Drexel University Athletics

James "Bruiser" Flint is now in his eighth season as the head coach at Drexel Univeristy. Flint has established Drexel as one of the top programs in the CAA since arriving on the University City campus in 2001. The Dragons have advanced to the postseason in four of the last six years and have won at least 17 games four times since he returned to Philadelphia.

Flint led the Dragons to 23 wins during the 2006-07 season, the most wins for a Drexel team since the 1995-96 campaign. Drexel finished 23-9 overall and won 13 road games, tying for the most in all of Division I. The Dragons won at nationally-ranked Syracuse, at Villanova and at Creighton in front of the largest crowd ever to see a game in the state of Nebraska. In addition, Flint became the first coach in Drexel history ever to beat three Philadelphia Big 5 teams in one season. He won his second NABC District Coach of the Year Award as the Dragons narrowly missed out on an NCAA at-large berth.

A two-time CAA Coach of the Year, Flint's teams have won at least 11 conference games five times. Flint has a 118-94 record at the school and an impressive 74-52 (.587) mark in CAA play. He has already moved into fourth place in career wins at Drexel. Since his arrival, the Dragons have had the CAA Defensive Player of the Year on four occasions, have had 11 All-CAA selections and 10 members of the conference's All-Defensive team.

Flint has had three stints with USA Basketball since coming to Drexel. In July of 2007, Flint was an assistant coach for the USA Under 19 National Team. He served under Jerry Wainright from De Paul as the team competed in Novi Sad, Serbia. During the summer of 2005, Flint was an Assistant Coach for the USA Under 21 World Championship Team that played in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The team posted a 7-1 record. His first stint came as a court coach prior to the Global Games.

During the 2004-05 season, despite key injuries to a number of players, Drexel had a 17-12 mark and a 12-6 record in the CAA. The Dragons, playing without two injured starters, took MAC runner-up Buffalo to overtime on its home court in the opening round of the NIT. It was the third straight season Flint led a Drexel team to the postseason.

In 2003-04, Flint was named the CAA Coach of the Year after leading a team picked to finish in a tie for fourth place to a second-place finish with a 13-5 league record. The Dragons won 12 of their last 15 regular-season games and finished just one game behind Virginia Commonwealth. Overall, Flint's team finished 18-11 and advanced to the NIT for the second straight season. The Dragons lost at Villanova in the first round.

In his second season, Flint returned the Dragons to the postseason for the first time in six years. Drexel won 19 games and finished 12-6 in the CAA. The Dragons won two games at the CAA Tournament and advanced to the championship game. Drexel lost in the finals, but was rewarded with a bid to the NIT, only the sixth postseason appearance in the school's history.

Flint, who owns a 204-166 career record, returned home to his native Philadelphia when he took over as Drexel's head coach on April 5, 2001. In his first year, Flint led a team that was picked to finish ninth in the CAA to an 11-7 mark, tying them for third in the league. The Dragons finished with a 14-14 record. For his efforts, Flint was named the CAA Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. Flint picked up his 100th career victory in Drexel's 68-65 win against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 18, 2002.

Flint arrived at Drexel after a 12-year stint at UMass. He was an assistant coach for seven seasons before becoming the school's 17th head basketball coach. He was 86-72 at UMass (52-28 in Atlantic 10 play) and led three of his teams to postseason play and was the NABC District I Co-Coach of the Year in 1998. Flint was the fastest coach in UMass history to reach 30 wins and was the winningest first-year coach ever at UMass. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Coppin State University before joining the UMass staff.

A 1987 Saint Joseph's graduate, Flint, 43, was a four-year letterwinner with the Hawks. He earned All-Atlantic 10 honors as a senior and led the Hawks to the 1986 A-10 championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament as a junior. The Hawks also made NIT appearances in 1984 and 1985. He was inducted into the Saint Joseph's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 and graduated with a degree in financial management.

Flint graduated from nearby Episcopal Academy in 1983. He was a First Team All-Philadelphia and Third Team All-State selection following his senior season. Flint finished his prep career ranked second on the Inter-Academic Conference’s all-time scoring and assist lists, and was named the league’s MVP as a senior.

Flint, his wife, Rene, and their daughter, Jada, reside in Philadelphia.

Coaching Highlights
*Two-time Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year (2002, 2004)
*Two NCAA Tournament Appearances (1997, 1998)
*Five NIT Appearances (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007)
*NABC District 3 Coach of the Year (2007)
*NABC District 1 Coach of the Year (1998)
*Third winningest coach in the 93-year history of UMass basketball (86 wins)
*Winningest first-year coach in UMass history (19 wins)
*Fastest Coach in UMass History to reach 30 and 40 wins
*Second Fastest Coach in UMass History to reach 50 wins