Interim assistant excited for opportunity
He coached for a team that won eight games in two years. Then he coached for a team that broke records for scoring over 150 points.
And now George Brosky, the interim assistant coach for the Utah State women’s basketball team, is moving up the ladder.
“My ultimate goal is to be a [National Collegiate Athletics Association] head coach,” Brosky, who is in his sixth year coaching, said. “I want to definitely keep progressing. I take opportunities whenever they come, no matter where they are.”
Brosky grew up just outside of Philadelphia. He said he met Raegan Pebley, Utah State women’s basketball head coach, while coaching men’s basketball for the University of Redlands, a Division III school. Pebley’s husband was the head coach for football at Redlands.
Pebley then moved to Utah to re-start the women’s basketball program for the Aggies. After the first season, she extended an invitation to Brosky to come and be the director of basketball operations for the women’s basketball team. Brosky jumped at the chance to move to a Division I school.
“Their philosophies were really something I thought I wanted to be a part of,” Brosky said. “I saw what they were doing with the program and really liked it.”
When John Bartleson left to coach in Las Vegas, Brosky was promoted to assistant coach for the season, something he said he wasn’t planning on but is really excited for.
In high school, Brosky played basketball and soccer and had one year of varsity soccer at West Chester College (Pa.). He said that where he grew up, he couldn’t really go hiking or camping or spend a lot of time outdoors, so his hobbies were all sports.
After he graduated from college, Brosky spent two years as a financial analyst until he realized that, “spending eight hours in a cubicle is a slow death.”
So, Brosky went back to something he loved.
During the fall and winter of his senior year in college, he had helped coach a semi-pro basketball team, the Lehigh Valley Colonials (Pa.).
“That’s kind of when I caught the coaching bug,” Brosky said. “Coaching definitely matches my competitve nature better. Much more than finances.”
Brosky’s coaching career began when he volunteered as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Haverford College, in Pennsylvania, also a Division III school.
“I’ve been around losing teams,” he said. “In two years we won eight games. That’s just how its gone so far.”
After two years at Haverford, an opportunity opened up for Brosky 3,000 miles away from home, and he took it.
Brosky spent four years as an assistant coach for men’s basketball in southern California – first at Redlands then at Corona Centennial High School.
“My last year at Redlands, we ran a very high-powered offensive system,” Brosky said. “We broke some NCAA records scoring 150 points. It’s very unique, different style of basketball that only a few teams in this country run. I enjoyed being around something different.”
However, Brosky was about to move to a different aspect of coaching and basketball. Coaching women’s basketball for a Division I school at USU.
“My experience here has been great so far,” he said. “The Xs and Os of the game are different. Women’s game are played below the rim. It’s not a power game like the men’s side is.”
Other than that, Brosky said there really isn’t a difference coaching men’s and women’s basketball. He said that the main difference he’s noticed at Utah State in coaching Division I athletes.
“They’re better, they’re dedicated,” he said. “At this level, an athlete is an athlete, it doesn’t matter what gender you are. I really haven’t had to compromise my coaching philosophy.”
He added that he likes working with the team and staff. He feels that he has a lot to learn from Pebley and Trisha Binford, former WNBA players.
Brosky also said that even though the team has only had three practices so far this season, he said the coaching staff is happy about the way the team is going so far this year.
He added that he couldn’t imagine how difficult it would have been starting a team that had no players with experience playing Division I basketball, but the team did very well. If the team keeps progressing like it has been, Brosky said that it is going to be a pretty amazing year.
“They had a good year last year,” he said. “For a first year program they did well. It was a product of the determination of the staff and players and we are returning the players and the staff.”
But Brosky doesn’t know how long he’ll be around to coach at USU.
“I don’t know [how long I’ll stay at USU],” he said. “I’ve got to do what’s best for my career. If it means being here for four years, that’s great. If it doesn’t, then I’ll work with that.”
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu