Slow Motion Replay: Mark Brown started his career without any guarantees, but fulfilled his contract with the kids he coached @OwensboroSports, @1027TheGame, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball,@EtownFB, @FULLNELSONFOOT1

38-year head man won 331-games, a title, and kept his word

When Mark Brown was hired in 1981 at Marion County, the superintendent told him to go prove himself. Thirty-Eight (38) years later, Brown had proven quite a bit, both to this superintendent and the rest of the KHSAA. Brown ranks (currently) seventh (7th) on the all-time wins list in KHSAA history and he did this coaching at stops along the way which were never better in program history than they were with him on the sideline. At the end, when Brown retired, he told Jeff D’Alessio of the “The News Enterprise” that “I know it’s time for me.” Well, it’s now time for us, to remember and thank Coach Brown for a legendary example and an exemplary career.

HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”

Bardstown, KY: When Mark Brown replaced Adam Billings at E-Town High, in April of 2014, Brown immediately brought credibility back to a program which had been performing poorly by program standards. Billings left E-Town to become the OL coach at Louisville’s St. Xavier. Billings had posted a 7-26 in his three seasons with the Panthers.

That is a far cry from how it all began for Mark Brown. To tell that story we have to go back to 1981.

In 1981, Brown was hired to coach Marion County High. Robert Robertson was the superintendent of that system and made the hire personally. He told Coach Brown, “We’ll give you one year and we’ll see how you do.”

Brown’s first Marion High team had 26-players on the varsity roster. That is not how a coach would choose to begin a potential career with no more “vote of confidence” than “[w]e’ll give you one year and…see how you do.”

To further the already dim prospects, Marion County opened with perennial power, Bardstown. Marion pulled the upset. Brown cut the mustard, in year one, to Robertson’s satisfaction; and the rest is history, as they say.

Brown coached 38-seasons at four (4) different high schools (Marion Co., Nelson Co., John Hardin, and Elizabethtown High). By the time he stepped down ultimately, Brown had won 331-games, lost 140, and finished 1-1 in title attempts.

Brown led his alma mater, Nelson County High School, to a Class 4-A state title in 1996. That 1996 title would be the program’s only KHSAA championship in football.

To win that title, Nelson County would have to get by Lexington’s Paul Dunbar High and its legendary head coach, Mike Meighan. It would take an OT, but Nelson would prevail 35-34.

Brown coached John Hardin into the Class 5-A title game in 2009. Brown would lose to Dale Mueller‘s Highlands team 35-7. Mueller’s team was in the middle of a multi-year run of 5A titles.

Coach Brent Thompson was once credited with calling Brown, “the best in-game adjustment coach [of all time].” That overtime thriller in ’96, against Dunbar, would stand as both testament and evidentiary support for the premise.

Thompson went on to tell the interviewer, “[Brown] figures out what you are trying to do on defense and attacks you a different way. His teams are usually very tough and fundamentally sound.”

There are those buzz-words, “tough and fundamentally sound.” We hear those a lot when reporting on Hall of Fame football coaches. There just has to be a causal connection between “tough and fundamentally sound” and “Hall of Fame, championship caliber football.”

You never hear anyone refer to any of these great teams, or great coaches, as “cute and clever.” But, I digress…

For his own part, Brown’s career turned out differently than even he expected. In an interview published by the News Enterprise and conducted and written for publication by Jeff D’Allessio, Brown said, “I always thought I would stay at one school and build a dynasty. I never thought of being at four (4) schools.”

Brown continued, “I never thought I would be a head coach for 38 years, but I remember things as plainly as day. There’s been a lot of good memories at all the schools and it’s like [the good times happened]…yesterday.”

What was that couplet from that famous, Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns, in his work, “To a Mouse?” I believe it was, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Yeah, that’s the one. Seems particularly apropos in this instance.

Brown’s plan, going in, was to stay at one school and build a dynasty. A coaching dynasty, Brown certainly constructed; one as surely as I am writing this article. It may have been at four (4) schools, and not one, but “…the best-laid plans of mice and men…” You know the rest.

Browned summed it all up with, “I’ve had a lot of support, great assistants and great kids wherever I’ve coached. That’s made it a lot of fun.’’

Regardless of what Brown meant to do; we have to deal with what he did. What he did was set a standard of excellence in the KHSAA coaching profession. What he did was conduct himself professionally, and with enormous integrity, over a 38-year period. What Brown did was construct a won-loss record practically unparalleled and the envy of his industry.

What Brown did was win over 70% of the games in which he coached with a sample size of 471-games. What Brown did was win these games at programs not necessarily noted for being “gifted” or possessing unprecedented levels of talent.

What Brown did was take the kids in his hallways at random, run of the mill, Kentucky high schools and make these men winners, champions, and [very often] exemplary citizens. What Brown did worked famously well.

You have heard us talk of the naturally existing agreement between high school football coaches and the families of the players entrusted to their tutelage. We discussed it in our book, “Football 101, Boo-Boo’s a Quarterback.”

Families promise to deliver to the program a respectful kid, willing to be coached, willing to work on his craft, willing to learn the knowledge imparted to him toward his improvement and the accomplishment of the team’s objectives. In consideration of part one, the coach promises to deliver back to the family a much improved person, a better man, a better player, and a better citizen.

Families across the commonwealth, whether or not it is spoken or reduced to writing, enter that agreement with the local high school football programs for which their sons play, and the head football coach of these self same programs, at the beginning of every summer camp. For 38-years, Mark Brown entered the agreement with the parents and players entrusted to him.

Mark Brown is a Hall of Fame coach he is because he kept his word. Brown fulfilled his duty to perform under this express or implied contract.

Brown lived up to his word. Brown fulfilled his responsibilities. Brown acted, in all instances, both honestly and with integrity.

In the end he did it four (4) different places instead of one. La-Ti-Da, as they say; the important thing is, He Did It!

This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!

If you enjoyed this article and wish to gain full-access to the site, then subscribe monthly to Kentucky Prep Gridiron by following the prompts!

© The information contained on this site is the copyrighted intellectual property of KPGFootball. Any unauthorized dissemination of this material without the author’s express written consent is strictly prohibited!