Kevin Bruinsma is entering his seventh season as the Head Coach of the Boys Varsity Basketball team at Sarasota Christian. During his six years at the helm the Blazers are the only school in Sarasota County to have posted six straight winning regular seasons, and are the sixth winningest program in Sarasota/Manatee Counties. The Blazers have advanced to the FHSAA Regional Tournament in back to back seasons, have won two Holiday Tournament Championships, and an SSAA 1A Championship. Bruinsma has earned four FACA District 16 Coach of the Year awards over the course of his six seasons at Sarasota Christian.
Kevin prepped at Grand Rapids Christian (MI) as a two sport athlete playing Basketball & Soccer. As a Basketball stand out he was named, team captain, All-City, All-Area, & All-Tournament Team. Kevin accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Spring Arbor University (MI) in 2004.
A two-sport athlete at Spring Arbor University, Bruinsma was voted the Most Improved Player on the 2005 NCCAA National Championship team in Basketball, along with being selected as Team MVP, and two-time All-Region Soccer selection. He graduated from Spring Arbor in 2008 with a degree in secondary education.
Bruinsma served as the Junior Varsity Boy’s Basketball Coach at Concord High School (MI) for two years along with working as an advanced scout for NCAA D3 Albion College (MI) during the 2007-2009 seasons.
Upon graduation from Spring Arbor, Bruinsma served as an intern for the Orlando Magic of the NBA during the Summer of 2008 where he focused on scouting & video breakdown. The Orlando Magic won the Eastern Conference and went on to the NBA Finals that season.
Bruinsma served as a Graduate Assistant at Cleveland State University where he obtained his Graduate Degree in Sports Management from 2009-2012. During his tenure the Vikings won the Horizon League Championship in 2011, participated in two post-season National Invitational Tournaments, and produced multiple professional players along with two NBA players.
Following a successful run at CSU, Bruinsma was hired at the University of Portland as the Director of Basketball Technology for the 2012-2013 season. The Pilots increased their win total from the previous year as Bruinsma managed the only interactive video teaching board in the entire country.
After 13 months on the bluff, Bruinsma was hired at Youngstown State University where he held a variety of positions over the course of six seasons. As an Assistant Coach Kevin was viewed as one of the best recruiting evaluators and opponent scouts in the region.
Kevin came to Sarasota Christian with ten years of NCAA Division 1 coaching experience and having coached 20+ professional players. His faith based approach to coaching is clear as the program’s motto is: Winning is always our goal, it’s never our purpose.
What They’re Saying About Kevin Bruinsma:
“Coach Bru has always been a great coach and friend to me because we share the same core values. He’s dedicated to the game, family, and his faith. He can connect and relate well with players & families which will benefit Sarasota Christian.” - Norris Cole (Two-Time NBA World Champion).
“I have known Kevin for fourteen years now and have come to respect him as a coach and friend. His Basketball IQ is terrific and he has a positive, uplifting way of articulation his message. He understands what it takes to be successful in this business both on and off the court.” - Mike Brown, Head Coach Sacramento Kings (2009 & 2023, NBA Coach of the Year, Four-Time NBA World Champion).
“Bru is the exact right fit for a Christian school! He brings the incredible balance between faith and athletics, moreover, the incredible basketball knowledge needed to help a program and players thrive. Bru has worked and learned from some of the best in the country, both offensively and defensively, and is ready to lead his own program. Kevin will be the example of faith, knowledge, and drive that is needed to build and maintain a successful program.” - Gary Waters (Former Head Coach, Cleveland State).
