Brian Barone – Building a Cougar Culture

Coaches, Recruits, Returners & Rivals

(Kansas City, MO) – Building the Cougar culture is vital to new coach Brian Barone. He has begun workouts with his returning players, he’s working the recruiting trail, has rehired the existing staff and he’s even reaching out to a future rival.

In this second part of our two part interview with the new Cougar coach, we find out what he thinks about some of his returning players, his existing coaching staff and what kind of players he’s recruiting. The former assistant at several high level programs is working to develop a fresh Cougar culture.

The Staff

Barone was part of Jon Harris’ staff with Charles ‘Bubba’ Wells and Mike Waldo. The first year coach has retained Wells and Waldo and is looking to replace himself on this season’s staff. He says Wells and Waldo have great basketball minds and bring very unique skills to the job.

 

 

Waldo is beginning his second season on the Cougar bench. The legendary Edwardsville High School Hall of Fame coach brings local and regional knowledge. He rang up 727 prep victories and gained ten Southewestern Conference titles.

Wells is an Ohio Valley Conference legend. The all-time leading scorer at Austin Peay and ten year veteran of the APSU coaching staff, begins his fifth Cougar season. Wells scored 2,267 points with the Governors.

Returners With Talent

Creating the Cougar culture with the mantra ‘find a way’, begins with the existing roster. Barone recruited and coached the some current roster members and is confident the existing squad has great promise. Three of last year’s top four scorers return. Senior Brandon Jackson (Cardinal Ritter), Tyresse Williford and Cameron Williams (Hazelwood Central) provide a nucleus for this season.

I asked Barone to reflect on Jackson and Williford.

 

 

Recruiting & Looking for Winners

With a change at the top, formerly committed high school players have decisions to make. Coach Barone realizes he has to reengage with players he had previously recruited. He respects that they may want to re-think they’re decisions.

Creating Cougar culture is partly done by recruiting the right kind of players and Barone says recruiting ‘winners’ helps that process.

 

 

Fresh Rivalry with SIUC

Within days of Barone’s hiring, Southern Illinois Carbondale was hiring Bryan Mullins. The two rookie coaches were raised by a coach, their brothers coach and they both worked with Porter Moser. The two are good friends, but Barone insists Mullins spells his name incorrectly.

 

 

A healthy rivalry between the two Southern Illinois universities will promote both programs, basketball in the region and both the Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley Conference brands.

Barone appears to be well prepared for his first head coaching job and the phrase ‘find a way’ will be part of the Cougar culture.

Do Good