Bradley William Soderberg (born May 10, 1962) is a men's college basketball coach. He is currently the Director of Scouting for the
University of Virginia Cavaliers
The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...
. Soderberg was previously head coach at
Lindenwood,
St. Louis,
South Dakota State,
Loras College, and was the interim head coach at
Wisconsin.
Playing career
Born in
Wausau, Wisconsin, Soderberg played basketball at
Pacelli High School in
Stevens Point, Wisconsin for his father, Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame Coach, Don Soderberg. Soderberg played basketball in college at
Ripon College from 1980 to 1982 before he transferred to
University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, playing at Stevens Point from 1982 to 1984 under head coach
Dick Bennett, and with
Terry Porter (who later became player and eventually a head coach in the
National Basketball Association). The 1984 team made it all the way to the championship game of the NAIA Tournament before falling 50–48 to
Fort Hays State University. He graduated from the
University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1985 with a degree in
physical education.
Coaching career
Loras and South Dakota State
In 1986 Soderberg received his master's degree from
Colorado State University
Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...
in
physical education. He was then hired as an assistant coach at
Fort Hays State University for one season and quickly moved on to an assistant post at
Loras College in
Dubuque, Iowa. He became head coach of Loras in 1988 and served until 1993 compiling a record of 79–45.
He was then hired as head coach of
South Dakota State University where he stayed from 1993 to 1995 compiling a record of 36–18.
Wisconsin
After the two successful stints as a head coach at Division II schools, Soderberg's former coach,
Dick Bennett, hired him as his assistant at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as an assistant to Bennett through the 2000 season. Three games into the 2000–01 campaign, the Badgers (coming off a
Final Four appearance in 2000) saw their head coach,
Dick Bennett retire. Soderberg took over the heralded team and led them to a 16–10 record, but the team lost in the first round of the
NCAA tournament to
Georgia State University, considered a major disappointment to many Badger fans. Soderberg was then let go from his head coach position at the end of the season, as the Badgers hired
Bo Ryan.
Saint Louis
Soderberg accepted an assistant post at
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
under head coach
Lorenzo Romar. After his first season Romar was hired away to become the head coach at the University of Washington. Brad Soderberg was promoted to head coach for the 2002–03 season. His first two seasons he led the Billikens to two
NIT Tournament appearances. After his first three years SLU moved from Conference USA to the Atlantic 10. Soderberg was let go after three consecutive seasons without reaching the post season. He did however have a 20 win season during his final year at Saint Louis University. He was replaced by
Rick Majerus.
On April 17, 2007 St. Louis sports station
KFNS announced that Soderberg had been dismissed as men's basketball coach. No longer a head coach at a college, Soderberg coached his younger son's 4th grade team at St. Cletus in St. Charles, Missouri.
On July 7, 2008, Soderberg was named Interim Director of Athletics at Loras College.
Lindenwood
On May 14, 2009, Soderberg was named head coach of
Lindenwood University in
Saint Charles, Missouri. In his first season as head coach of the
Lions, Soderberg led the Lions to one of the best seasons in school history, a record of 23–10, and set a school record for most home wins in a season, going 13–1 at home. On March 29, 2010, the university announced the transfer of Kramer Soderberg, Missouri player of the year during his senior year of high school, from
Miami University (Ohio) to join his father's program.
In his second season as head coach of the Lions, Lindenwood set a new school record for most straight wins after Defeating
Missouri Valley 77–66 for the team's 12th straight win on January 6, 2011. The Lions finished the regular season 26–4 won the 2011
HAAC Regular Season Championship and earned an automatic bid to the
2011 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 2011 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 74th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
Awards ...
. The 26 wins set a new best record in school history. Soderberg led the Lions to their first NAIA Division I Tournament win when the 20th seeded Lions defeated 14th-seeded
St. Catharine College 78–72. Lindenwood's defense held St. Catharine ten points below its season average and forced 13 turnovers in the game. Offensively, Lindenwood made 33 of 40 free throws. All three of Lindenwoods guards finished with double digit points, Kramer Soderberg finished with 27, Bazzell with 14 points, and Rose with 13. Soderberg's Lions eventually fell in the second round to 3rd-seeded
Mountain State University, ending Lindenwood's final season in the NAIA and Heart of America Athletic Conference with the best record in school history with a 29–6 overall record.
In 2011, Lindenwood began the transition from the NAIA to the
NCAA's
Division II. Competing as an independent, Lindenwood finished the season with a 26–3 record and was invited to the NCAA's Division II Transitional Tournament in
Spearfish, South Dakota. Soderberg led them to the Division II Transitional National champions by defeating
Minot State and
Sioux Falls to end the season with a final 28–3 record.
Lindenwood announced their entry into the
Mid–America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Its fourteen mem ...
(MIAA). Although ineligible for post-season play during the transition to Division II, Soderberg's Lions finished their first regular season in the MIAA in a third place tie in the fifteen team league.
Virginia
On April 17, 2015, Soderberg was named an assistant coach at
Virginia, serving under Dick Bennett's son and former Wisconsin assistant,
Tony Bennett.
Soderberg had a job change in the spring of 2021, where he became the Director of Scouting instead of an Assistant Coach under Tony Bennett.
Family
Soderberg and his wife, Linda, have a daughter, Daley, and two sons, Kramer and Davis. Kramer Soderberg was hired as the men's head basketball coach at
Millikin University in 2021, having served as an assistant men's coach at Millikin beginning in 2015.
Head coaching record
References
External links
Virginia profileLindenwood profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soderberg, Brad
1962 births
Living people
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Wisconsin
Basketball players from Wisconsin
College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Colorado State University alumni
Fort Hays State Tigers men's basketball coaches
Guards (basketball)
Lindenwood Lions men's basketball coaches
Loras Duhawks men's basketball coaches
Sportspeople from Wausau, Wisconsin
Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball coaches
South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's basketball coaches
Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball coaches
Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball coaches
Wisconsin–Stevens Point Pointers men's basketball coaches
Wisconsin–Stevens Point Pointers men's basketball players