Scott Trost Hired as New Titan Head Coach - Full Coverage
Newly named IWU coach Scott Trost talks to the players after his formal introduction as head coach April 9th by athletic director and former coach Dennie Bridges.
(Sunday 4/15/01)
Trost Expecting to Carry on Titan Tradition
By RANDY REINHARDT
Pantagraph staff
For a man comfortably under 5-foot-10, Dennie Bridges left some gargantuan shoes to fill when he retired as Illinois Wesleyan basketball coach.
Speculation over who would step in as the next Titans' coach has been a popular parlor game of IWU fans for years.
As the school's athletic director, Bridges provided the answer last Monday when he tabbed former Michigan assistant coach and former Elmhurst head coach Scott Trost as the heir to the Titan throne.
Trost served as a graduate assistant coach under Bridges in 1987 and the two have remained in contact since that time. Now, he will follow a legend.
The Pantagraph sat down with Trost last week to discuss a variety of topics.
Q. You are following a coach with 667 career victories, you have a devoted fan base that absolutely expects to win and you are inheriting a national third-place team that was dominated by sophomores. Is that intimidating at all?
A. "That's the reason I came here. I'm not intimidated by Dennie. I respect him a great deal. When he called me about this job I said 'are you staying?'. He said 'I plan on staying.' I said 'if you don't I'm not interested.' I wanted him here, a guy to bounce things off.
"I'm not intimidated by him looking over my shoulder. I have enough confidence in myself. If I didn't think you had a chance to win here, if I didn't think you had a chance to compete for a national title, I wouldn't have come here.
"This is a special place, a unique place. All those reasons factored together is why I came here."
Q. What were your impressions of Illinois Wesleyan while you were a CCIW rival at Elmhurst?
A. "I always wanted to be like Wesleyan. You looked at Wesleyan as the top dog in the league. You're always competing against them. That was the biggest game on your schedule. That was the team you were trying to emulate.
"I had a lot of respect, working here for a year. I knew what Dennie stood for. It was a school you knew would always be there at the end, and you had to beat them if you wanted to be one of top teams in the league. That was where we wanted to be."
Q. What was your status at Michigan when you accepted the Wesleyan job?
A. "I met with (new Michigan coach) Tommy Amaker on Tuesday after the Final Four. Tommy's response was, almost verbatim, 'I've heard a lot of great things about you from people here and from other people in the profession. I'm not saying you can't stay. But I'm not going to know for 10 days to two weeks and there's a chance I might go in a new direction.'
"That's all I needed to hear. I wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to come here and in two weeks be left out in the cold with nothing."
Q. What was more attractive about this job over seeking another assistant's job at the Division I level?
A. "The one thing that really piqued my interest about here was quality of life. My wife (Lisa) is the most important thing to me, and I want to spend time with her.
"I don't want to be out chasing young men all over the country. I wanted to go to a program where you could win. I didn't want to go to a program where it would take a lot of effort and energy just to compete.
"I wanted to go somewhere you could win. The analogy is at Michigan you can win a national championship. At Penn State in the Big Ten, you're probably not going to win a national championship. Illinois Wesleyan can win a national championship.
"There are some other schools at this level that I'm not sure have everything in place to win the national championship. Will we? I'm not saying that. But you have that opportunity here. Quality of life, the chance to win immediately, great community, fan base, tradition, all that stuff was the reason I decided to come here."
Q. Would you like to get back to Division I at some point?
A. "I don't know. I approach every job as the job you currently have is the best one. I feel very fortunate, very honored that Dennie decided to give this job to me. I made a commitment to him to stay here. I'm not just looking to win and leave.
"If an opportunity presents itself down the road that I feel is better for my wife and I, then it's something I'll look at at that time.
"Right now, it's something I'm extremely excited about, and I can't wait to get started next year. I'm not here one or two years and looking to move. I'm here to try and continue the tradition that's been set."
Q. Will your experience at Michigan make you a better head coach?
A. "No question. What I've experienced at Michigan -- what to do, what not to do -- has helped me immensely.
"As a young coach, you're fiery, you're intense, you get emotional. As you mature you learn to control all those things and really focus in on the game and coach your team, not worry so much about mistakes by your players or referees for that matter. I think you mature as you go.
