Good news: The Billikens have found someone new to believe in.
Better news: He believes in the Billikens.
Friday afternoon, Athletic Director Doug Woolard and University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., introduced Brad Soderberg as the new Saint Louis University men’s basketball coach-and the team couldn’t be happier.
“(Soderberg) was the players’ choice,” said sophomore forward Ross Varner. “We’re pleased he got the job.”
Soderberg’s faith in the Bills was evident during his season as an assistant coach, but became more significant when former coach Lorenzo Romar announced his resignation.
“Coach Soderberg had a great influence on us,” said junior guard Drew Diener. “He took us under his wing and pointed us in the right direction and pushed us to work hard. We needed someone to do that.”
Soderberg has promised that next year will be something special.
One of Soderberg’s goals is to have the team in shape to play strong defensive and up-tempo basketball in order to build on this year’s successes and become a dominant team.
“We expect to win Conference USA. That’s the first thing he told us, that we have a legitimate chance at winning, but it will take hard work,” Varner said.
According to junior guard Marque Perry, Soderberg’s goals for the team include going beyond the C-USA tournament.
The team intends to “win C-USA, to defend, to play exciting basketball, and to go to the NCAA Tournament-not to go just to try to go, but to make it to the Sweet 16, or the Final Four of even win,” Perry said. “He has confidence in us.”
In order to keep his promise and fulfill his goals, Soderberg is restructuring the team’s offense and will soon tackle the team’s defense.
The new offensive tactics will include more motion and will utilize the strengths of the team, while the fate of the defense has yet to be determined.
Most likely, the defense will resemble Romar’s defensive structure or that which Soderberg used at the University of Wisconsin.
“We have guards who are fast, big men who can play inside and outside, and good shooters,” Perry said.
“(The offense) is less structured but will flow easily,” Perry added.
So far, Soderberg has met team expectations on the court, but the many still wonder how Soderberg will relate to the team off the court.
The obvious question was whether or not Soderberg can fill the shoes of Romar, or if he should even try.
“Everyone has a good relationship with him,” Perry said. “(Soderberg and Romar) have different characteristics, but we still have a close relationship with both of them. In (Soderberg’s) own way, he cares about us.”
There is no question among the Billikens that Soderberg is a perfect fit with the Billikens, both in terms of coaching abilities and rapport with the players.
When Romar announced his resignation, Soderberg called a team meeting and told the players that no matter who their leader was they would succeed.
He picked them up when they were down, and he did it because he genuinely cares for them not just as players, but also as people.
“He loves his players. He makes us better,” Varner said. “He’s focused and has a great basketball mind.
There is a shared sense of anticipation, high hopes and confidence that surrounds the Bills as they begin to prepare for the upcoming season.
Many on the team believe the confidence and trust that the players have placed in Soderberg is worthy of being echoed by Billiken fans at SLU and in the St. Louis community.
“To all the people saying they don’t know if he should have gotten the job, they don’t know him,” Perry said. “The team knows he can lead us far, and people should make sure they support coach Soderberg.”
“We have faith in him, and he believes in us,” Varner said. “It’s a good combination.”
