If True-Thank You Jim Les

[BUfan14]

If this is the end.....


I want to say thank you to Jim. In the face of so much adversity he cared more about his university and players than himself. He could have put a 50% Sammy out there this year, he could have pushed to try to rush TB back for the MVC tourny to save his job, but he didn't. He cared more for their future than his own. He made all of these young men into class adults and good students. These things mean a lot to me.

I feel so bad because he had so much bad luck. I think we were going in the right direction and had a lot of good recruits coming in. The Sweet 16 was the greatest thing I've experienced as a Bradley fan.


Thank you for everything you have done Jim Les. You are a class act. I wish you were still our coach next year, as I think great things were coming. This day is very sad for me as a fan of Bradley and Jim.

Good luck to you and your future.

Can I request no one say anything negative in this thread? Thank you.

[BradleyJD]

Agreed. Jim Les is a great man and former player. He did many great things for BU. I certainly wish him nothing but the best. He will always be a Brave.

[Missouri Brave]

Agreed. 100%. A class act to the end. God bless to you, Jim, and your family.

[electricmayhem]

Let us also not forget that Jim spent a lot of time away from his family raising funds for our new facilities. I hope he is proud of what he accomplished at BU and I'm sure he'll have success at whatever the future holds for him.

Jim developed some of the finest young men to come out of BU in a long time, including most recently AW and DD. We alums should be proud.

I support BU in everything they do - but that doesn't mean we can't take a few moments and reflect on the positives of the last nine seasons. I agree - I can't give you a number of how many people I made sure knew that I was from Bradley when we beat Kansas, then triple it after the Pitt game. Jim will always have a place in my heart for that season.

Farewell Coach -- Thank You and best of luck!

[Dubl R 1]

I also would like to thank Coach Les for everything he did for Bradley University. The memories I have from 2006 in Detroit are priceless. I would have loved for him to have been afforded the chance to utilize the new facilities that he was very instrumental in bringing to the Hilltop. Good luck to Coach Les and his family in the future!! Once a Brave, Always a Brave!!

[jasonpeoria911]

Thanks Les for several years of enjoyable BU basketball and the Sweet 16. Good luck in your next coaching position.

And to the current BU players that decide to leave, thanks for giving us some exciting seasons. I would love for you to stay but realize y'all have a choice to play for a new boss unlike in the real world job market. Good luck on your next team.

Jason

[mrcoachdude]

Ditto....thank you Jim for your devotion to BU...I am saddened to hear this news...I have appreciate your openness and willingness to talk BU hoops (along with ND hoops)

God Bless you and your family through this trial...

[Braves4Life]

Very well said by all of you guys. Jim has been a fine representative of all things Bradley since his days as a BU ball boy for his brother Tom. I wish Jim and his family nothing but the best, appreciate his near lifelong support of my university, and hope he remains a Brave4Life.

Thank you Coach Les!!!!!

[Dallas Brave]

Coach, thank you for your 9 years at Bradley. You ran a program that you can be proud of. Best of luck Coach.

[lake Camelot]

I would like to say it made me feel really proud hearing about the teams GPA, and seeing how the players handled the public. The program really showed well on Bradley and coach Les. Thank you for running such a fine program for the past decade and good luck in the future.

[Bravesfan]

I would like to say it made me feel really proud hearing about the teams GPA, and seeing how the players handled the public. The program really showed well on Bradley and coach Les. Thank you for running such a fine program for the past decade and good luck in the future.

I was just going to say the same thing. Les is a stand-up guy, and he did so much for the university that goes beyond the win/loss record. The cumulative team GPA was the highest that I could ever recall, and once again underscored what the true definition of student-athlete is all about. Everyone knows that most players at this level do not intend on playing pro ball, so obviously the main goal is to come away from their college experience with a degree from one of the best universities in the midwest. A Bradley degree means a lot, and that many of the players graduated with honors or currently on the honor roll shows just how dedicated Les was in trying to get everyone prepared for their future beyond Bradley.

Les left the program in great shape, with state of the art new facilities as well, and hopefully at a level the next coach can live up to as well. I too would like to thank you Coach Les for setting the bar high, and good luck to you with your future endeavors.

[Buesch N Chips]

Coach is a class act, and it is sad to see him go. I hope he and BU leave on terms that can be mended over time. I was on the side of hoping for another season, but I wish BU well in its search for his replacement. I don't take joy is him being asked to leave, but I also realize that there were reasons the decision was made. Time will tell if it was the right one.

[BradleyBrave]

Coach is a class act, and it is sad to see him go. I hope he and BU leave on terms that can be mended over time. I was on the side of hoping for another season, but I wish BU well in its search for his replacement. I don't take joy is him being asked to leave, but I also realize that there were reasons the decision was made. Time will tell if it was the right one.

Well said.

[bigjimmy]

This thread should only be to thank Jim Les for his long devotion to Bradley University. There's hardly been another coach in BU history who has done more off the court for BU than Jim. Whoever comes in as the next head coach will be reaping the benefits of that, I hope.

[Bradleyguy10]

I think JL did it the right way, and was just unfortunate to have consistently been snake bitten by things out of his control....and to some degree things within his control. Overall I think this may be better for him as a coach to learn and grow. Definitely was on the side of keeping him around for a few more years to see what he could turn in to. Can't find a coach that had the loyalty and drive to succeed specifically for BU anywhere else, and I feel that is invaluable. Good luck...