"You take some of the emotion out of it and try to coach your kids the best you possibly can. From a strategy standpoint, I've been exposed to I think some of the best coaches in the country. I'll try to use some of the stuff I've had the opportunity to experience over the last five years and maybe tweak some of the things they do here a little bit."
Q. Do you feel you have to win over any fans, students or faculty because you're not an IWU alum?
A. "I've heard that. People have called me and said some people are upset because I'm not a Wesleyan guy. But you know what, I coached here for a year, I coached in the league.
"I know what this place stands for, the tradition that it has. I have the utmost respect for Dennie and what he's accomplished here. I'm not coming in here to try and change everything.
"What you have to do to win over people is to win games. They may say hey, Trost is a nice guy but if he doesn't win games they'll say he probably wasn't right for the job.
"The bottom line is you've got to win basketball games. And you're expected to win here. At some Division III schools you're not, just be competitive. They want you to win here. That's another reason I like it."
Q. How much input are you comfortable with getting from Dennie?
A. "Dennie just told me it's your program. I told Dennie the only negative about the job is following you. I would be stupid if I didn't use Dennie as a sounding board, a guy I could get advice from.
"Is he going to poke his head down there after every game and say 'you should have done this, you should have done that?' No. I don't think he'll do that.
"Dennie has enough respect for me and my abilities that he's going to trust I'm going to make the decision that's best for the program and best for the team."
Q. What will you stress offensively?
A. "I like to run. I like up tempo basketball. Whether that fits this team the best, I don't know. I haven't seen them enough. I don't want to turn the ball over. We're going to push the ball, put pressure on the defense and make sure we execute in the halfcourt if we don't have the transition basket."
Q. What will you stress defensively?
A. "I would like to play mostly man to man. But I think today in college basketball there is a time and a place for some zone and some traps and some presses. I would like to be a multiple defensive team.
"But our primary focus is going to be on defense and securing the possession with a rebound. I think defense more than anything resembles the coach's intensity. I think defense is all about heart and determination.
"We're going to emphasize defense, stopping people. They've always been able to score here. Now we have to prevent them (opponents) from scoring some points and focus in on that a little bit."
Q. In your off-court dealings with players, do you consider yourself a disciplinarian?
A. "The type of student-athlete you get here is different than what I've coached before. At Elmhurst, I had good kids but a different type of kid. At Michigan, it was a whole different animal.
"So I'm not sure how many discipline problems you're going to have at Illinois Wesleyan because you have such a great caliber of student-athletes. But I want kids to play hard, go to class, act as a great representative of Illinois Wesleyan. I don't have a lot of rules.
"But one thing is don't do anything to embarrass yourself, don't do anything to embarrass the university and don't do anything to embarrass the program. If you keep that in the back of your mind, you probably won't have any problems."
Q. Do you have an early take on the talent of your team next year?
A. "Not really. I've seen a little bit on tape. I know there's some good players. But it really wouldn't be fair for me to comment on what's coming back. I've talked to Dennie about it. But that's one good thing, too. They are all coming in on a clean slate, and the best players will play."
Q. You've already met with some potential recruits. How were you received and did they have any concerns?
A. "There are some concerns that you weren't the one who recruited me. I'm trying to emphasize to these young men to go to a school because it's the best school for you. Don't pick a school based solely on the coach.
"At this level, a coach is important. But the bottom line is pick a school that is going to benefit Individual A 10 years from now, 20 years from now.
"This school will allow you to reach all your goals. Don't worry about basketball. Illinois Wesleyan is going to compete at a very high level. That's kind of the angle I've taken with them."
Q. You recruited a totally different type of player at Michigan. Will that be a difficult adjustment?
A. "I think recruiting is recruiting. When I was at Elmhurst I always thought if you can recruit at Division III, you can recruit anywhere in the country. There are a lot of differences. But it's all relative.
"Here we're going to try to find the best basketball player we can. Within that, he has to be a great student, he's got to be a good citizen. The bloodline of every program is recruiting, and we'll work hard at it to try and identify the best players who fit in at Illinois Wesleyan."
Q. Will there be a geographic emphasis to your recruiting?
A. "Illinois. Whether it be the (Chicago) suburbs, a kid in the city, a kid down by St. Louis or the southern tip of Illinois. I don't care where he is. We'll try to find him and try to go get him."
Q. Will you pursue junior college or Division I transfers?
A. "If Division I transfers are out there and they have the academics to qualify to get in here, they are kids you certainly have to look at.
