Ashford Men's Basketball Camps
Head Coach Oliver Drake
In his first season at the helm, Drake had the Ashford University basketball program explode onto the scene of the Midwest Collegiate Conference and crash the NAIA National Championships for just second time in school history.
Picked to finish just sixth in the conference 2010-11 preseason poll after a vote by the league's coaches, Drake hushed all naysayers and doubters by capturing the MCC Tournament championship and punched Ashford's ticket into the national tournament with an automatic bid.
With the Saints' historic ascent, Ashford set a single-season win records in both conference play (11) and overall games (23) under Drake's direction. His inside-out philosophy and emphasis on defensive intensity translated into victories over five teams that were ranked in the up-to-date edition of the NAIA Div. II Top-25 Coaches Poll at the time.
Drake's 2010-11 squad hounded the opposition into an MCC-best 65.29 points per game average, ranking 15th among all programs nationally. The Saints also ranked first in the country in total rebound defense (28.73) while rating in the top 50 nationally in a total of 12 categories, including assist-to-turnover ratio (37th, 0.987), total three-point field goals made (33rd, 226) and free-throw percentage (25th, 71.8%), among many others.
Ashford was also at the top of the conference statistical ratings in free throw percentage, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage.
Drake kept the Saints on a steady course and navigated his way through the gauntlet that represents the loaded conference schedule. A total of three student-athletes found their way onto the All-MCC Team and the Saints had reached a No. 23 NAIA national ranking by just midseason.
Originally a native of Neillsville, Wis., Drake kept his Midwestern roots close to home when he accepted head coaching responsibilities of the Ashford University men's basketball program beginning in April of 2010.
Drake arrived at Ashford after a highly successful six-year tenure at Div. III Wartburg College in Waverly where helped the Knights to a pair of back-to-back Iowa Conference Championships (2004-05, 2005-06).
Drake was also an assistant coach at other locations within the Badger State, working at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Eau Claire Memorial High School. He was also one of the youngest head boys basketball coaches in state history when he was at the helm of Cadott High School as an undergraduate for two years.
Drake has been actively involved in basketball camps around the nation including Five Star, Morgan Wooten, Northwestern University (Ill.), University of Wisconsin, Snow Valley Basketball School, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, South Dakota, Hoosier Basketball School and North Dakota State University.
A graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Drake obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology-Physical Education K-12 before achieving his Master's Degree of Arts from Viterbo University in Education.
Drake is married to his wife, Kristen, and together they have a son, Sebastian. Drake and his family currently reside in Clinton.
The Drake File
• Head Sophomore and Assistant Varsity Boys Basketball Coach - Eau Claire Memorial High School (Wis.) (2000-01)
• Head Boys Basketball Coach - Cadott High School (Wis.) (2001-03)
• Assistant Men's Basketball Coach - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2003-04)
• Assistant Men's Basketball Coach - Wartburg College (2004-10)
• Head Men's Basketball Coach - Ashford University (2010-Present)
