Tony Barone, whose long college and professional basketball coaching and administration career began as an assistant coach at Bradley, died Tuesday after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 72.
In 1978, Barone, then a high school coach in Chicago, joined the staff of new Bradley head coach Dick Versace. The Chicago native and former Duke player was a colorful figure on the BU sidelines and with the local media.
Barone would later become associate head coach of the Braves under Versace before landing the head coaching job at Creighton in 1985.
Barone coached the Bluejays for six seasons, winning two Missouri Valley Conference championships.