"Juco players, I'm not sure. It's hard for me to comment. I'm not sure yet of the philosophy of the institution and how they approach junior college kids."
Q. What do you love about coaching?
A. "Winning. The interaction with the student athletes keeps you young. The games, the practices. I like the practices, getting out there and working on the floor with the kids. Helping the young men develop and grow individually, that's probably the main thing."
Q. What are your expectations of Scott Trost's Illinois Wesleyan coaching career?
A. "To carry on the tradition that has been set here. That's not going to be easy. It's a very lofty standard that's been set. To take it to the next level, well, where is that?
"They've won a national title, they've been to three of the last six Final Fours. I just hope to carry on that standard. I'm not naïve. I know there are going to be bumps along the road. I'm going to do the best job I possibly can and work as hard as I possibly can. I don't profess to be Dennie Bridges.
"I will do everything that is in the best interest of Illinois Wesleyan University first. And hopefully keep Coach Horenberger and Coach Bridges and the tradition that has been established here alive. And win as many possible games as we can."
(Tuesday 4/10/01)
IWU's Bridges Hands Reins Over to Trost
By BRYAN BLOODWORTH
Pantagraph sports editor
Dennie Bridges really seriously started thinking about retiring as basketball coach at Illinois Wesleyan two years ago.
That also was the time he started thinking about Scott Trost as his replacement.
"We started talking then and I got the feeling that if offered the job, Scott would be interested," Bridges said Monday after introducing Trost as the Titans' new coach.
The 38-year-old Trost becomes the 13th coach in the 92-year history of Titans basketball and only the third in the program's last 58 seasons.
"Illinois Wesleyan is a special environment –– a special place," said Trost, who spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan.
"The tradition and the fans make it special. It's the only place at this level (Division III) that I probably would have considered going. The only negative is following Coach (Bridges). He has been instrumental in my coaching career. He gave me my first job."
Trost served as an assistant coach for Bridges during the 1986-87 season while completing work on his master's degree at Illinois State.
"I'm happy to be back here and I came here to win," added Trost. "It's a great honor and it means a lot to me that Coach Bridges thought enough of me to choose me to take this position.
"There is no program like it anywhere else in the country. The timing was the right for me to move. This was a move that was very positive and something I'm very excited about."
Trost is certainly not a stranger to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin basketball.
After serving as Bridges' assistant, he was an assistant at Elmhurst from 1988-92 and served as the Bluejays' head coach from 1992 to 1996.
In his four years at the helm, Elmhurst compiled a 51-49 record after numerous losing seasons.
Bridges said one thing that attracted him to Trost was the fact that he knew him.
"I could never give this job to someone I didn't know and didn't trust," added Bridges, who retired March 28 after 36 years as head coach. "I knew Scott knew what made Illinois Wesleyan tick.
"He played against us as a coach. He was here for one year as my assistant and I also knew that he would win. There is no way that we can ever let Illinois Wesleyan basketball stop winning."
Trost is a native of Appleton, Minn., and a 1985 graduate of the University of Minnesota-Morris with a bachelor's degree in physical education.
He received his master's degree from Illinois State in 1988. He also spent two years as an assistant coach at Division II Minnesota State-Mankato.
Ironically, the head coaching position at that school was offered to Trost last week and he turned it down. He also talked with new Michigan coach Tommy Amaker about an assistant position, but was not offered a job.
"I'm not coming here with the thought of winning and leaving," said Trost. "I'm coming here with the thought of winning as many games as we can and keeping the tradition going over a long period of time."
Trost, who signed a three-year contract of which financial terms were not disclosed, will also serve as an associate professor of physical education at IWU.
He and his wife, Lisa, were married last June.
(Tuesday 4/10/01)
IWU Players Happy with Trost Choice
By BRYAN BLOODWORTH
Pantagraph sports editor
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore standout Luke Kasten was one of the few Titans who had an opportunity to talk with Scott Trost before he was introduced as the school's new basketball coach.
"I knew Coach (Dennie) Bridges would pick us a winner and leave us in good hands," said Kasten, the leading scorer on this year's 24-7 team that finished third in the Division III national tournament.
"But after talking with Coach Trost, I'm relieved. He's a very nice guy, who has a lot of confidence in himself and a lot of confidence in this team. He comes off as a winner and that's what we want to hear."
Trost said his philosophy is simple.
