In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose sits down with Rus Bradburd—former UTEP and NMSU assistant basketball coach turned author—to discuss his debut novel, Big Time (Etruscan Press, 2024). This sharp satire delves into how money and sponsorships are reshaping higher education in America, all through the lens of the fictional Coors State University.

Bradburd, who coached Division I basketball for 14 seasons (including eight at UTEP), is no stranger to compelling stories. He’s the author of four acclaimed books, including 40 Minutes of Hell, the biography of El Paso sports icon and former University of Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson. After 16 years as a writing professor at New Mexico State, Bradburd brings his insider perspective to his first foray into fiction.