Former PU assistant in NCAAs
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
It’s a happy ending for Mike Brennan, and it’s not over yet.
When Joe Scott left for Denver University, Brennan wanted the Princeton University head coaching job.
He didn’t get it, and Brennan didn’t follow Scott to Denver. He didn’t end up at Georgetown University as an assistant to John Thompson III as some had expected, didn’t meet up with Bill Carmody at Northwestern, or at Richmond with Chris Mooney. And he didn’t return to Princeton with new Tigers head coach Sydney Johnson.
Brennan moved out of the Princeton network, walked in cold for an interview and accepted a job as an assistant at American University. Today, the Eagles make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament as the East Region No. 15 seed against No. 2 Tennessee.
”The most important things are the people you work with,” Brennan said. “It’s finding a good group that you enjoy working with every day. I sort of lucked out there. It’s a good group of people all around.”
Brennan will try to help the Eagles pull the rare 15 upset of a 2 seed. Tip-off is 12:15 p.m.
”Everybody, if they’re in the tournament, they’re good,” Brennan said. “We’re happy to represent. Hopefully we’ll go out and play well.”
After landing the top seed in the Patriot League with a 10-4 regular season, the Eagles won their first Patriot League championship with a 52-46 win over Colgate last Friday. It put them in their first NCAAs in the program’s 41 years of Division I play, but it isn’t Brennan’s first trip to the Big Dance. He last was there as a Tigers assistant to Thompson in 2004.
”You appreciate everything,” Brennan said. “You know how hard it is once you stop going.”
American was happy to welcome a coach with Brennan’s resume to its staff. Brennan was an assistant at Princeton for seven years, and served as the top assistant to Scott for the last three years. The Tigers were twice Ivy League champions while he was there and he came to American with a winning attitude.
”He’s brought an awful lot,” said American head coach Jeff Jones, whose team is 21-11 overall. “He’s been absolutely terrific. He brings a different perspective, but an experienced perspective. The players love him. One of the things he’s been doing is working with guys on their individual skills. He’s been great with it, and guys are constantly coming to him. They’re coming to him and saying, come work with me.
”He’s got his hand in everything — games, practices and recruiting. It’s been a pretty seamless transition. It’s been great to have him on the staff.”
While it is Georgetown, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, that draws most of the coverage in the Washington, D.C. area, American has soared to the forefront in the past week. The Eagles were even the subject of a New York Times piece. It chronicled the Eagles rise from losing four starters from a year ago among six seniors.
”Everyone in the league was talking about that Holy Cross and Bucknell were down,” Brennan said. “The league was open.”
American defeated Maryland for the first time in 80 years this season. They enter the NCAAs with wins in 10 of their last 11 games. Their lone loss came at Navy on Feb. 27.
”We strung a bunch of wins together,” Brennan said. “Even before the league started, we had some good wins. You could see the team getting better.”
Brennan was happy to be able to help raise the level of the Eagles. He has brought his experience, but not the Princeton offense with him.
”We might try to incorporate a little of it,” Jones said, “but I don’t think we’re going in that direction.”
Brennan didn’t have to. He just wanted to fit into the staff of Jones, who has been at American eight seasons.
Said Brennan: “It’s the same pretty much anywhere. We all share. Basically everyone pitches in and does a little of everything. On the court at practice, whoever gets there early coaches them. It’s a good group of kids. They’re guys that want to be good and basketball is important to them.”
Brennan has only worked in the Princeton system prior to American. Even before coming to Princeton, he worked as a volunteer assistant at Columbia, where Princeton graduate Armond Hill was coaching.
”The thing that struck me is more of the similarities,” Brennan said. “You go to a different place, it’s pretty much the same. Everyone works their tails off. Everyone’s up late. Everyone’s coaching hard. The passion that everyone has. Everyone realizes how hard it is. You just work that much harder.”
Brennan has worked hard off and even on the court. On occasion, he has had to display the skills that made the 1994 Princeton University graduate an All-Ivy guard. Even that has helped the Eagles.
”He is in unbelievable shape,” Jones said. “He’s been forced into action a couple times with our scout team. And he’s really good. He could still play. Coach (Pete) Carril would be proud of him.”
All of Princeton can be proud of him. He has helped another team land in the tournament. He knows that’s something that all of his fellow Princeton coaching brethren can appreciate. Even though he isn’t coaching with them, he remains close.
”I see Rob (Burke, Georgetown assistant) once and a while,” Brennan said. “You root for all your buddies. Same with Syd and Brian (Earl), all those guys.”