GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Much like it is for the team he is inheriting, new Western Michigan head coach Clayton Bates will take a win any way he can.
"This has been a dream of mine," Bates told 13 ON YOUR SIDE. "This is a dream come true and I’m certainly excited to take the chance at it."
After 15 long seasons working with the Broncos, the 47-year-old, first time head coach, is finally taking charge. But to some, his promotion comes with an asterisk as the university admitted its coaching search was limited by the global pandemic.
"I don’t know all the ins-and-outs of the search," Bates admitted. "I can just say that I think it’s a massive undertaking to hire a basketball coach even out of the best of the situations."
Clearly Western’s new leader is only focused on what he can control and that is attempting to turn around a program that has seen better days.
WMU is coming off two straight losing seasons and hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since 2014.
"I don’t know what’s missing," Bates said. "This is going to take a lot of people, not just me,"
If things weren’t already hard enough, on Monday, Bates learned Brandon Johnson and Michael Flowers were leaving the program and entering the transfer portal. But despite the loss of the two leading scorers from last year, Bates remains confident, the program can get back on track
"My goal is to do everything I can each and every day to make this, the best program it can be."
In Kalamazoo, men's basketball victories may be tough to come by buy Bates is hoping it won’t stay that way for long.
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