Bradley University Names Former Standout Jim Les As Coach
April 7, 2002
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - Jim Les, a star on Bradley's winningest basketball team, was picked as the school's coach on Sunday.
Les, 38, had been an assistant coach with the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA.
In 1985-86, Les teamed with Hersey Hawkins to lead the Braves to a 32-3 record, including 16-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The winning percentage of .914 remains the best for a Bradley team and the season was the last time an MVC team went undefeated in the conference regular season.
The team made the NCAA tournament and lost in the second round to eventual champion Louisville. The first-round win over Texas-El Paso remains the school's only NCAA win since 1955.
Les was drafted by Atlanta in 1986 and played in 279 NBA games with the Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers before retiring in 1994.
Bradley fired coach Jim Molinari after the Braves went 9-20 last season. That was the team's worst showing since his first year in 1991, when Bradley was 7-23. He was 174-152 and took his 1996 team to the NCAA tournament.
