Who Is SIUE’s Brian Barone?

One-on-One With the New Coach

(Kansas City, MO) – Before coming to the Midwest Regional in Kansas City, I had to meet with and find out ‘who is SIUE’s Brian Barone?’ This is the first of a two-part story. I’m hoping you get some insights into the new Cougar head coach.

If the last name sounds familiar, it should. His father Tony Barone was a successful coach and many in the midwest will remember his days at Creighton. The elder Barone also coached at Texas A&M and with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Tony SR is in the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. He played college basketball at Duke.

Brian has worked with Tom Crean, Porter Moser  and Brian Wardle. His collegiate basketball was played at Texas A &M for his father and then he played for Crean at Marquette. After two seasons as an assistant to Jon Harris he slides into the head coaching position.

Who will Brian Barone be as a head coach?

The first-year coach says his role and title have changed, but not his passion or belief in the opportunities at SIUE.

 

 

After serving on several coaching staffs, Barone is excited to implement his own philosophy. He also brags about the possibilities and potential for SIUE. He’s looking forward to calling the plays and building the SIUE brand. Barone says part of his job is to educate people about the strengths of his university and community.

 

 

As we attempt to find out ‘who is Brian Barone?’ we obviously notice that he has worked for some high level coaches and in some elite programs. What did he learn from his father, Tom Crean and Porter Moser? The SIUE coach brags about all three.

 

 

Building a Roster

Barone was part of Jon Harris’ staff that improved from six wins to nine in 2017-18 and to ten last season. As his first workouts began this week, he is excited about the potential returners and recruits. He is contacting previous ‘committed’ players who now must decide if they want to continue their commitment.

 

 

We’ll dive into the OVC, the current Cougar roster and the growing rivalry with between the two Southern Illinois universities.

Do Good