Two months into the Ferris men’s basketball offseason, the program introduced the community to new head coach Bobby Pietrack at a press conference on Tuesday, May 20.
The former Fort Lewis College coach was announced as the newest x factor of Ferris men’s basketball on May 14. The hiring comes just one month after the 2018 National Championship-winning head coach Andy Bronkema was announced to take over Central Michigan University’s program following his 12 years at Ferris.
Ferris State athletic director Steve Brockelbank opened the introductory press conference by highlighting the core values they were looking for in a coach and how Pietrack exceeded those expectations.
“We wanted to find successful head coaches and we found one. We were very fortunate to find Bobby Pietrack in the fact that not only is he a successful head coach, but he is a successful head coach at the Division 2 level,” Brockelbank said. “We found somebody that were really excited about that can come in and carry on this fantastic tradition of men’s basketball here at Ferris State.”
Pietrack is a “Divison 2 lifer,” as he puts it. He has spent 24 years within Division 2 basketball as he loves the level of play, passion and relationships that come from this level. He acknowledged why Ferris’ program was the right fit.
“I’m in the prime of my coaching career, I have the expertise and experience to lead a program of this magnitude, and I feel like I can get the job done,” Pietrack said. “I break it down into three areas: Champions in the classroom, champions in the community, champions on the court. Men’s basketball has and will continue to have a strong presence. We will pour into Big Rapids and the surrounding area and people will know who our players are and what we’re about.”
Pietrack still has around six crucial roles on the roster that must be filled. With the transfer portal closing, he will be looking to build a roster that he considers “built with local ties”, looking to recruit players from Michigan and surrounding areas.
Pietrack mentions he will be producing a championship product where fans can expect quality basketball play.
“Offensively, we want to play fast and efficient. We want to play with pace, we want to move the ball, have motion, take good shots and not turn it over. We will put a high emphasis on points per possession so points will be at a premium. You’ve got to be able to score at this level to win and especially win on the road,” Pietrack said. “Defensively, we want to impose our will on people. We want to pick up as early as we can, make them feel our presence and then in the half court never let them get in the paint. In my experience in March, motion wins, rebounding wins and taking care of the ball wins so we will really emphasize that.”
With the offseason underway, Pietrack outlined the program’s recruiting priorities and the timeline ahead.
“We’re going to work really hard. It may take up to eight weeks to get it finalized but we want to get players who are up to the standard of play,” Pietrack said. “This is a high standard and this is a great league so it’s not about just finding players, it’s about finding the right players to join the core of guys that we have.
With Pietrack now leading the program, Ferris State is preparing to build on its winning tradition of excellence. Backed by experience and a clear plan, the Bulldogs enter a new era with a familiar goal: sustained success on and off the court.