Even before Jean Bain accepted the head-coaching job at Brandeis, his future players felt an immediate connection, one they hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Soon after he started in October, that connection became personal. One of the first things he did was meet with his new team, and for graduate senior captain Latye Workman, that meant a one-on-one introduction in Bain’s office.
“The conversation wasn’t even about basketball,” Workman recalled recently. “It was about, ‘How are your parents?’ It was just like regular conversation, and I really appreciated that because it showed that he wanted to be successful on the court, but he also cared about us off the court.”
It was a breath of fresh air in the truest sense after what he and his teammates have gone through. Last April, Brandeis fired longtime coach Brian Meehan after a series of complaints alleging “preferential and discriminatory treatment, unprofessional behavior and racially biased harassment” toward his players.
One Brandeis official resigned and two others were placed on probation after an independent investigation found inadequacies in the school’s handling of the complaints.
And for the players who were on the receiving end of Meehan’s conduct for a number of years, it was a long time coming.
“I feel like it was long overdue,” Workman said.
It’s ushered in a new era for the program, and it seems Bain has been the perfect man for the job. The Medford native is a former Northeastern standout who was the America East Rookie of the Year in 1999 and an all-conference selection in 2002 before becoming an assistant coach. He most recently served on Columbia’s staff.
Brandeis certainly wasn’t the easiest first head-coaching gig, but Bain has welcomed the challenge. He said he talked with the team about their experiences on the first day, then put it in the past. He immediately began fostering a positive environment for his players, who were eager to move on from a toxic culture.
“We try to make it a positive and fun kind of environment when they come in the gym, so the two hours they’re there, they know it’s going to be an enjoyable two hours,” Bain said. “They’ve bought in, they’ve come in and they’ve enjoyed being in the gym. We have guys come in and shoot daily, and my office door is always open. That’s one of the things I told them: Whenever I’m here, you can walk in at any time and sit down.”
So far, the culture change has translated to on-court success. Eight players from last year’s team decided to return, and the Judges (10-7) already have exceeded the number of wins they’ve reached in each of the past four seasons. They’re doing it behind a commitment to defense, as they rank in the top 25 in the country in points allowed.
“It feels great, especially being a part of the initial wave for the first four years and really having to deal with the situation that we were in, to actually experience the change, it’s a great feeling,” Workman said. “I feel like my love for the game was restored. …
“His passion about just playing well and playing together has rubbed off on us, and now we go out there and play as hard as we can for each other.”
Bain said he’s been surprised with the early success, but he’s proud of how his team has responded to an adverse situation.
“It’s a credit to them and the type of kids they are and how hard they’ve worked, and how much they’ve all bought in,” Bain said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. They’ve all bought in to what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to build. Whether they play 10 minutes, they play no minutes, everybody’s on board.”
New dynamic
The return of Bryce Aiken for Harvard is exciting for many reasons. One is the dangerous backcourt that’s formed as he joins Christian Juzang.
Juzang has played well since taking the starting point guard spot when Aiken went out with an injury, but his return adds more possibilities on offense. The juniors both can create their own shots, and Harvard coach Tommy Amaker thinks he has a better passing team with them playing together. It’s shown up in the Crimson’s two wins since Aiken’s return last week.
“It’s amazing,” Juzang said. “Personally, Bryce and I have been talking about playing together in the backcourt since freshman year, so to have him out there, just playing off each other and creating plays, it’s the most exciting thing ever.”
