Courtesy of UC Davis Athletic Media Relations
Jim Les, who won more than 150 games at Bradley University and led the Braves to the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, has been named the head men's basketball coach at UC Davis and was introduced at a press conference on Friday afternoon, Director of Athletics Greg Warzecka has announced.
Les was introduced at a press conference on Friday afternoon in the Special Events room at The Pavilion, just off Hamilton Court where he'll become the 23rd head coach in the 100 years since the program's inception. He brings an established career as a collegiate and professional player and coach which includes nine seasons as Bradley's head coach and three more as an assistant with the Sacramento Monarchs in the WNBA.
"Jim's experience as a player, but especially as a leader of outstanding student-athletes makes him an ideal coach to lead our program," said Greg Warzecka, Director of Athletics. "He's experienced college basketball at its highest levels and brings his immense coaching and teaching abilities to UC Davis. We're excited about the impact he will make on the program."
Les spent seven seasons as a three-point specialist in the NBA, including playing from 1990-94 with the Sacramento Kings after earning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors at Bradley in 1986. He joins the Aggies after posting a 154-140 (.524) record in nine years at Bradley from 2002-2011, including four consecutive 20-win seasons and postseason appearances from 2005-09, and five straight winning seasons overall.
"I am very excited to be coming back to the Sacramento region and joining the UC Davis family," said Les. "I thought so highly of UC Davis that I encouraged my son, Tyler, to be an Aggie student-athlete and now it is truly an honor to be asked to teach and coach here."
Les will have a unique opportunity at UC Davis, coaching his son Tyler, who recently completed his freshman season with the Aggies. Like his father, Tyler is a three-point specialist, making 50 percent of his attempts this past season.
The Bradley Braves enjoyed their greatest season during Les' tenure when they entered the 2006 NCAA Tournament as the 13th seed in the Oakland Regional but upset fourth-seeded Kansas 77-73 in the first round and fifth-seeded Pittsburgh 72-66 in the second. It was the first time in more than 50 years that Bradley had advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
Bradley finished 22-11 that season, the first of two straight 22-win campaigns that also included a second-round appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 2007. Les had five wins against Top 25 teams over his last five seasons at Bradley.
His Bradley teams went 15-10 versus BCS schools including a 7-0 mark versus the Big East. Les also coached a top-10 NBA draft pick in Patrick O'Bryant who was selected ninth by Golden State in 2006. His teams also enjoyed academic success with 24 of 26 players earning their degrees - including two next week - and the past two teams posting GPA's of 3.0 or better.
"My goal is to match the academic excellence that `is' UC Davis with a winning basketball experience," said Les. "This will be done through dedication, preparation, an uptempo style of play, and a work ethic that will energize this community. I can't wait to get started."
Les' coaching career followed seven seasons in the NBA which included playing time with Utah, the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento and Atlanta. He was a consistent long-range threat, leading the NBA in three-point percentage (.461) while with the Kings in 1990-91. He had 71 treys that season, making 182 during a three-year stretch.
Les also participated in the Long Distance Shootout during the NBA's All-Star Weekend in 1992, finishing runner-up.
He was a third-round pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 1986 after a collegiate playing career that eventually led to him being inducted in the Bradley Athletic Hall of Fame and named to its All-Century Team.
Les is also a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. Les graduated with his degree in finance in 1986. He and his wife Jodi are also parents of daughters Amber and Hannah.
UC Davis finished the 2010-11 season with a 10-20 overall record and was 4-12 in the Big West Conference.