WPI Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Bartley announced the hiring of three part-time coaches to the staff; the official hiring will be completed shortly. Joining Bartley and recently elevated full-time assistant coach Ryan Sheehan, will be David Brown ’12, a former team Captain that helped lead WPI to the NCAA Tournament and NEWMAC Regular Season Championship in 2009 & 2011, as well as an ECAC New England Tournament Championship in 2012. Brown, a Business Management major from Lowell, MA, has a wealth of coaching experience including a previous stint as an assistant coach at WPI during the 2012-13 season when WPI enjoyed a 26-3 overall record, NEWMAC Tournament and Regular Season Championships and an NCAA 2nd round appearance. He has also served as an assistant coach for two exceptional head coaches at the high school level. For three seasons he helped former WPI assistant basketball coach Anthony Faradie build the Methuen High School program, and most recently he assisted Phil Connors in the building of the Burlington High School program. Since 2014 David has worked with Rick Gorman and well respected New England Storm AAU Basketball Program, where he has built a reputation as an excellent teacher of the game.
Robert Nelson Jr. comes highly recommended after gaining valuable experience at Pine Manor College (2014-2016) for Rich Fazzi and most recently Regis College under Nathan Hager. Rob is known as a tireless recruiter and outstanding mentor for his student-athletes. He was instrumental in launching the men’s basketball program at Pine Manor with his recruiting and developmental skills which led the program to the ECAC Tournament as an NCAA Division III independent institution. He also displayed head coaching prowess as he took over the women’s basketball head coaching position at Pine Manor in mid-season and led them to a 12-5 record following a 1-9 start. For his efforts he was awarded the 2015-2016 NCAA Division III Association of Independents Coach of the Year. Coach Nelson played collegiately at Keystone College in PA for Nevada Smith, currently a Miami Heat assistant coach and head coach of their G-League affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Bryan Riley, a former Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association Division II Central Coach of the Year at Marlborough High School brings a wealth of experience to WPI as he begins his college coaching career. He led Marlborough for three seasons capturing two Mid-Wach B League Championships, the 2015 Central District Championship and the school’s first State Finals appearance. Most recently he returned to Wachusett Regional High School as an assistant coach for head coach Tom Gibbons; where Riley previously served as the junior varsity coach. Bryan was an accomplished multiple sport-athlete in high school and played collegiate basketball at Nichols College where he started at point guard for four years. Bryan is a History teacher at the Sullivan School in Worcester.
Coach Bartley commented, “After a thorough search for the right people to add to our coaching staff, I am thrilled to welcome David back to WPI, and add Rob and Bryan to our program. They are character people with a proven record of success helping students develop on and off the court. I look forward to helping them develop as they help me continue to grow as a coach.”
