In
his first season at the helm, Drake had the Ashford University
basketball program explode onto the scene of the Midwest Collegiate
Conference and crash the NAIA National Championships for just second
time in school history.
Picked to finish just sixth in the
conference 2010-11 preseason poll after a vote by the league's coaches,
Drake hushed all naysayers and doubters by capturing the MCC Tournament
championship and punched Ashford's ticket into the national tournament
with an automatic bid.
With the Saints' historic ascent, Ashford
set a single-season win records in both conference play (11) and overall
games (23) under Drake's direction. His inside-out philosophy and
emphasis on defensive intensity translated into victories over five
teams that were ranked in the up-to-date edition of the NAIA Div. II
Top-25 Coaches Poll at the time.
Drake's 2010-11 squad hounded
the opposition into an MCC-best 65.29 points per game average, ranking
15th among all programs nationally. The Saints also ranked first in the
country in total rebound defense (28.73) while rating in the top 50
nationally in a total of 12 categories, including assist-to-turnover
ratio (37th, 0.987), total three-point field goals made (33rd, 226) and
free-throw percentage (25th, 71.8%), among many others.
Ashford
was also at the top of the conference statistical ratings in free throw
percentage, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage.
Drake
kept the Saints on a steady course and navigated his way through the
gauntlet that represents the loaded conference schedule. A total of
three student-athletes found their way onto the All-MCC Team and the
Saints had reached a No. 23 NAIA national ranking by just midseason.
Originally
a native of Neillsville, Wis., Drake kept his Midwestern roots close to
home when he accepted head coaching responsibilities of the Ashford
University men's basketball program beginning in April of 2010.
Drake
arrived at Ashford after a highly successful six-year tenure at Div.
III Wartburg College in Waverly where helped the Knights to a pair of
back-to-back Iowa Conference Championships (2004-05, 2005-06).
Drake
was also an assistant coach at other locations within the Badger State,
working at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Eau Claire Memorial
High School. He was also one of the youngest head boys basketball
coaches in state history when he was at the helm of Cadott High School
as an undergraduate for two years.
Drake has been actively
involved in basketball camps around the nation including Five Star,
Morgan Wooten, Northwestern University (Ill.), University of Wisconsin,
Snow Valley Basketball School, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, South
Dakota, Hoosier Basketball School and North Dakota State University.
A
graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Drake obtained
his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology-Physical Education K-12
before achieving his Master's Degree of Arts from Viterbo University in
Education.
Drake is married to his wife, Kristen, and together
they have a son, Sebastian. Drake and his family currently reside in
Clinton.
The Saints Under Drake (2010-Present)
Year
| W-L
| MCC
| Pct.
| MCC Finish
| MCC Tournament Finish
|
2010-11*%
| 23-11
| 11-5
| .676
| 3rd
| 1st
|
Totals
| 23-11
| 11-5
| .676
|
|
|
*Advanced to the NAIA Div. II Basketball Championship%Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament Champion
The Drake File
- Head Sophomore and Assistant Varsity Boys Basketball Coach - Eau Claire Memorial High School (Wis.) (2000-01)
- Head Boys Basketball Coach - Cadott High School (2001-03)
- Assistant Men's Basketball Coach - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2003-04)
- Assistant Men's Basketball Coach - Wartburg College (2004-10)
- Head Men's Basketball Coach - Ashford University (2010-Present)