FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Brandon Crone, a former team captain who led Butler University to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2006-07, has been named assistant men’s basketball coach at Nova Southeastern University. The announcement was made this week by NSU head men’s basketball coach Gary Tuell.

“We’re excited about Brandon’s decision to join our basketball family,” Tuell said. “Brandon is a quality individual with a passion for teaching and coaching the game. Obviously he’s played at a high level, both at Butler and professionally in Europe. For a young guy, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. In addition, he’s an Indiana native and is well-respected in his home state, giving him a number of inroads to recruiting in one of the most fertile basketball regions in the country.”

The 27-year-old Crone comes to NSU highly recommended by the Butler coaching staff. “The passion and toughness that Brandon displayed as a student-athlete at Butler will enable him to positively impact the lives of the players he is with at Nova Southeastern,” said Matthew Graves, Butler’s associate head coach. “He led by example with his work ethic on the court everyday and that same energy will allow him to be a successful coach.”

“Brandon helped lay the foundation that led to Butler’s recent success and two consecutive appearances in the NCAA championship game,” said Tuell. “He’s one of the guys who helped start it all at Butler. As captain of Butler’s team in both 2005-06 and 2006-07, he was the leader of the group of players who began the present winning tradition there.”

As a junior, Crone averaged 9.8 points and 5.0 rebounds, helping Butler to a 20-win season. For his senior campaign in ’06-07, Crone averaged 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds, leading the Bulldogs to a 29-7 record that included wins over Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Gonzaga and opening round NCAA tournament wins over Old Dominion and Maryland. Crone’s collegiate career ended in the Sweet 16 with a hard-fought 65-57 loss to eventual champion Florida. Since Crone helped jump start the Butler program, the Bulldogs have gone 117-25 the past four seasons, including two consecutive runner-up finishes in the NCAA tourney.

Before going to Butler, Crone enjoyed a superlative four-year career at Frankfort High School in Frankfort, Indiana. A three-time captain at Frankfort, Crone holds the school’s career records for scoring average (17.9) and rebounding average (9.0) and twice earned All-State honors. As a senior he averaged a double-double (20.3 points and 10.1 rebounds) and was selected to the prestigious Indiana All-Star squad for their annual two-game summer series against the Kentucky All-Stars.

An undersized 6-6 center/forward at Butler, Crone reshaped his game following his collegiate career. Making the move to small forward, he found success in the professional leagues in Europe where he played from 2007-08 through 2009-10.

“Brandon has experience as a player both in the low post as well as playing on the perimeter as a professional,” said Tuell. “When considering him for the assistant coaching position that was just one of the many things that made him attractive to us.”

Crone returned to Indiana following the 2009-10 European season and began his coaching career, not only staying close to the Butler program, but also serving as an assistant at Indianapolis Park Tudor High School. He helped Park Tudor to the 2010-11 Class 2A State Championship.

Tuell expects Crone to work with both post and perimeter players at NSU, but he’s hoping his new assistant will also bring fresh ideas that spark a renewed commitment to team defense.

“Nobody defends better than Butler and we think Brandon will be able to bring some of their philosophies and concepts to our program as we look to improve in that area,” Tuell stated. “From day one, we want our guys to buy into ‘The Butler Way’ of defending. Brandon has the ability to communicate and relate well with young players and his input in helping to shape our defense will obviously be important.”

Brandon and his wife, Morgan, will reside in Coral Springs, Fla.

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