Republic file photo Glen Brown is shown speaking after receiving the Jack Cramer award at a ceremony Friday, July 28, 2017.
Columbus East Alumni Association Wall of Fame will induct the late Glen Brown in special ceremonies Wednesday at the high school.
The event will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Columbus East High School main lobby.
Brown was affectionately known as “Brownie” by his former colleagues, students and players, and was a member of East’s inaugural graduating class of 1974.
For more than four decades, he worked as a teacher, coach and administrator, influencing thousands of young people, and adults for that matter, those who knew him well told The Republic. He died in July 2023.
“He was a great friend to me and I’m truly sad that he’s passed,” said Dennis Pierce, Columbus East sports information director. “I honestly think he’d still be out there here in the next week or two because football’s coming up, that’s just the kind of guy he was, he was going to show up and do his work.”
At Hanover College, Brown played football — becoming an NAIA All-American in 1977 — wrestled and was a member of the track and field team, earning his business degree in 1978 and a master’s in education from Ball State in 1982.
BCSC hired the 25-year-old Brown as a teacher in 1980 and over the years he taught students at Fodrea, Clifty Creek, Southside, and W.D. Richards elementary schools, plus Columbus Christian School. He also coached football, boys and girls track and wrestling in varying roles from 1980 until 2023.
Former players described Brown as low-key and exceedingly approachable — someone who cared about athletic success but also passionately cared about the lives of students.
“He was a gentleman,” said Jonathan Martin, East assistant for football and track. “He talked to people and he’d talk to you like he knew you forever.”
Aside from coaching and teaching, Brown made significant contributions as an administrator, working as East’s assistant athletic director in 1997-98 and athletic director from 1998 to 2005. In the latter role, Brown made a number of crucial hires, maybe none more impactful than hiring of Bob Gaddis as head football coach.
“He was the reason why East was so successful from 2004 to 2019, because he hired Bob Gaddis. He was the reason — he saw it in Bob that, that is the guy we need,” Harvey said.
