Ben Braun Court Naming Campaign

2/16/2023 5:00:00 PM

Proposed Ben Braun Court at George Gervin GameAbove Center

Dear Supporter,

We cordially invite you to join us in making possible long earned recognition for one of Eastern's most supportive, distinguished, and successful athletic leaders in our history by naming EMU's basketball court in honor of former head coach Ben Braun.

Ben's legacy at Eastern is manifold but unquestionably his major contribution is leading the then Hurons basketball team to 185 wins (EMU's best ever), a 106-35 record at Bowen Field House, three MAC Tournament titles, three regular season MAC titles, and being honored as MAC Coach of the Year three times.

In the process of compiling that extraordinary record, Ben's teams earned 10 wins against Power Five and other premier opponents – including Duke, Penn State, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Rutgers, Colorado State, Washington, and Texas Tech – while dominating traditional rivals Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Toledo with a record of 50-19. After EMU beat Duke, Mike Krzyzewski, one of the greatest coaches in history, was quoted as saying "Eastern Michigan is very well-coached, much deeper than we are and, today, much quicker than we were." From a legendary coach, there is no higher praise in basketball.

Following his playing career at the University of Wisconsin, Ben coached high school basketball and was then recruited to bring a fledgling Siena Heights squad into competitive status – which he did with a 148-103 record and qualifying for the NAIA tournament five times. He joined EMU as an assistant coach in fall of 1985 and unexpectedly was named head coach in January 1986 on Jim Boyce's retirement. That appointment changed EMU basketball forever and established the Eagles as a Mid-America Conference powerhouse.

To recognize Ben Braun only as a great coach is to minimize his achievements. During his tenure at Eastern he regularly attended and supported multiple academic and extra-curricular events as well as all of EMU's athletics. More importantly, the wisdom and life lessons he imparted to his student athletes were transformative, not only for the 6 EMU basketball stars who went on to play in the NBA or the additional 18 players brought to the NBA from teams he coached at CAL-Berkeley and Rice, but for the hundreds of athletes whose careers and professions went in different directions. Ben coached too many EMU standouts to name but each of them would say simply that "Coach Braun changed my life."

In addition to compiling 615 wins at 5 universities, Braun was head coach of the US Men's team in the 1989 Maccabiah Games and brought home a silver medal. In 1996 he was inducted into the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation Hall of Fame.

While Ben remains involved in basketball as a television commentator, leadership coach, and occasional basketball guru, EMU has not had the opportunity to honor the individual who did so much for athletes and athletics and for the university itself. To that end, we are committed to raise $250,000 to establish Ben Braun Court in the George Gervin GameAbove Center, and your gift is essential to this effort.

Ben has given so much to this institution and it's time we give back. Please help us to the degree you can. To learn more or make a gift, feel free to contact Dan McLean, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development, at (734) 487-8236 or via email at dan.mclean@emich.edu. To give online, follow this link.

With thanks and appreciation,
Signatures

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