'It's a blessing to be back' New SIU men's basketball coach Bryan Mullins - a former Saluki himself - addresses Marion Lions Club

MARION - First-year SIU men's basketball coach Bryan Mullins was the featured guest at the Marion Lions Club meeting Wednesday.

At the invite of Lion Bob Wargel, who is also a season-ticket holder with the Salukis, Mullins said he wants his team to play with the same pride and passion that he and his teammates demonstrated more than a decade ago - a time when the Dawgs were routinely making trips to the postseason tournaments.

"How can we build a championship program? We have to recruit the right kind of kids - kids with good character who are competitive and tough. We don't want guys who are lazy and soft. We want blue-collar workers with a chip on their shoulder."

In short, Mullins wants clones of himself, a hard-nosed, tough ballhandling guard. The Saluki Hall-of-Famer graduated in 2009 as the career leader in steals and assists.

Mullins said he and his staff grew closer to the team over the summer and he feels he has a nice mix of seniors and underclassmen.

"I could see the kids coming together during workouts and hanging out doing things on the weekend with one another. I think everything is moving in the right direction."

Mullins said that having a strong leader in Athletic Director Jerry Kill certainly helps.

"He's changed the whole culture here," Mullins said. "Everyone's moving in the right direction. It's so important to have that leadership from the top down."

Mullins added that the Missouri Valley Conference race is "wide open" and any one of five or six teams could emerge as the team to beat. Missouri State, Drake, Loyola and Bradley might be four of the better squads in the preseason.

As for the Salukis, Mullins said the team is a work in progress, but he is glad to be home with his alma mater.

"It's a blessing to be back," he said.