.

There doesn’t appear to be a lot of grey area with the Brady. You’re either winning championships or you’re not. You’re either a fully dedicated basketball player on both ends of the court or you’re not. Anyone who was at last week’s Coaches Caravan knows Brady doesn’t mince words when assessing his players. His willingness to acknowledge Bowles’ defensive weakness seemed harsh to some. As someone who was there and also spoke to him afterward though, it didn’t come across as harsh at all. It just seemed open and honest.  I’ve got to imagine he’d feel the same way about his own coaching performance if he could view it as an outsider. He’s showed some flashes that make you think he could be the guy, he’s also done some things to make you wonder if he’s the long term solution.

I like Coach Brady a lot and am optimistic that he could be the right guy for the long haul. I’m in complete agreement with Bourne not to extend his contact yet though. Brady has turned the JMU program around, but he still hasn’t proven he’s the guy to get the it over the hump. My gut tells me he will, but I’d rather keep him squarely focused on winning the CAAand getting to tourney consistently, than to celebrate partial success. He’s done a lot with transfers and quick fixes. With 3 years under his belt, it’s time for him to stop patching holes and start building a foundation. If he shows signs of doing that next season, he’ll get his extension no problem. There just isn’t any need to sugar coat things and pretend like he’s already earned it. And I’ve got imagine Brady would agree.