It is common for WHS athletes to return to their hometown to raise their children. It is not as common for a former WHS athlete to take a position coaching his child on the field he once played on.
Former NFL quarterback Dave Brown has made his return to Gary Kehler Stadium as a member of the WHS football coaching staff, where he is the quarterbacks coach. By joining the staff in the fall of 2021, Brown entered with the task of coaching his son, senior Trey Brown, who earned the starting quarterback position that same year.
It is no surprise that the football team took Brown on the staff after having an 0-2 record in a 2020 season that was cut short by COVID-19. Dave was a talented and intelligent player who played at Duke University before joining the New York Giants in 1992. Six years later, he joined the Arizona Cardinals, where he finished out his NFL career in 2001. He graduated from WHS in 1988 and is a member of the Westfield Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dave was able to take a coaching position because he worked remotely during COVID-19, giving him the ability to volunteer and mentor all the quarterbacks, Trey among them. “It is a lot of fun for me to be able to be next to him and watch him develop,” Dave said. However, a big part of his joy is watching the senior class in general, which he has coached since third grade. “Being a part of their football lives and watching them develop for this long has been one of the most rewarding things in my life.”
Trey reveals that there has been a big dynamic switch on the team since his father became a coach, but it has been a change for the better. There is now a big “quarterback bond” between him, his dad and junior Max Cho, the backup quarterback.
Although some people may think that a parent-child relationship may be limiting to a team’s success, that does not faze the Browns. “Just from my dad’s experience and knowledge of the game just everyday at practice makes me appreciate him deeper than before. Being guided by him is so helpful and it makes me respect him on a whole other level,” Trey said.
Both Dave and Trey agree that they can filter their relationship before stepping onto the field. “When I put on my helmet and am around the other quarterbacks, I feel that I just completely forget that he is my dad, and I just listen to him as a coach,” Trey said. Not only does this relationship not distract them, but Dave believes that it gives them an advantage. “I can say things to him during practices or games that can be motivating or calming because I know him so well,” Dave said.
Dave is right. This season the football team holds a record of 7-2, the first time it has had a winning record in three years, and much of that is thanks to Trey. Trey has 648 passing yards this season and is a dominant runner. Trey credits much of his success to his father’s mentorship. “I definitely would not be as smart and decisive if he was not there because he helps me with all the little reads and the playbook,” Trey said.
Dave describes his coaching technique as different for each player. “I do not try to be a one-size-fits-all coach, because every quarterback has their own style of throwing the ball,” he said. “I spend most of my time discussing footwork, reading defenses and creating the muscle memory required by throwing each route over and over again.”
Dave hopes to continue his coaching career at Westfield even though Trey is graduating this spring. However, he is uncertain what the future holds as work and traveling begins to pick back up post-COVID. “I love football and being able to coach has been a thrill for me. I am going to do everything I can to be back out there in the same capacity next year,” Dave said.
It is evident that Trey looks up to his father in many ways, as both a role model and a coach. Nevertheless, Trey is choosing to follow a different path for his future. Trey is committed to play Division I lacrosse at the University of Maryland next fall. The Terps are coming off a national championship, and Trey will certainly continue that winning mentality as he enters the program.
Dave and Trey’s hard-working nature allows them to bring success to the football program and create a bond that strengthens the game.
