Coming off another successful season, Brandeis men's basketball head coach
Jean Bain continues to flourish, developing both the University's basketball program and mentoring its players. This Black History Month, the Department of Athletics is spotlighting Bain for his growth and leadership over the years.
A New England native with Haitian roots, Bain starred at Northeastern University, winning America East Conference Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. Coaching since 2006, Bain gained years of experience coaching for programs including Ivy League teams like Dartmouth and Columbia, before taking on the head coach role at Brandeis in October 2018.
For Bain, basketball has been instrumental in his life, as he started playing when he was 10 years old. He has been connected to the sport since, as a player and coach. "Basketball has been part of my life, and it's taken me places I never dreamed of that I could go because of the opportunities that were offered for me," said Bain.
In his 8th season at Brandeis, he believes that his growth over the years is intertwined not just in his role as a coach, but as a leader for his players. Creating healthy communities for players and helping them attain their dreams is one of his main priorities as he consistently works to instill a strong work ethic in his players. "You've got to work for everything. So, we try to establish that model and try to lead by example," says Bain.
Speaking on the importance of Black History Month, Bain sees it as a reminder for him to keep paving the way for those who will come after him, appreciating the opportunities and freedom he has because of his ancestors. "It's the strength of the people that came before me, and I think for myself, it's a pride of my identity of who I am and accepting who I am," said Bain.
He also reflected on the importance of being a Black head coach in Division III basketball right now. With a small population of Black coaches at this level, Bain wants to be a role model for younger Black coaches and be a reminder to others to never sell themselves short in this industry. "At this level, I just hope young Black coaches coming up see the hard work that I put in and understand that they can do it as well," said Bain. In addition to looking up to other coaches like Temple's John Chaney and Georgetown's John Thompson, an important role model for him in his life is his older brother, Ludger, who showed academic prowess and led his life in an exemplary way.
His mentorship has continued to be very successful, as some of his players have gone on to play as graduate students and in Division I programs. One of Bain's players,
Toby Harris '25, is playing Division I basketball for Iona University and having a great season, averaging 11.6 points in 29 games. Another recent graduate,
Sam Adusei '24, is currently in graduate school at Carnegie Mellon, where he leads the Tartans in scoring this season.. Adusei saw playing for Coach Bain as an honor and says that Bain played an immense role in the man he has become today. "Having someone always telling you to be great and better is something that can be taken for granted, but he pushed me to reach heights I'm not sure I would've myself," said Adusei. He appreciated having a black coach to relate to take ownership of your successes and failures.
As Bain continues to be a mentor and leader to his players, he is also adjusting to another role that he loves dearly: becoming a father for the first time. He always looks forward to being with his son, Maximus, who was born in November. Coach Bain carries a new mindset with how his life has changed and what he does, saying, "It's about him every single day and I try to keep that in perspective." Apart from the lessons he is learning being a father, Bain is consistently giving his players guidance on life on and off the court. His biggest pieces of advice are to embrace adversity and find ways to make someone's life better everyday. All in all, Bain's leadership continues to be a defining factor in his success and something worth celebrating
