BANNER ELK, N.C. – Head men’s basketball coach, Scott Polsgrove has announced the hiring of assistant coach Gary Brokaw who brings a wealth of basketball experience to the Lees-McRae College Bobcat bench in 2009. “I am very excited that Coach Brokaw has chosen to become part of our program,” Polsgrove said. “The broad range of experience that he has had at the NCAA DI and NBA levels will be a benefit to everyone associated with our program.”
Brokaw was a former All-American at Notre Dame and was on the 1974 team that pulled one of the greatest collegiate upsets of all time, defeating UCLA to snap their 88-game winning streak.
He also spent four years as a NBA player after being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 18th overall pick in the 1974 draft. He averaged eight points in 241 career games with Milwaukee, Cleveland and Buffalo.
After his time as a player in the NBA, Brokaw spent time as an assistant at his alma mater, Notre Dame, under Digger Phelps for five seasons. He made his head coaching debut at Iona College where he was 72-74 in five seasons.
He broke onto the NBA scene in 1990 as the community relations manager for the NBA league’s office. From 1991-1995, he was the NBA’s director of basketball operations under NBA executive and current New Jersey Nets President Rod Thorn.
His next stop came in Orlando as director of player personnel for the Magic. While he was there, the team reached the playoffs five times, signed Tracy McGrady as a free agent, hired 2000 NBA Coach of the Year “Doc” Rivers and drafted 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year Mike Miller.
His final stop in the NBA came with the Charlotte Bobcats. He joined the staff in 2003 as director of player personnel in preparation for the team’s Expansion Selection and NBA Draft. He joined Charlotte’s bench as assistant coach in 2004.
“Gary and I spent some time with the Orlando Magic together and to think he is helping our basketball team here at Lees-McRae is a great opportunity for everyone,” Athletic Director Craig McPhail said. “He is a skilled and accomplished teacher of the game, with loads of experience and contacts, thus making his abilities so valuable to our athletic department and our men’s basketball program. I look forward to the continued development of our men’s basketball players as well as those future Bobcats!”
Brokaw and his wife, Renee, have two daughters, Sommer and Natalie, and two sons, Brendan and Dylan. (courtesy LMC Sports Information)
