On Sept. 7, ETSU athletics announced that former player Desonta Bradford (Humboldt, Tennessee) is joining the men’s basketball coaching staff for the 2020-21 season as an assistant for player development.
Bradford, a former All-American finalist, spent his entire college career in Johnson City, where he helped lead the Bucs to a NCAA Tournament berth in 2017.
Now, Bradford plans to help lead the Bucs along the sidelines.
“It’s different,” Bradford said. “As a player, you’re just going out there and playing. Now, it’s about creating schemes and preparing the team. I can’t lie, it’s pretty cool.”
Bradford, having recently graduated from playing, plans to reflect on his time playing in the Southern Conference to better prepare him to coach the team in 2020.
“[The] majority of the guys that I played against, I will now be coaching against,” Bradford said. “I plan to use my experiences as a player to better prepare this basketball team.”
Bradford’s unique ability to understand opponents from a competitive standpoint should prove to be beneficial, as he had few difficulties succeeding during his time playing under coach Jason Shay.
Though Bradford will not be dribbling a basketball this year, his expectations for the team still remain clear.
“We’re expecting these guys to compete for a championship, as always,” Bradford said. “We have some experienced and young guys, but ultimately I expect them to achieve the things that we want them to achieve.”
Bradford will now start a new career where he will have to adapt from being a former player and transition into playing a pivotal coaching role. He is excited for the new season and will prove to be a great addition to this coaching staff.
Bradford’s new role at ETSU is all but an introduction — it is a reunion.
“I’m back and very thankful for the opportunity to be welcomed back,” Bradford said. “I’m looking forward to showing my knowledge for the game and helping these young men grow.”
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