HARRISONBURG, Va., March 26, 2008 – Matt Brady was introduced as James Madison University's new men's basketball coach Wednesday during a press conference at the JMU Convocation Center.

Brady joins the JMU staff after spending the last four seasons as the head coach at Marist College, where he developed the Poughkeepsie, N.Y., program into a top contender in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  The Red Foxes were 73-50 under Brady, and they improved their wins total from the previous year during each of his first three seasons with the team.

In the JMU head coaching position, Brady follows Dean Keener, who resigned Feb. 22.  JMU completed the 2007-08 season with a 13-17 record and had a four-year record of 31-85 under Keener.

Before assuming Marist's head coaching position, the 42-year-old Brady was a Division I assistant coach for 17 seasons.  The 1987 Siena graduate was a Rhode Island assistant under Tom Penders from 1987-89, a Wagner assistant under Tim Capstraw from 1989-93, and a St. Joseph's assistant from 1993-2004, mostly under Phil Martelli.

Jeff Bourne, JMU's athletics director, introduced Brady Wednesday and said of the Hadden Heights, N.J., native, "Obviously he comes from a very fine pedigree of basketball coaching and coaches.

"He is a tactician, he understands the game, he has the ability to coach student-athletes to a higher, and that's been proven," Bourne said.  "It's been proven where he was an assistant coach and where he was at Marist.

"He brings with him a fine network of recruiting over this country but more particularly up and down the Eastern seaboard.  He appreciates tenacious defense and the fine parts of the game, working hard and going that extra mile," Bourne said.

Brady opened his remarks by acknowledging the "unbelievable opportunity" he was given by the administration at Marist four years ago.  He thanked JMU's president, Dr. Linwood Rose, and Bourne for their confidence in naming him to his JMU position, Marist president Dr. Dennis Murray for his support for the last four years, his Marist coaching staff, and his Marist players.

Brady called Tuesday (March 25) one of the more-difficult days he has endured, having to inform his former players that he had accepted a new position.

Of JMU's men's basketball tradition, Brady said, "I recognize what has happened here," speaking particularly of success the Dukes enjoyed under coaches "Lefty" Driesell and Lou Campanelli, "and accept the challenge of trying to bring JMU back to the top of this league (the Colonial Athletic Association).

"I recognize how competitive this conference is," he said.  "I recognize the strides this conference has made, not just regionally but nationally.  Some of the things that have been done with men's basketball have been unique."

A commitment to the men's basketball program by university's administration was a key to him accepting JMU's coaching offer, Brady said.  "It didn't take long to know that they were very serious with their intentions to make this the very best basketball situation this could be," he said.

Brady credited Keener for building that recently has taken place in the JMU program, saying "I like a lot of what Dean had done" and "I think there is enough (players' abilities) here to be successful next year."

On working with the current JMU players he said, "I look forward to and welcome the challenge of trying to make them better basketball players.  I promise them that they are going to get my greatest effort to get better at basketball and improve their skill level."

Brady and his family (wife Mary, three young sons), who joined him Wednesday, returned to New York later during the day, but the new Dukes coach expects to be back at JMU Thursday (March 27).  He expects his Marist to join him in JMU positions.

Under Brady Marist in 2007-08 was 18-14 despite playing most the second half of the season without its second-leading scorer.  The Red Foxes were 25-9 in 2006-07 when they won their first MAAC regular-season title and posted a National Invitation Tournament win at Oklahoma State, 19-10 in 2005-06 and 11-17 in 2004-05.  Marist was 6-22 in 2003-04, the season before Brady's hiring.

Marist in 2007-08 was 11-7 in MAAC regular-season play and reached the semifinals of the league tournament.  The Red Foxes played 13 games without 12.1-points-per game scorer Louie McCroskey and in non-league play had victories over Bucknell, Colgate, Richmond, Wright State and CAA members Delaware and Hofstra.  Their non-league losses were to Cleveland State, Houston, Massachusetts, Miami, St. John's and Temple.

During the 2007-08 season, Marist averaged 8.0 three-point field goals made and 21.0 three-pointers attempted per game and had MAAC co-freshman of the year Jay Gavin, who led the team with a 12.3-point-per-game scoring average.

