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Gwynedd Mercy assistants Wareham, Burke get JUCO gigs

07/13/2015, 5:00pm EDT

By Jack Goodwillie

Jack Goodwillie (@jackgoodwillie)
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In a week's span, Gwynedd-Mercy head coach John Baron lost two of his assistant coaches.

First, Nick Burke got the head coaching job at Bucks County Community College last Wednesday; on Monday, Cumberland County College Will Wareham to be the program’s next head coach.

Both hirings come at a slightly odd time in the offseason.

Barry Brodzinski, who coached Roman Catholic to two Philadelphia Catholic League titles in the 1980’s, was originally hired to fill the Cumberland County void in April. When that fell through, Wareham, a Vineland native, was ready and willing to step in.

“Things kind of progressed a little unorthodox, I’d say, but I’m really happy to have the opportunity,” Wareham said. “Meeting with the athletic staff here, they’re really focused on putting the best athletic product out possible.”

Since his hiring came in July, Wareham will have a limited time to recruit players and assemble a coaching staff but already has a couple names in mind to round his staff out with.

He also has a plan in place to make the most out of the time he has.

“At this point in the game, I’m going to rely heavily on my ties to South Jersey basketball,” Wareham said. “I’m going to do a lot of reaching out to the coaches and see who’s still available from the Class of 2015 and see who’s looking for a second chance at school.”

The Bucks job had been open since May 8, when former head coach Donald Perry was let go after an underwhelming three years. After an extensive interview process, Burke got the job last Wednesday.

For the 26-year-old, who played high school basketball at Christopher Dock but wasn't involved with the team at Messiah College, where he graduated from in 2011, getting the opportunity to be in charge of his own program at such a young age was something he couldn't turn down.

"It's just appealing to have some control over who's playing for you," said Burke, who is also a 10th grade geometry teacher at Community Academy Charter in North Philadelphia. "Also just the opportunity to coach in college is a great opportunity, especially at my age, so I'm just thankful that I got to interview, and the interview went well.

Burke and Wareham spent the last three and four years respectively under head coach John Baron at Gwynedd-Mercy.

"The best thing was just being part of the Gwynedd staff," Burke said. "I'm just really thankful to the guys at Gwynedd for teaching me a lot about basketball...and my family for being supportive as well."

Though Baron is technically losing two assistants, he does not view the situation as a loss for his program, considering how happy he is for his former colleagues.

"I look at it as gaining," Baron said. "Both guys were aspiring to be head coaches, whether at the community college level or Division III level. I don't look at it as losing anyone. It's more of a gain (because) I'm really happy for them."

In their last year there, the Griffins finished 17-10 with a group of players that both men had a hand in bringing in. Prior to joining Gwynedd-Mercy, Wareham served as the head coach at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing, N.J for eight years. Burke served as an assistant at Christopher Dock for a season before he joined the staff in 2012.

While Wareham's expertise was rooted in the recruiting process, Burke assisted Baron with the game-to-game preparation and film breakdown.

Cumberland County athletics are used to having success at the national level. The women’s team is coming off an appearance in the NJCAA national semifinals while the men mustered a 13-16 record. In Wareham, the junior college has hired a man who is up to the challenge of matching that success.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to meet with any of the guys coming back but I would also love the opportunity to bring some talented guys in here and do something special,” Wareham said. “[Recruiting] was probably my biggest asset to Gwynedd Mercy.”

Baron, who originally hired Wareham four years ago, has had sustained long-term success with the Griffins, accumulating a record of 217-133 over a 12 year span. Wareham views his now-former boss as one of the greatest basketball minds in the country and feels he has gotten a quality basketball education from working under him.

“On the court, I would put John up against any anyone in the country on any level,” Wareham said. “The guy sees the game, he make in-game adjustments, it’s unbelievable the way he does things. I can’t express how much he’s done for me basketball-wise.

“It’s very tough to put into words.”