Missouri Valley Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

10. Missouri Valley Basketball coach – Jim Les (Bradley, 2002-2011)

At the beginning of the century, the MVC was a conference full of solid basketball programs that competing for NCAA Tournament bids on a regular basis. While Bradley wasn’t exactly a top team during this time, the impact during Les’s nine years in Peoria can still be felt today. He didn’t turn the Braves into a perennial conference contender, but his 2006 team was a clear highlight in recent program history.

That 2006 season was the only NCAA Tournament that Les made at Bradley, but they sure took advantage of the bid. The Braves upset Kansas and Pittsburgh and made the Sweet Sixteen as a 13-seed. Bradley would return to postseason play in the lesser tournaments in the following three seasons, all years in which they won at least 21 games.

There have been some great coaches in this conference, but it’s still impressive that Les built this instant success with the Braves. Unfortunately, the success was not long-lasting and he was relieved after nine seasons. He never finished higher than 4th in the tough MVC but left his mark with that impressive NCAA Tournament run. In the following years, Bradley would sink even lower, though it looks like things have finally turned a corner for the mid-major from central Illinois.