Brian Vraney, an assistant coach for seven seasons in the Midwest Conference, has been named head men's coach Beloit. The announcement was made at a news conference on campus today by athletic director Kim Chandler.

“Brian brings a wealth of experience to Beloit College and has learned from some of the very best coaches in the men's game," said Chandler. "From the tutelage of Stan Van Gundy, Dick Bennett and Bo Ryan at the Division I level to the highly respected coaches in the Midwest Conference such as Bob Gillespie at Ripon and Chris Conger at Lake Forest. When you combine these experiences with his tremendous work ethic, his passion for success and his familiarity with the MWC, Brian Vraney is the right person to lead our men's basketball program."

Vraney comes to Beloit after serving two seasons as an assistant at Lake Forest. With the Foresters, Vraney's responsibilities included on-court coaching, recruiting, scouting and the development and coordination of the team's strength and conditioning program.

"I'm very excited about the position and the opportunity I have here at Beloit College," said Vraney. "I'm eager to work with the players and build the Beloit College men's basketball program into one that competes for championships in the MWC. I'm also looking forward to connecting with the men's basketball alumni and welcome their involvement in the program."

Prior to Lake Forest, he was an assistant at Ripon, where he helped guide the squad to three Midwest Conference tournament appearances, an MWC Championship and a Division III NCAA Tournament bid in 2002. During his time there, the Red Hawk teams posted a 78-42 overall record.

A native of Valders, Wis., and a 1998 graduate of UW-Madison with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, he earned a master's in 2003 from UW-La Crosse in exercise and sport science with an emphasis in sport administration.

A four-year letterwinner for the Badgers, he was Academic All-Big Ten, and earned both the Big Ten Scholar-Athlete Award and the UW Athletic Board Scholar Award. On the floor, he earned the Red Team Award for his work ethic and efforts in practice following his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

During his four seasons, the first under Van Gundy and the last three under Bennett, the Badgers went 60-58. They advanced to the second round of the NIT in 1996 and were defeated in the first round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament.