The campus and Gambier community are invited to a presentation sponsored by Kenyon Athletics on social decision-making by Brad Bigler, head men's basketball coach at Southwest Minnesota State University. Bigler's story was the subject of an ESPN E60 video and Bigler has used his own personal tragedy as a platform for helping others.
Brad Bigler has seen Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball from almost every angle. As a player, volunteer coach, graduate assistant coach, assistant coach, associate head coach and now head coach, Bigler has been a part of the most successful period of Mustang men’s basketball in school history the past 20 seasons. The 11th head coach in program history, Bigler is no stranger to SMSU men’s basketball and its success the past 20 years. Since joining the program as a student-athlete in 1997-98, SMSU has finished in the top half of the conference standings in 16 of the last 20 seasons, including four conference championships and two NCAA region titles.
The Bigler family was thrown into the spotlight in July of 2012 when their vehicle was hit by a drunk driver. Their family’s story has helped change laws in Minnesota and Iowa. They have worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Against Zero Deaths to impact people of all ages on the awareness of drinking and driving. The ESPN E60 presentation has impacted people from across the world. The public speaking platform has allowed their family to turn a tragic event in their lives into something productive that