Eric Schermerhorn

What was your relationship to Kevin?

In 2006, Coach Brown hired me onto the Panther Basketball staff. I was Coach's varsity assistant. It didn't take long for me to consider Coach Brown one of my closest friends. Being on Coach's staff was not a job or a duty, it was an opportunity to hang out with your friends for hours upon hours each day.

Do you have a favorite memory of Kevin? 

Scouting with Coach Brown was always an event. First and foremost, we never just went on the scout. First we practiced, then we scrambled to gather the camera and notebooks, and then we scurried out the back locker room door. On one trip early in the season, Coach and I were cutting it close. We had driven nearly two hours. The parking lot was full. So Coach started a new scouting tradition, he chose to park the Burb in the Ottowa Principal’s parking spot. From here on out he never parked in a “normal” spot. We parked under trees, in front of dumpsters, and I could go on. We scouted the game in Ottawa, got our film, and were ready for the return trip back to Washington. We usually ate prior to a scout, but due to the time crunch we ate afterwards on this night. Coach loved to eat. We pulled into a Wendy’s. He ordered two burgers, fries, a Diet Coke, and a Frosty. We had done this hundreds of times, so his order came as no shock. However, this time was different. We pulled out of the Wendy’s parking lot and Coach said, I don’t think this is enough for the trip home. He pulled right back into the drive thru and ordered a cup of chili and another sandwich. The worker thought she had forgotten something in our order. No, it was Classic Coach Brown!

What do you think made Kevin special or unique?

Coach was loyal. He practiced what he preached. He demanded our players give everything on the floor and off the floor. In return, Coach gave his players 100% of his effort, his heart, and his love. Coach adopted a mantra of "tradition never graduates." Once you played for Washington Basketball and Coach Brown, you were one of his boys forever.

What do you want people to know about Glioblastoma and/or the efforts of the KBSTRONG - Fighting the Fight foundation?

Coach Brown was the master of knowing our opponent's weaknesses. Glioblastoma has to have weaknesses. Sometimes, like watching a very talented team, you have to put in more hours, more effort, and think even more creatively to defeat that opponent. KBStrong is taking Coach's approach, as we are dedicated to providing the means so the best doctors and researchers in the world can defeat this lethal opponent.

If you were face to face with Kevin today, what would you tell him?

Thank you Coach. Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of something so gigantic and meaningful. Thank you for inviting me to be a member of your family. Thank you for teaching me so much more than just the game of basketball. I miss you at practice, on the sidelines, in the office, on scouting trips, and at school. Thank you Coach, I love you.