Dominican University Athletics

A 2011 inductee into the Dominican University Athletics Hall of Fame, Bill Brucks served as the Director of Athletics and Head Men's Basketball coach at then Rosary College from 1983-1996.
 
When Brucks took over the reins of the men's basketball team, the program was just two years old, having suffered through a 0-26 season in 1982 and a 6-25 season in 1983 but, he quickly turned the program around, landing fellow Hall of Famer Marty Blazek in his first recruiting class. "I remember the night, February 13, 1987, when Marty Blazek set the record for the most points scored in Illinois college basketball across any division." said Brucks. "CBS Chicago came and followed us into the locker room after the game. I remember watching the piece on the nightly news and being happy to see Marty get the recognition."
 
The Rebels' best season under Brucks came in 1992. The team finished 22-10 and claimed the program's only conference championship, winning the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) crown with a 12-2 conference regular-season mark, led by team MVP and fellow Hall of Famer Eddie Stritzel.
 
When asked about his favorite memories as a coach from his 13 seasons on the bench, Brucks was quick to mention the great players, people, and administration at the institution. "I enjoyed the people and still stay in touch with several of my past players. Eddie Stritzel is a successful girls' basketball coach at Nazareth Academy who is like a son to me and, one of his assistant coaches is Matt Maras, another Hall of Famer that I coached. I go to the games and, my mind goes back to my coaching days. I love seeing them."
 
As the Athletic Director, Brucks oversaw a department that offered three sports (men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's tennis) when he started in 1983 and grew to 13 sports by the time he departed in 1996. There was plenty of success during his tenure as the programs won conference championships including the women's basketball team being ranked as one of the top teams in the nation and women's tennis going to nationals.
 
Once again, it goes back to the people with Brucks. "We not only had great coaches but great people including women's basketball coach Tom Trefilek, another Hall of Famer, and men's soccer coaches Jorge Espinosa and Phil Birch. As the Athletic Director, I was also a member of the student service staff and in doing so, got to know different heads of departments and, we always had fun together."
 
For anyone who has worked out in the University's fitness center, you can see the hardwood floor where Brucks' teams used to practice in his early years. "When we started, we didn't have a gym on campus that we could play games in so we called nine different gyms home," said Brucks. However, the administration recognized the importance of athletics and put money into the programs. "The administration was great, and they understood people came to Rosary College because it was a good academic institution where you could play sports at a high-level."