GREEN BAY, Wis. - s4story -- The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball program was the epitome of mid-major mediocrity when it hired Dick Bennett as its head coach in 1985. Relatively new to the high-pressure world of NCAA Division I athletics, UWGB took a chance on a Division III coaching legend in the hopes of resurrecting its once-proud program.

Author Aaron A. Mitchell tells the story of how the UW-Green Bay program rose to national prominence by focusing on the elements of team sports within its control rather than dwelling on its limitations in Phoenix Rising: A Playbook for Building a Mid-Major College Basketball Program (M&B Global Solutions Inc.)

Mitchell describes how the Phoenix rode Bennett's core pillars of developing a successful program to reach rarified air seldom experienced by its mid-major brethren. Achieving consistent success in college sports often comes down to one unrelenting variable – money. Whether in the form of superior facilities, recruiting budgets, coaching salaries, or swanky gear, programs that exist in a state of financial abundance generally enjoy greater success than their budget-strapped counterparts.

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Featuring more than 100 photos, Phoenix Rising includes a foreword by former Purdue coach Gene Keady, a legacy (afterword) by former Butler coach Barry Collier, and dozens of interviews to craft the definitive history of UW-Green Bay men's basketball.

Phoenix Rising is available in paperback and digital formats on Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Rising-Playbook-Mid-Major-Basketball/dp/1942731396.

About the Author

Aaron A. Mitchell was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he grew up an avid fan of the state's sports teams. Today, he lives in southeast Wisconsin with his wife, Amy, and three children.