Ryan Bradt’s North Tonawanda pride is clear.
The 31-year-old is a 2012 NT graduate and now serves as a police officer in the city. For the past five years, as head of the department’s Police Athletic League, he’s run a free basketball tournament for kids.
A year ago, he applied to be North Tonawanda’s girls basketball coach. The school district stuck with Mike Mills on the bench. Bradt watched from the stands as the Lumberjacks put together the best season in their history.
Now the job is his. Bradt was approved as NT’s next coach at a Board of Education meeting earlier this month. Between midnight shifts on the force, he’ll lead the Lumberjacks in what they hope is their first Section VI championship season.
“I love the City of North Tonawanda,” he said. “It’s where I always knew I wanted to raise a family, be a part of something bigger than just living in the city. Becoming a police officer, I take pride in protecting and making sure the city’s in a good spot. … I’ve just been waiting for the right time and opportunity to take a coaching job with the school district.”
Bradt’s basketball background began during his playing days with the Lumberjacks. He went on to a four-year career with Hilbert College. After graduation, he coached Cardinal O’Hara’s junior varsity boys team for a season before joining the police academy.
For the past four years, he’s been coaching his son Mason’s travel basketball teams with XGen Elite, most recently at the 14U level. Bradt and his wife, Maria, also have a 1 ½-year-old son, Bayler.
“I knew I always wanted to get back into coaching at the school,” Bradt said. “I just needed to settle into my job and my career.”
North Tonawanda athletic director Matt Cook liked the plan Bradt presented.
“During the interview process the goal was not only to find a head coach to lead the team this coming season but someone who will build the team/program for the future,” Cook said in an email interview.
Bradt said he wants to build the entire program by including JV and modified players in summer workouts and allowing older players to serve as role models.
“We want to make sure we have girls that are ready and developed skill-wise, mentally and physically — that they’re ready to step up,” he said.
Mills went 46-20 in three seasons at NT, including a 20-3 record a year ago when the Lumberjacks reached the Section VI Class AA final for the first time, losing to Starpoint 50-43. The entire roster is set to return, led by Day sisters Annabelle, a senior-to-be committed to the University at Buffalo, and Lilly, a rising sophomore.
Asked why the school moved on from Mills despite the program’s recent success, Cook said he couldn’t comment on a district personnel decision.
The success wasn’t without controversy. Last season there were accusations of the Lumberjacks running up the score. They eclipsed the 100-point mark four times, including a 120-9 win over rival Tonawanda that drew the most public criticism.
NT may have found a solution to the lopsided scores, however. Along with Bradt’s hiring came the announcement that the program will play an independent schedule the next three seasons, meaning a temporary exit from the Niagara Frontier League for girls basketball only.
“With independent status it was discussed within the district that this was the best decision for our student-athletes involved in the program,” Cook said. “The schedule is still a work in progress but coming together well to give our team good competition during the regular season.”
Bradt hopes it prepares the Lumberjacks for a deep postseason run.
Watching them last winter, he saw a talented, close-knit group that played hard.
“We have a great group of girls that are ready to compete at a high level,” Bradt said. “We hope to make the city proud.”