At just 46 years old, Brian Wardle is approaching a major career milestone with nearly 300 victories to his name.
From Green Bay to Peoria: Building a Winner the Hard Way
His path to success began with five productive seasons at Green Bay, where he posted a 96–65 record before taking over the Bradley Braves program in Peoria.
The early years were rough, with only 18 wins in his first two seasons as he worked to rebuild the foundation. But since then, Wardle has transformed Bradley into one of the Missouri Valley’s most consistent programs, collecting six 20-win seasons over the last eight years.
Bradley’s Consistency and the Chase for March
A season ago, Bradley finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference and reached the NIT Quarterfinals for the third straight year after falling to Drake in the league title game. Yet Wardle and his staff are aiming higher in 2025–26, the goal is a return to the NCAA Tournament.
Wardle already has two regular season titles and two conference tournament championships on his resume, including what would have been a 2020 NCAA Tournament berth before the event was canceled.
A Coach with Deep Roots and Family Ties
Wardle’s impact on and off the court has earned him recognition across college basketball. He was named Horizon Coach of the Year in 2014, Missouri Valley Coach of the Year in 2023, and also won the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award in 2014.
A former standout player himself, Wardle was a first-team All-Conference USA selection at Marquette in 2001. Now, his family is carrying on that basketball tradition; his oldest daughter, Mya, has transferred to Bradley to play for the women’s team, while his younger daughter, Emy, stars for one of the top high school programs in Illinois (Peoria Notre Dame).
The Season Ahead for the Braves
The Braves were picked to finish fourth in this year’s Missouri Valley preseason poll, behind Illinois State, Northern Iowa, and Murray State, with Belmont rounding out the top five.
Bradley opened the season with a narrow loss to St. Bonaventure before responding in a big way, routing Central Michigan 85–54. Jaquan Johnson was electric in that win, dropping 33 points in just 26 minutes.
The Braves will look to build on that performance Wednesday when they host UT Martin. Local standouts DJ Richardson (Peoria Manual), Matthew Zobrist (Metamora), and Gus Rugaard (Morton) bring energy and pride to a roster that continues to evolve. Nearly 6,000 fans packed Carver Arena for the opener, a sign that Peoria is fully behind its hometown team.
Road Tests and Rivalries Ahead
After Wednesday’s home matchup, the Braves travel west to face San Francisco, then return home to take on UMass Lowell. Over Thanksgiving, they’ll play in Orlando’s State Farm Field House, beginning with Princeton. December features home dates with Washington State, Northern Illinois, and North Central before Missouri Valley play begins December 18 at Indiana State.
If Wardle’s track record is any indication, Bradley won’t just be playing for wins this season, they’ll be playing for another shot at March.