The Red Foxes set a team record for wins during their 25-9 season in 2006-07 when Brady was the MAAC and New York City-area coach of the year.  They had the MAAC player of the year in guard Jared Jordan, a two-time NCAA Division I assists champion and the 45th overall choice in the National Basketball Association draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.  Their roster also included guard Will Whittington, who led the nation with 137 three-pointers and finished his career ranked 15th in NCAA history in three-pointers made.

Marist in 2006-07 played in the inaugural Old Spice Classic at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex, and the Red Foxes in 2007-08 took part in the inaugural O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament that included three nationally televised games.  They had wins over Minnesota and Western Michigan in the Old Spice Classic and met Miami, Houston and Temple this past season in Puerto Rico.

Marist in 2005-06 had 19 wins in a season for only the fifth time in team history and compiled an eight-game winning streak, the program's longest in more than six years.  Jordan led the nation in assists for the first of two seasons, averaging 8.5 per game, and was first-team All-MAAC, and Whittington was third-team All-MAAC after averaging more than 15 points per game and having 103 three-pointers.

Whittington and Jordan both also received all-league honors in 2004-05 during Brady's first Marist season.

While Brady was at St. Joseph's, the Hawks appeared in the NCAA Tournament four times and the National Invitation Tournament three times and won four Big 5 championships and three Atlantic 10 titles.  St. Joseph's in 2003-04 was 27-0 during the regular season, earned a No. 1 national ranking and a top seed for the NCAA Tournament, and reached the Elite Eight during the postseason.

Brady was involved in recruiting several of the top players in St. Joseph's history, including 2004 national player of the year Jameer Nelson, who was freshman of the year by Sports Illustrated and Eastern Basketball.  He also took part in recruiting Delonte West, who was player of the year in the Washington, D.C., area, an honorable mention Associated Press All-America and a second-team All-America by Sports Illustrated, and Abdulai Jalloh, who played two seasons at St. Joseph's and now plays at JMU.

Brady was credited with impressive shooting by players at St. Joseph's, whose 2003-04 team set a team record with 313 three-point field goals.  Marist also had dramatic statistical improvements under his direction, ranking in the top three in the 10-team MAAC in overall field goal percentage, three-point percentage and three-pointers per game during each of his four seasons.  The Red Foxes were ninth in the league in field goal percentage, 10th in three-point percentage and sixth in three-pointers per game the season before his arrival.

Marist during the 2005-06 season led the MAAC and was ninth nationally with a .490 shooting percentage for the season.

Brady began his coaching career in 1987 at Rhode Island and was a member of the Rams' staff in 1988 when they reached the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Tournament.  He spent the next four seasons at Wagner before moving to St. Joseph's in 1993-94.

As a player at Siena, Brady appeared in 114 career games, including 92 as a starter.  He completed his career as the program's all-time assists leader (593), and he was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 1993.  For his career he averaged 9.7 points per game and was a 45.9 percent shooter from the field.

Brady and was a basketball standout at Paul VI High School in Haddon Township, N.J.  He was named to the 1980s South Jersey All-Decade Team.

BRADY'S COACHING BACKGROUND

Season, Position, School, Record

2007-08, Head Coach, Marist, 18-14

2006-07, Head Coach, Marist, 25-9

2005-06, Head Coach, Marist, 19-10

2004-05, Head Coach, Marist, 11-17

2003-04, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 30-2

2002-03, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 23-7

2001-02, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 19-12

2000-01, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 26-7

1999-00, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 13-16

1998-99, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 12-18

1997-98, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 11-17

1996-97, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 26-7

1995-96, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 19-13

1994-95, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 17-12

1993-94, Assistant Coach, St. Joseph's, 14-14

1992-93, Assistant Coach, Wagner, 18-12

1991-92, Assistant Coach, Wagner, 16-12

1990-91, Assistant Coach, Wagner, 4-26

1989-90, Assistant Coach, Wagner, 11-17

1988-89, Assistant Coach, Rhode Island, 13-15

1987-88, Assistant Coach, Rhode Island, 28-7

Head Coach's Record:  73-50 (Four Seasons)

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