Brey is currently in his 10th season on the Irish sidelines and 15th season overall, having amassed over 300 coaching victories in his career. In 14 years as head coach, he has won three conference titles and advanced 12 of his teams to postseason play, including seven to the NCAA tournament.
and success. His tenure has seen him earn BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors on two occasions (2007, 2008) after leading the Irish to one conference championship, five NCAA tournament berths, and a trip to the Sweet 16. He has also mentored two BIG EAST Player of the Year honorees in the form of Troy Murphy and Luke Harangody.
Prior to making the trip to South Bend, Brey served as head coach at the University of Delaware from 1995-2000 and assistant coach alongside Duke's Mike Krzyzewski from 1987-1995. His Delaware stint saw Brey garner America East Co-Coach of the Year honors in 1997, while his Blue Devil tenure resulted in six NCAA Final Four appearances and two National Championships.
Brey began his coaching career as an assistant to legendary coach Morgan Wootten at DeMatha High School, where he also played for two seasons. He spent five years as an assistant at his alma mater before beginning his collegiate coaching career at Duke. In 2003, he was called back to DeMatha to receive its Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Brey played collegiately at Northwestern Louisiana State (now Northwestern State) and George Washington University. In his final season at GWU, he served as team captain and earned Most Valuable Player honors. He graduated from George Washington in 1982 with a degree in physical education.
Known for his contagious enthusiasm, Brey possesses a true passion for the game and genuinely cares for the young men he coaches. His positive demeanor and willingness to become involved resulted in the veteran coach traveling to Kuwait in May of 2007 as part of Operation Hardwood IV, an event sponsored by the United Service Organization (USO) and Armed Forces Entertainment. Most recently in 2008, he was the recipient of the inaugural Skip Prosser award named after the late Wake Forest head coach and one of Brey's closest friends in the coaching profession.
Currently in his third year on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Rules Committee, Brey also serves on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Board of Directors. He is married to the former Tish Schlapo, and the couple has two children: Kyle (22) and Callie (19).
Brey's keynote speech will highlight an exciting evening of events designed to provide support for our Battling Bishop student-athletes.
The evening dedicated to “Spreading the Bishop Pride” will begin at 6:15 p.m. with a reception and silent auction in the Mims Gallery followed by dinner in the Garner Lobby at 7:00 p.m. In addition to Brey’s address, a viewing of Wesleyan’s 2009-2010 highlight video will be offered in the Garner Lobby, which is also the site of the always entertaining live auction. Various auction items will include vacation packages, autographed sports memorabilia, golf outings, and jewelry, to name a few.
Tickets will be sold for $100/individual and $175/couple. Tables are also offered for purchase, and sponsorship opportunities are available. All proceeds will go directly to the North Carolina Wesleyan Department of Athletics.
For more information and/or to reserve tickets, please contact Martha Proctor by phone at 252-985-5213 or by email at mproctor@ncwc.edu. Interested supporters may also contact Director of Athletics John Thompson by phone at 252-985-5218 or by email at jthompson@ncwc.edu.