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92 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 5 f Bradley Will look local First I t's no wonder that Coach Rob Bradley likes Adam Schenk. The senior golfer from southern Indiana stands for everything the rookie golf coach is trying to build at Purdue. Schenk is talented, he's a leader and he's from Indiana. "My goals from a recruiting standpoint are to keep the best kids from Indiana at home," Bradley said. "It's something I think is re- ally important for the program and it shows something if you can get the best kids in Indiana to stay at home." But Bradley, whose 12-player 2014 spring roster has six interna- tional players and three from the Hoosier state, won't stop getting players from anywhere he can. He knows an insti- tution like Purdue has national and international appeal. "It didn't take me long to notice that Purdue's diversity is its strength," said Bradley, who starred for his new boss Devon Brouse (the Boilermakers' director of golf operations and women's coach) as a collegian at North Carolina from 1993-96. "I'll go to tournaments and the international players know as much about Purdue as they know about the Univer- sity of Florida. We will certainly have international players, but I think in time we'll have more Indiana kids that stay at home to play golf here." Bradley, who was hired on July 10, 2013, brings a wide array of experiences to West Lafayette. Prior to spending the national title season last year at Ala- bama, Bradley enjoyed a successful three-year ten- ure as an assistant at the University of North Florida (2009-12), during which the Ospreys qualified for the NCAA Regional three times and advanced to the NCAA Championships twice, finishing 14th in 2011 and tied for 12th in 2012. He was a four-year starter for Brouse at North Car- olina before turning pro. During his time in Chapel Hill, he helped lead the Tar Heels two ACC Champi- onships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a third-place finish at the 1993 NCAAs. "I knew this would be a great opportunity for my first head coaching job," Bradley said. "To be around Coach Brouse, and be in a program that has some of the best facilities I've seen in the country, was really enticing for me. You can recruit top players here be- cause of our facilities." It also doesn't hurt that Bradley can walk in the shoes of his player's ultimate aspirations — to turn pro. He has played in two U.S. Open tournaments and has earned more $300,000 in professional golf in seven years on the Nationwide Tour. "I can relate to the guys on so many levels," Brad- ley said. "I played the Scarlet Course at Ohio State, for example. I can look back at scores I had there and realize that I didn't play well there (shooting a 79 in one round) and relate to the challenges that confront our guys." Bradley clearly understands that part of his role is to help the players become mentally strong enough to earn a living at the sport. He knows the entire ros- ter has access to its own swing coaches, but Brad- Purdue Rob Bradley brings a wealth of teaching and playing experience into his first season as head coach for the men's program.