Bruiser Flint
Current position
TitleAssistant coach
TeamKentucky
ConferenceSEC
Biographical details
Born (1965-07-23) July 23, 1965 (age 58)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1983–1987Saint Joseph's
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1987–1989Coppin State (assistant)
1989–1996UMass (assistant)
1996–2001UMass
2001–2016Drexel
2017–2020Indiana (assistant)
2020–presentKentucky (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall331–289
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
CAA regular season (2012)
Awards
4× CAA Coach of the Year (2002, 2004, 2009, 2012)
4× NABC District Coach of the Year (1998, 2007, 2009, 2012)

James "Bruiser" Flint (born July 23, 1965) is an American men's college basketball coach, currently an assistant coach at Kentucky. He was most recently the head coach at Drexel University.

Collegiate playing career

Flint is a 1987 graduate of Saint Joseph's University. While attending St. Joe's, Flint was a member of the school's varsity basketball team. Flint was named to the all-Atlantic 10 team as a senior, and was inducted into the St. Joe's athletic hall of fame in 1988.

Early coaching career

In 1987, Flint became an assistant coach at Coppin State University. Two years later, Flint became an assistant coach under John Calipari at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (or UMass). After Calipari left UMass for the NBA in 1996, Flint was named his successor, becoming the school's 17th head coach. While coach of the Minutemen, Flint compiled an overall record of 86–72. He won an NABC District Coach of the Year award in 1998.[1] Facing pressure after being unable to maintain the Minutemen's level of success that they enjoyed under Calipari, Flint resigned from UMass after the 2000–01 season.[2]

Later coaching career

Flint became the head coach at Drexel on April 5, 2001, succeeding Steve Seymour, who had been fired that March after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in either of his two seasons as head coach. Flint's hiring at Drexel coincided with Drexel's move from the America East Conference, where the school had enjoyed a sustained level of success under former head coach Bill Herrion, to the Colonial Athletic Association (or CAA).[3]

During his tenure at Drexel, Flint was named CAA coach of the year four times (2002, 2004, 2009, 2012).[4] He also won an NABC District Coach of the Year award three times (2007, 2009, 2012).[5] Under Flint, Drexel made five NIT appearances. In 2012, the school won its first CAA Regular Season Championship in 2012, but lost to VCU in the finals of the Conference Tournament. On Selection Sunday, Drexel narrowly missed an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.[6] On March 7, 2016, following the end of Drexel's season, Flint was fired as head basketball coach after 15 seasons with the team.[7] At the time of his firing, he was the all–time winningest coach in Drexel basketball history.

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
UMass Minutemen (Atlantic 10 Conference) (1996–2001)
1996–97 UMass 19–14 11–5 3rd (East) NCAA First Round
1997–98 UMass 21–11 12–4 T–2nd (East) NCAA First Round
1998–99 UMass 14–16 9–7 3rd (East)
1999–00 UMass 17–16 9–7 3rd (East) NIT First Round
2000–01 UMass 15–15 11–5 4th
UMass: 86–72 (.544) 52–28 (.650)
Drexel Dragons (Colonial Athletic Association) (2001–2016)
2001–02 Drexel 14–14 11–7 T–3rd
2002–03 Drexel 19–12 12–6 T–2nd NIT Opening Round
2003–04 Drexel 18–11 13–5 2nd NIT First Round
2004–05 Drexel 17–12 12–6 T–4th NIT Opening Round
2005–06 Drexel 15–16 8–10 T–7th
2006–07 Drexel 23–9 13–5 4th NIT First Round
2007–08 Drexel 12–20 5–13 10th
2008–09 Drexel 15–14 10–8 6th
2009–10 Drexel 16–16 11–7 6th
2010–11 Drexel 21–10 11–7 5th
2011–12 Drexel 29–7 16–2 1st NIT Quarterfinals
2012–13 Drexel 13–18 9–9 7th
2013–14 Drexel 16–14 8–8 4th
2014–15 Drexel 11–19 9–9 T–6th
2015–16 Drexel 6–25 3–15 9th
Drexel: 245–217 (.530) 150–117 (.562)
Total: 331–289 (.534)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ "Bruiser Flint Biography". Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  2. ^ http://umassathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031201aaa.html[dead link]
  3. ^ "Drexel hires Flint as new head coach". The Reading Eagles. April 5, 2001. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  4. ^ "Drexel University Athletics". Archived from the original on March 11, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  5. ^ "Bruiser Flint Named District Coach of the Year for the Fourth Time". Drexel Athletics. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  6. ^ Brooks, Matt (March 21, 2012). "NCAA Tournament 2012: Drexel, Seton Hall, Miami among biggest snubs settling for NIT". Washington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  7. ^ Goodman, Jeff; Borzello, Jeff (March 7, 2016). "Bruiser Flint fired by Drexel after 15 seasons". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved March 7, 2016.

External links

UMass Minutemen head basketball coaches
Drexel Dragons men's basketball head coaches
Coastal Athletic Association Men's Basketball Coach of the Year
Categories