As the basketball season wraps up, Tinley Park High School’s own Coach Brown reflects on his 2025-2026 season, and his nineteen years of coaching varsity basketball as a whole.
At what point in your teaching career did you decide to start coaching?
I knew from the beginning I wanted to coach. My dad was a high school teacher and head boys basketball coach at Rolling Meadows High School. I had him as a teacher, I played for him for three years on the varsity there and knew right away that I too wanted to teach and coach at the high school level.
Did you play basketball yourself? Was there a coach that inspired you?
Yes, I did play basketball. I had a pretty successful high school career playing for my dad at Rolling Meadows High School. I then went on to play collegiately at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. I would have to say that my dad had the biggest impact on me when it came to inspiring me to be a coach.
How has your coaching impacted your teaching style with your students?
Coaching has allowed me to better relate to the students. A lot of times I’ll get acknowledged as “Coach Brown” instead of, “Mr. Brown”. Teaching, especially AP Psychology, has influenced my coaching style significantly. I understand people better, I read body language better and have taken what I know and do in the classroom and have applied it to the court a lot of times.
What has been your favorite memory throughout coaching? Why did it stick with you?
It would be hard to identify one favorite memory in the past nineteen years of being a head coach. I love when alumni come back and say thank you, come to a game, shoot me a text etc. and that brings back a flood of good memories. The players and our experiences together far outweigh the wins and losses in the long run. The impact my players have had on me and my family is appreciated and hopefully I have been able to positively impact my players over the years.
What lesson was the hardest to learn?
When I was first getting started as a head coach I was in my early twenties and I really needed to work on how I interacted with officials during the game. I was too loud and aggressive. I realized there were better ways to approach the officials in order to get my point across. Having learned this, my relationships with the officials have really improved over the years. We have a mutual respect for one another.
It has been said that you are the best basketball coach Tinley Park high school has seen in a while, have you heard this? What may set you apart?
I have not heard that but it is very nice to hear and rather humbling. I love what we’ve built here during my tenure as the head coach for almost two decades. I love the positive impact I have had on the players that have come through my program. The memories of the wins and losses will fade over time but the relationships will last. I still hear from some of the players I coached many years ago that have families of their own.
What do you want to be known for? Has this goal changed throughout your years here?
Since taking over the program in 2007 the goal has remained the same: build the culture, focus on player development, foster relationships and work hard. One day I will be done coaching. When that is, I am not sure, but I want to leave the program better than I found it when I took over. I hope when I look back I can say I made a positive impact on the program, players and school as a whole.