"We will work hard every day," he said. "I don't want to say we're going to run; we're going to press; we're going to be uptempo or slow things down.
"A lot of what we do will be dictated by personnel. I like an up-tempo game, but I haven't seen this group of young men enough to make a determination as to what we will do."
Trost said he will not make radical changes.
"I'm not stupid," added Trost. "What they have done here has been very, very successful. We are not going to junk what they have done.
"We might tweak things a little bit. But I would be crazy not to use Coach Bridges' knowledge and experience. I will be open to his suggestions, but at the same time this is going to be my program."
Kasten likes the idea Trost is coming into the program with an open mind.
"It's nice to know that he isn't coming in here set in his ways," said Kasten. "I think this is the type of team that thrives on running and it sounds like that's what he likes to do."
* Trost also announced that he will retain assistant coach Dennis Martel and David Steinbrueck.
(Thursday 4/5/01)
IWU Names Scott Trost Head Basketball Coach
[Pronounced "Trohst" (long 'o')]
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Scott Trost, who for the past five seasons has been an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, has been named men's basketball coach at Illinois Wesleyan University, athletic director Dennie Bridges announced tonight.
Trost, who turned 38 on March 9, will replace Bridges, who retired March 28 after 36 years as the Titans' mentor. Trost becomes the 13th coach in the 92-year basketball history at the school and only the third Titan coach in the program's last 58 seasons.
Trost is no stranger to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin ? he served as Bridges' assistant in 1986-87, was an assistant at Elmhurst from 1988-92, and served as the Bluejays' head coach from the 1992-93 season until 1996.
In four years at Elmhurst, Trost's teams posted an overall record of 51-49 (.510 winning percentage) and were 25-31 (.446) against CCIW teams. Until this season, the Elmhurst CCIW record of 10-4 in 1995-96 under Trost was the best-ever league finish for a Bluejay team.
A native of Appleton, Minn., Trost is a 1985 graduate of the University of Minnesota-Morris with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He received his master's degree from ISU in 1988. After a year at Illinois Wesleyan, Trost spent two seasons as an assistant at Division II Minnesota State-Mankato, working with head coach Dan McCarrell, who won three national Division III titles coaching at North Park in 1978, 1979, and 1980.
In 1989, Trost began a three-year assistantship under Jim Whitesell at Elmhurst and became head coach when Whitesell moved on to his current post as head man at Lewis University. While at Elmhurst, Trost also served as co-director of the summer basketball camps conducted by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and B.J. Armstrong.
In 1996 Trost became an assistant at Michigan, working for one season for Steve Fisher and for four years for Brian Ellerbe. In those five seasons, the Wolverines were 86-71 and had two 20-win campaigns (24-11 in 1997 and 25-9 in 1998). The 1997 team won the National Invitation Tournament and the 1998 squad won the inaugural Big 10 tournament and went 1-1 in the NCAA Division I tournament.
Trost's primary responsibilities for the Wolverines included game-plan strategies and practice plans, scouting, on- and off-campus recruiting and supervision of academics. He also organized and directed the University's summer basketball camps and served as the staff spokesman on a weekly and post-game radio show in Ann Arbor.
Trost, who will serve as an associate professor of physical education at IWU, is a member of the Assistant coaches committee of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and a member of the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association.
Trost and his wife, Lisa, were married on June 17, 2000.
Scott Trost
Born: March 9, 1962 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Hometown: Appleton, Minn. (graduate of Appleton High School)
Education: University of Minnesota-Morris, B.A., 1985; Illinois State University, M.A., 1988
Family: Wife, Lisa (married June 17, 2000)
1986-87 Assistant Coach at Illinois Wesleyan University
1987-88 Assistant Coach at Mankato State (Minn.)
1988-89 Assistant Coach at Mankato State (Minn.)
1989-90 Assistant Coach at Elmhurst
1990-91 Assistant Coach at Elmhurst
1991-92 Assistant Coach at Elmhurst
1992-93 Head Coach at Elmhurst
1993-94 Head Coach at Elmhurst
1994-95 Head Coach at Elmhurst
1995-96 Head Coach at Elmhurst
1996-97 Assistant Coach at Michigan
1997-98 Assistant Coach at Michigan
1998-99 Assistant Coach at Michigan
1999-00 Assistant Coach at Michigan
2000-01 Associate Head Coach at Michigan