Brad Rootes enters his first year as the new Head Coach of the Brock Badgers men's basketball program. 

At 26, Rootes is the youngest full-time head coach in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and one of the youngest in North America. He is the sixth head coach in the program’s 43-year history.

Rootes, a native of Niagara Falls, has been with the Brock coaching staff since 2008-09 as an assistant coach and this past season was the interim head coach leading the Badgers to a 14-16 overall record, highlighted by victories over Ottawa, Western, Windsor and Laurier.

He also spent two seasons coaching for the Ontario Basketball Association. In 2009, Rootes led the U15 Team Ontario Boys to a gold medal at the national championships in Kamloops, BC and in 2010 was named head coach of the U17 Team Ontario Boys.  

In 2008 as the captain of Brock’s CIS National Championship team, Rootes was named an OUA first team all-star for his fifth consecutive season. He became the first player at the University to be named a conference all-star all five seasons. He was also selected as the OUA West Player of the Year and a second team all-Canadian for his second straight season.

In the Brock record books, Rootes is the all-time leader in career free throws made (732-for-922) and steals (327). He also finished his university career ranked 2nd all-time in scoring (2790), assists (1173) and three-pointers made (376-for-1059).

After graduating, Rootes played one season professionally in Ukraine for Politekhnika Halychyna of the Ukrainian Super League.

At the first annual Brock Basketball Gala in 2008, Rootes became the fourth Brock basketball player to have his jersey retired. In 2010, he was inducted into both the Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame and the A. N. Myer Sports Hall of Fame.

The Niagara Region basketball legend has been coaching for over 50 years.  Prior to his coaching career beginning Mugs won the provincial high school championships three years in a row as the starting point guard for Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame coach “the Chief” Jimmy Rose.  

He has coach at almost every school in the Niagara Region and most of the best players including formal National Team player and coach and current Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano, as well as former National Team players Greg Newton (Duke University) and Pete Guarasci (Fairfield/Simon Fraser).

Brian has been with the Brock program from 1990-95 and 2003-present winning both National Championships in 1992 and 2008.

Steel enters his third season as an assistant coach with the Badgers.

Craig is an elementary teacher in Hamilton coaching for 18 years in the Hamilton area high school basketball leagues, winning an OFSSA ‘A’ gold medal in 2008-2009 as an assistant coach at ACMT.

He has been heavily involved with the Ontario Basketball Association elite development programs being assistant coach with the U17 Development Provincial Boys Team in 2008 as well as an assistant coach with the U15 Provincial Boys National Championship Teams in 2009 & 2010.

Chris enters his second season as the Badgers skills developmental specialist. 

As a player, Chris played D1 NCAA college basketball at Texas Christian University.  He then went on to play professionally in Europe for seven seasons in eight different countries. 

Chris works at IMG Academy in Florida and focuses on individual skill development.  He currently trains Jarred Jeffries (Houston Rockets) and Renaldo Balkman (Denver Nuggets), and in the past has trained and worked with some of the best players in the NBA including; Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Tayshawn Prince, Montay Ellis, Al Harrington, JJ Hickson, Roger Mason and more.