Rehan Ally
Photography Editor
BC women’s basketball team is predicting a successful season with the help of their new coach.
Brian T. McCormick has been appointed as the new coach for the women’s basketball team at BC.
He was born and raised in Sacramento, California. He’s only been living in Florida since September 2016.
McCormick has a long record of traveling to many different countries and coaching internationally. His travels stemmed from his participation in an exchange program when he was an upperclassman in high school. He was an exchange student in New Zealand.
After graduating high school, he attended UCLA for his Bachelor’s degree. During college, he was an exchange student for a year in Sweden. He also attended the University of Utah for his doctorate in Exercise and Sports Science.
“After I graduated from college, I knew I wanted to travel. I had lived abroad and knew that I wanted to travel and see different things and so forth,” he said.
“After I graduated college I found an email from my old coach and I asked how I could get a job coaching overseas.”
His first international coaching job was in Sweden in 2003.
“Sweden was my first overseas coaching job and it was partially because I had lived there before and I spoke a little bit of Swedish. Being familiar with the league and having played there… all of that helped me get a job that I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise,” he said.
Ever since he was young, McCormick always had a passion for sports and coaching.
“I think I did my first book report in second or third grade on a book called ‘They Call Me Coach’ by John Wooden. From then on I kind of knew. I always had the idea that I wanted to coach,” he said.
When he was younger, he played multiple sports such as basketball, soccer, baseball and flag football.
McCormick said his dad coached most of his youth sports teams. He thought he would have a coaching career similar to his father’s in which he would coach and then become a teacher. He never imagined coaching would allow him to travel as much as he did.
“I’ve been to places I’ve never even heard of before I graduated high school,” he said.
He had never left the country until he was an exchange student in New Zealand.
“Growing up I never imagined traveling this much. It wasn’t something that became reality or something to talk about until I went to New Zealand as an exchange student. That opened my eyes to traveling and meeting people,” he said.
He enjoys coaching more than playing the sport itself.
“I just enjoy working and trying to help other people accomplish their goals,” he said.
He said that sports can greatly impact an individual’s life. He said that people learn leadership skills, gain confidence and even stay and succeed in school due to sports.
McCormick has also published over 20 books about sports and coaching. His books are geared toward coaches, athletes and parents.
In addition to writing books, he has created an online training program that was designed to help players and coaches with their shots. McCormick tried to get the online program extended to an App, but the App was never finished.
He and his fiancée lived in New Mexico for two years before moving to South Florida. His fiancée got a job coaching at Barry University, which is what brought them here.
He spent the last year as the varsity girl’s basketball head coach at Hialeah Miami Lakes High School. He also coaches the boy’s u16 Miami Suns AAU basketball team.
BC women’s basketball team has 17 players. October 21 is their first scrimmage against Johnson and Wales University and then the season goes through until Feb. 27.
McCormick is hoping that the women’s basketball team at BC will win the league, then make it to regions and then win at regions.