Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Dunn reflects on special season
FAYETTEVILLE — Former Arkansas assistant basketball coach Brad Dunn sat with his old team in a box at Baum-Walker Stadium on March 1.
That particular group was dominant in another sport, but it didn’t stop them from enjoying the Razorbacks’ baseball team hang run after run during a weekend series.
The real reason the group was back together was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Arkansas’ 1994 NCAA championship. Even after 25 years, everyone who played a role on that team still shared a special camaraderie only they can truly understand, and Dunn knew that just as well as any of them.
“We didn’t think it was going to be the last [championship] just because we thought we were going to win it the very next year, and we almost did,” Dunn said. “It was just such a special group. I still talk to them all the time. They tell me I was the toughest coach they ever had but that they knew I loved them. I did and do.”
Today, Dunn is the general advertising manager at Hawgs Illustrated and WholeHogSports. He still uses some of the same skills he acquired while serving as Nolan Richardson’s assistant coach from 1991-2002.
“The most important thing would be to listen in recruiting and the ability to teach things correctly the first time,” Dunn said. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
The Illinois native decided to stay in Arkansas even after he and the rest of the coaching staff weren’t retained during the switch from Richardson to Stan Heath. Like many of those associated with the program, including his old boss, the Ozarks are home regardless of employment.
“After we were done in 2002, I was tired,” Dunn said. “I really liked Northwest Arkansas. When I got down here, I didn’t think I’d just stay somewhere. You just go somewhere and try to win.”
When Dunn reflects back to that special team, he often comes back to the same conclusion: recruiting is more important than anything else a coach can do. The acquisition of Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, Corey Beck and Al Dillard paved the path toward a penultimate title, and the core of that group returned to the championship game the very next year.
“The living room is the most important place in college athletics,” Dunn said. “People say we’ve got to win this or win that. The place you really need to win is in the locker room, and that’s the truth.”
Russellville native Williamson’s commitment is still one of Dunn’s favorite memories from his time as assistant coach.
“Our office was in Barnhill. Corliss is on the phone, and I was the only person in the office that day,” Dunn said. “I answer the phone and say, ‘Corliss, how are you?’ He says, ‘Good, coach. I want to commit to the Razorbacks.’ I said, ‘Welcome.’ It was the first conversation I had with him!”
None of Dunn’s success at Arkansas would’ve happened without a little luck. When coaching at tiny Quincy College, a Division-II program, he called the Razorbacks’ secretary to schedule the Hogs as an opponent. Instead of hanging up the call with a quality matchup for his team, he wound up with a job opportunity.
“Coach Richardson picked up the phone and said, ‘Bradley, are you calling about scheduling or about the job I’ve got open?’ I didn’t even know there was a job open,” Dunn said. “I knew him. I got my master’s degree at the University of Tulsa when he was coaching there. That’s how it all started.”
The decision turned out to be a good one, and Dunn’s relationship with his players lasted longer than the time he spent coaching in Fayetteville.
“We were really tough, and the chemistry was outstanding,” Dunn said. “It’s amazing in sports what you can’t get done when nobody cares who gets the credit, and that was this team. I love these guys.”