Brunson Seeks Hometown Job

Former Temple basketball great Rick Brunson has applied for the head coaching job at Salem State College, a Division III school located in Brunson’s hometown of Salem, Mass. Brunson, who sought the Temple job last year and retired from the NBA in the autumn, served this past season as a player development coach for the Denver Nuggets.

Brunson, 34, has not been publicly tied to any other head coaching vacancies since his attempt to succeed Coach John Chaney. He has long planned a career in coaching.

“I hope people don’t think this is a hoax or a joke,” Brunson told The Salem News. “I was the runner-up for a top Division I coaching job, so you know I’m serious about it.”

Brunson led Salem High School to the Massachusetts State Championship before arriving at Temple in September 1991. After four successful years with the Owls, he spent two years playing overseas and in minor leagues before making his NBA debut with Portland in 1997-98. He played nine years in the NBA.

Salem State is an excellent Division III program, having advanced to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the past eight seasons. The previous head coach recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Quinnipiac.

“It would be great to be interviewed,” Brunson told the News, which reported that 70 people have applied for the job. “I went to high school in Salem, so why not? It’s a long shot, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

Brunson is originally from Syracuse. He now resides in Mount Laurel, N.J.