Monday, July 28, 2008

MIKE McBRIDE NAMED TUSCULUM ASSISTANT BASKETBALL COACH

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Mike McBride has been named the new assistant men’s basketball coach at Tusculum College announced Pioneer head coach Jim Boone.

McBride will be involved in all phases of the program, serving as recruiting coordinator and assisting with on-floor coaching and teaching, game preparation and director of operations for summer basketball camps.

"We are very excited to have someone of Mike's caliber as both a coach and a person to become a member of our basketball and college family,” said Boone. “Mike brings a wealth of successful experience as a coach and as a recruiter. Not only is he obviously a tremendous addition to our staff, but as good as he is as a coach, he is a better person."

McBride comes to the Greeneville campus after serving three seasons at Indiana University Southeast (2004-07). While at the New Albany, Ind. school, he helped the Grenadiers to a 78-22 combined record, including two seasons where IUS finished the year nationally ranked.

During the 2004-05 campaign, IUS posted a 29-8 record, while capturing the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) Regular Season and Tournament titles and advanced to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, finishing the year ranked No. 23 in the country.

The Grenadiers followed that outstanding campaign with one even better as IUS rattled off a 30-4 record. IUS repeated as KIAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, and returned to the NAIA National Tournament. IUS posted the second-best scoring margin in the nation (+16.91), while finishing seventh in both field goal percentage (49.4%) and three-point field goal percentage (40.5%). The Grenadiers ended the season ranked No. 9 in the land, while tallying winning streaks spanning 10 and eight games, including four overtime contests. IUS averaged 79.8 points per game, while limiting its opponents to just 62.9 ppg.

During his three seasons at IUS, McBride mentored eight All-Conference selections, including Ty Crone, who garnered NAIA All-America recognition in 2004-05.

“I’m extremely excited to join a quality institution like Tusculum College and to work with a successful and well respected coach in Jim Boone,” said McBride.  “The work that Coach Boone and the previous coaching staffs have put in over the past few years have TC primed for great success.  I’m very fortunate to be a part of it.”

Prior to coaching at IUS, he spent four seasons as the boys’ varsity head coach at Tipton (Ind.) High School. He led the Blue Devils to the Class 2A Taylor Sectional Championship in 2001.

His first stint as a collegiate coach came at Eastern Kentucky University during the 1999-2000 season, preceded by three years as head boys’ varsity coach at Eminence (Ind.) High School. From 1997-99, he also served the dual role as basketball coach and athletic director.

The Jeffersonville, Ind. native played his collegiate career at Marian College, where he was an All-Conference standout (1995-96) and was twice named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court (1994-96). The 1996 Marian graduate lettered three seasons with the Knights and served as team captain during his senior year.

McBride has worked at numerous basketball camps and clinics, serving as director of the IUS Basketball Camp, Tipton Summer League, Tipton High School Basketball Camp and the Tipton Fall Developmental Camp. He has also worked with the Bloomington Red AAU Program, Five Star Basketball Camp and the Indiana University Basketball Camp.

He is a member of the NABC and the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

- TC -