West Liberty University assistant football coach Tom Bruney will be leaving the Hilltopper program to take over the head coaching reins at Brooke (W.Va.) High School.
Bruney coached the defensive backs for West Liberty head coach Roger Waialae during the 2008 season as the Hilltoppers posted their fourth consecutive winning season (7-4, 6-2) and came within a field goal of sharing the West Virginia Conference championship.
Senior cornerback Darren Banks led the WVIAC with 7 interceptions and became the conference’s first three-time NCAA Division II All-American while junior defensive back Derrick Evans led the league with 14 passes defended and received honorable mention on the coaches’ All-WVIAC team.
“Tom did a great job for us at West Liberty and I’m really happy to see him get this opportunity,”
said Waialae. “Brooke High hired a very good football coach and everybody up here certainly wishes Tom all the best.”
A native of Martins Ferry, Ohio, Bruney has spent more than 20 years as a head coach or assistant coach at the high school and collegiate level. He is 101-51 (.664) in 14 seasons as a high school head coach.
After several years as an assistant at high schools in Ohio and Arizona, Bruney got his first head coaching job at Maryvale (Ariz.) High School in 1994.
In 12 seasons at the Phoenix-area school, Bruney led the Panthers to an 89-43 (.674) record that included 9 state playoff berths and 5 regional championships. He left Arizona following the 2005 season to return to his native Ohio.
Bruney coached one season each at Ashtabula Lakeside and Maple Heights before joining the West Liberty staff last year after accepting a teaching job at his high school alma mater in Martins Ferry.
Waialae said the search for Bruney’s replacement on the Hilltopper coaching staff is already under way.
