Steve Bruce also enters his tenth year as the Executive Director of Athletics. During his tenure as AD he has played a key role in expanding athletics at IU South Bend. Under his direction, the institution has gone from three sports to now offering six varsity sports.
Bruce also enters his 18th season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Indiana University South Bend.
Coach Bruce has led the Titans to eleven Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament appearances, advancing past the first round on three occasions and winning the tournament championship in 2022-2023. He has guided the Titans to nine winning seasons including five 20 win seasons in 2010-11, 2013-14, 2019-20, 2021-22, and 2022-23 with a record of 82-18 over the past four years. IUSB finished with its best record during the 2022-23 campaign under Bruce, going 28-3 overall and 18-2 during CCAC play, earning him CCAC Coach of the Year honors.
Every season under Coach Bruce's tutelage, there has been an IU South Bend women’s basketball player named to the CCAC All-Conference list with the exception of the 2020-21 year after the cancelation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seven times during Bruce's tenure, a Titan has been named to the NAIA Honorable Mention All-American team: Jen Williams (VanderZanden) in 2007-08 Katie Hacker in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, Katie Gard in 2022-23, and Maddie Gard on 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Coach Bruce sports a career record of 284-217 (.566), including a 137-128 mark (.517) in CCAC play.
Bruce came to IU South Bend from Valparaiso University where he was a part of the most successful run in program history. Bruce served as an assistant coach from 1999-2003 and, in the summer of 2003, was promoted to associate head coach, where he served until 2006. While at Valpo, the Crusaders went 123-89 (.580) and won the Mid-Continent Conference regular season title in 2001-2002, two Mid-Continent Conference Tournament champion-ships, had two NCAA Tournament appearances and a WNIT quarterfinal appearance. While with the Crusaders, Bruce was in charge of the defense, post players, scouting, summer camps and assisted with recruiting.
Prior to VU, Bruce coached middle school boys in Bowling Green, KY, leading them to two Southern Kentucky Middle School titles. He also excelled in the classroom, and was nominated three times for Outstanding Young Educator in Warren County, KY. Bruce earned Teacher of the Year and Excellence in Teaching awards and was honored by the National League of Junior Cotillions award for best-mannered teacher.
Bruce, originally from Washington, DC, played football at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was a team captain during his senior year. He graduated from OWU in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education and with a Master’s degree from Morehead State in 1984.
