With 725th career win, Bruno is now the all-time winningest basketball coach at DePaul

No, Doug Bruno is not in middle school. But the longtime DePaul women's basketball coach considers himself a "tweener."

It's how he views his time as a player on the men's basketball team at DePaul during the Ray Meyer years, which ran from 1942 to 1984.

"I'm part of the group that represents the 32 years between when Coach Ray first got to DePaul and had a great player like George Mikan on the team, and the last eight years when he finally got a full-time assistant, who was his son Joey, and was able to really recruit and get some top players," said Bruno, now in his 35th season with the DePaul women.

Before Joey Meyer helped Ray Meyer land nationally ranked players such as Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings, who made DePaul into a national power in the late 1970s, DePaul and Coach Ray had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough.

Coach Ray also had a knack for winning games, as does Bruno, at a rate that has now surpassed Meyer.

"In those 32 years between Mikan and when Joey started recruiting, Coach Ray created the DePaul basketball brand that took players from the local CYOs and the local YMCAs and the local park districts, and players who returned from military service and he turned those players into good teams," Bruno said. "We were that little school under the 'L' with underdog players that was somehow able to compete and play a major national schedule. We were playing Al McGuire when he had the No. 1 team in the nation at Marquette. We played some great Notre Dame teams. We had no business being in some of those games, but we were."

Ray Meyer rolled up 724 wins over his 42-year career at DePaul, with players such as Bruno, who led the 1971-72 Blue Demons in assists, and became passionate about coaching by watching how Coach Ray did his job.

"I would have nothing in coaching without Coach Ray and all the opportunities he gave me at DePaul," Bruno said. "It was such a blessing to play for him and learn from him."

Clearly, Bruno learned extremely well.

Earlier this month, Bruno surpassed his mentor Coach Ray for all-time wins at DePaul for either men's or women's basketball when his team, currently ranked No. 18 in the nation, toppled No. 9 Kentucky, 86-82.

That gave Bruno 725 career wins at DePaul.

With wins against Georgetown and Creighton since then, Bruno is now up to 727 wins, ranking him ninth all-time nationally among active women's basketball coaches.

"It was how Coach Ray molded his teams together, how he put them together," Bruno said of what he admired about Meyer's coaching style. "He taught a lot about work ethic and competitiveness and preparation. That helped us compensate and overcome a lot.

"I keep trying to figure out ways to keep doing what Coach Ray taught us."

Bruno says he frequently catches himself using Ray Meyer-isms.

"I was just saying something today that he would say," Bruno said. "Sometimes I wake up in my sleep and hear things that Coach Ray would say.

"Like 'Attack and Patience.' We are a fast team and a quick-shooting team, and Coach Ray also liked to attack, but he liked 'attack and patience.' He said that a lot. So, I was telling our players that if you can get a good shot in one to two passes, then take it. But if you need six to seven passes, then you have to be patient and take six to seven passes."

Bruno downplays his new spot ahead of Coach Ray on DePaul's wins chart.

His reverence for Meyer is unmistakable, and his gratitude for others in his journey is constant.

"I don't really think of the numbers too much because I try to stay in the moment," Bruno said of his career victory mark. "But all of those numbers are a function of a supportive administration, great assistant coaches and great players. We can't do it without the players. I've been very fortunate at DePaul."

Twitter: @babcockmcgraw