I was not exactly firing on all cylinders Tuesday night.
Maybe it was the explosive excitement in the Rader Dome after Liberty-Eylau stormed back from an 11-point deficit to close its 2023-24 basketball season with a win over crosstown rival Pleasant Grove. Maybe I was just giddy because I got to cover such a game in a town that has few remaining rivalries since everyone is loath to play everyone else.
Maybe it was just a bad idea. Certainly, it was the wrong question at the wrong time. I wanted to know whether a new athletic director, Brad Willard, would make changes affecting one of my favorite human beings, Leopard head basketball coach Billy Brewer.
The short answer is no. Brewer, who has grandchildren who attend L-E, will continue to lead the boys varsity basketball squad and be an important part of the school's coaching staff.
How I got that wrong is beside the point, except to say it was entirely my fault. Coach Brewer could not hear my question and I could not hear the answer to a question that, frankly, could have – indeed, should have – waited for another time. I am not sure where my head was, but I recall it being dark in there.
What he did do was 100% Billy Brewer. He talked about his kids, about their incredible effort, about how he loved them and enjoyed being around them.
This season's was one of the few Billy Brewer teams that did not make the playoffs. Over the decades, he has led great teams with talented players. A coach can teach zone defense, man defense, methodical offense, and fast-break offense. He or she can model enthusiasm, resilience, teamwork, communication and compassion.
Not teachable are things like height, speed, game experience and a sweet jumper born of thousands of shots taken alone in a gym. This year's Leopards could have used more of those things, plus a handful of key plays here and there.
Still, when things did not go their way, this team kept its head up, played hard, played together and never quit. Were I a parent or grandparent, I could not ask for more.
One meets a wide range of personalities in this line of work. Coaches are human beings and while they tend to be smart and have high ethical standards, the range is wide.
Sportswriters love to drop names, and I could drop a handful of prominent ones as examples of coaches who earned my trust and admiration, and others who set off my built-in, shock-proof BS detector – impressions later validated in spectacular terminations. I am already in enough trouble, so I will leave that right there.
The good news is that Willard, whom I have yet to meet, has already earned my respect by retaining one of the most kid-oriented coaches around. Billy Brewer is authentic. As an educator, he has positively influenced so many young lives.
His love of life and personal warmth light up a gym. I am so happy I will have the continued pleasure of being around him.