Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Eastern Michigan University Athletics
Former EMU Head Coach Earns NABC Guardians of the Game Award
3/28/2016 12:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Ben Braun was named one-of-five Guardians of the Game in 2016
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (EMUEagles.com) – Former Eastern Michigan University Head Men's Basketball Coach Ben Braun was chosen as one-of-five indivudals who represent the core values of advocacy, education, leadership and service of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to receive NABC Guardians of the Game awards on Sunday, April 3, at the AT&T NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show at the Cullen Theater at Wortham Center in Houston. Braun will be the recipient of the Guardians of the Game Award for Leadership, presented by Connor Sports
Braun and his teams have had considerable success on and off the court in his 37 seasons as a collegiate head coach. His first of four head coaching positions was at Siena Heights University, an NAIA member in Adrian, Mich., where the Saints earned their first winning season in program history and followed that with five more in succession. He moved on to NCAA Division I at Eastern Michigan in 1984, was named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year three times and led the Eagles to four postseason tournaments, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 1991. Braun collected 185 wins in over 10 seasons leading the EMU men's basketball program. Braun coached the likes of EMU E-Club Hall of Fame members as well as Earl Boykins, Derrick Dial, Grant Long and Lorenzo Neely.
Following his time at EMU, the University of California hired Braun in 1997 and he became the first Cal coach to be named PAC-10 Coach of the Year in his first season. He guided the Bears to eight-straight postseason tournaments including another Sweet Sixteen, along with capturing an NIT championship. Braun took over at Rice in 2008 and the Owls earned their first postseason berth in almost 20 years in 2012. He left coaching in 2014 with 615 victories, placing him in the top 50 all-time for wins in Division I. Off the court, he started the Ben Braun Academic Achievement Fund at Cal, raising more than a million dollars for academic advisement. He developed community service programs while at Berkeley and placed more student-athletes on conference and national all-academic teams than any coaches previously at EMU, Cal and Rice. Braun also developed a solid coaching tree with 14 former assistants becoming Division I head coaches.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. as the NABC celebrates the year in men's college basketball and presents the Guardians awards along with numerous other honors including coach and player of the year honors in NCAA Divisions I, II and III as well as NABC Division I defensive player of the year and the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year.
There will also be a live interview with the two coaches who will play for the NCAA championship on Monday, April 4, at NRG Stadium.
Tickets for the AT&T Guardians of the Game Awards Show are available at http://www.houstonfirsttheaters.com.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, Mo., the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.
Braun and his teams have had considerable success on and off the court in his 37 seasons as a collegiate head coach. His first of four head coaching positions was at Siena Heights University, an NAIA member in Adrian, Mich., where the Saints earned their first winning season in program history and followed that with five more in succession. He moved on to NCAA Division I at Eastern Michigan in 1984, was named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year three times and led the Eagles to four postseason tournaments, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 1991. Braun collected 185 wins in over 10 seasons leading the EMU men's basketball program. Braun coached the likes of EMU E-Club Hall of Fame members as well as Earl Boykins, Derrick Dial, Grant Long and Lorenzo Neely.
Following his time at EMU, the University of California hired Braun in 1997 and he became the first Cal coach to be named PAC-10 Coach of the Year in his first season. He guided the Bears to eight-straight postseason tournaments including another Sweet Sixteen, along with capturing an NIT championship. Braun took over at Rice in 2008 and the Owls earned their first postseason berth in almost 20 years in 2012. He left coaching in 2014 with 615 victories, placing him in the top 50 all-time for wins in Division I. Off the court, he started the Ben Braun Academic Achievement Fund at Cal, raising more than a million dollars for academic advisement. He developed community service programs while at Berkeley and placed more student-athletes on conference and national all-academic teams than any coaches previously at EMU, Cal and Rice. Braun also developed a solid coaching tree with 14 former assistants becoming Division I head coaches.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. as the NABC celebrates the year in men's college basketball and presents the Guardians awards along with numerous other honors including coach and player of the year honors in NCAA Divisions I, II and III as well as NABC Division I defensive player of the year and the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year.
There will also be a live interview with the two coaches who will play for the NCAA championship on Monday, April 4, at NRG Stadium.
Tickets for the AT&T Guardians of the Game Awards Show are available at http://www.houstonfirsttheaters.com.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, Mo., the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.
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