A Perfect Fit: Bart Lundy
 
At the end of March, the Milwaukee Athletic Department announced the hiring of Bart Lundy as the eighth head coach of the men's basketball program since Milwaukee moved to NCAA Division I in 1990.
 
Lundy arrived following a very successful nine-year run at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina, posting a 30-4 record during the 2021-22 campaign. He took his program to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh year in a row this past season, advancing all the way to the Southeast Regional Championship game.
 
This past winter, his team reached No. 4 in the national poll to mark the seventh straight year Queens finished ranked in the Top 25 of the NABC national poll as well as making an appearance in the Top 10 over the course of the campaign.
 
Lundy's resume is especially impressive over the past six seasons, posting 30-plus victories in four of them while registering a 163-30 mark (.845 winning percentage) in that stretch. His run of three consecutive seasons of 30-or-more victories from 2016 to 2019 (32/30/31) was matched only by Gonzaga across all NCAA levels in that timeframe.
 
The Royals reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2017-18 and the Elite Eight again in 2018-19, as well as advancing to the Sweet 16 on two occasions (2017/2022). Lundy had his team as the top seed in the tournament in 2017 and 2019 and the No. 2 seed in 2019, 2020, and 2022. His overall record in the NCAA Tournament is an impressive 13-6.

Lundy is the eighth head coach in Milwaukee's NCAA Division I era (1990-present) and the 23^rd since basketball first started on the campus back in 1896.
 
The staff of the Roar Report checked in on Lundy to see how the transition to Wisconsin and the Midwest has gone to this point.
 
Roar Report: How is UWM and the state of Wisconsin treating you?
Bart Lundy: "Fantastic. This has been even more than I imagined it would be. The fans, the administration, the students, they have embraced me and my family and they are on-board. Everyone is excited, which pumps me up."
 
RR: How has the transition gone with the team?
BL: "It has been good. It has been a long haul to fill the roster. It has been a lot of work – to hire the staff, to recruit the players, to get the players through the paperwork process – but we are extremely excited about summer and fielding this team and seeing what we have."
 
RR: How do you feel about the roster you have built?
BL: "We are functional and I think we have a strength in shooting the basketball, especially from three, which will be a bit of a different look than Milwaukee has had in the past. The weaknesses … we have 11 new players, maybe more, and we have to figure out how to put them in a blender and make a team out of it. We haven't seen these guys in our system yet, so we could be pleasantly surprised or have our work cut out for us. The unknown is probably our biggest weakness."
 
RR: How has the media interaction and public appearances gone for you?
BL: "The city has been great. They have done more than I could have ever anticipated. The administration at UWM has been able to get me out in the public and promote our program and I think we are going to see that help in fan support, in ticket sales, and in the student excitement. I think all of that, combined with a winning team, is going to take us to new heights.
 
RR: How are those "first pitches" coming at baseball games?
BL: "Well, they have gotten progressively better [laughs]. First one at the Panther game was a strike, but was a Little League strike (Lundy stood in front of the mound). The second one at the Brewers game was from the mound, but a bit outside. The third one, at the Milkmen game, came from the mound, and was straight down the middle."
 
RR: What does a team coached by you look like?
BL: "It will look exciting, and fast, and tough. It will look full-court and we will score a lot of points. We are going to be good with the basketball but conservative at the same time. I think the fans will really enjoy the entertainment value of our brand."
 
RR: What were the biggest things that attracted you to the job?
BL: "The potential! Not only for the program and where it's been and where it could go. But what really attracted me was the University and the city. The university fits my values, my family's values. The city is in need of a winner and I truly believe they will jump on board. We could energize the city and I think they are eager to get this going. There are 200,000 graduates of UWM and 74 percent live in the state … they want to see this be a winner."
 
RR: What will you look to accomplish over the summer with the team?
BL: "They have to buy-in and know that we are going to invest in their game. We are still in the summer … some coaches will go into team practices. We will do some of that, but mostly invest in their games. In the summertime, I think you get better individually. We will do a lot of skill development and then get a lot of structure of our offense and defense in."
 
RR: How does it feel to walk into the office every day looking at the OHOW?
BL: "It is beyond exciting. Starting with knowing that at this time next year, the best pickup games in the state are going to be in that building. I want to create a program where are guys are playing with good players every day and that they believe that they can play with anyone. And that facility allows us to get so much better individually. We can help them believe that they can play at the highest levels."
 
RR: What do you think is the best aspect of coaching?
BL: "The relationships with your players and staff. Being able to come to work on a university campus every day. What it does for my family … I can't think of a negative aspect of coaching."
 
RR: How is your family dealing with the changes?
BL: "They are eager to be here … they are not here yet, but looking forward to all being in one place again. They had to finish up school, so I think there are mixed emotions. They are sad to leave Charlotte, but at the same time excited about Milwaukee. Liam is ready to meet Giannis. They are excited."
 
RR: How exciting is it to look forward to that first official game on the sidelines?
BL: "I am actually really excited about that first home game. The first official game will be on the road at Purdue and I am excited about that game as well. But I am really getting tuned in to that first home game, in the arena, and the anticipation of what this team can be."