Brenden Stowers’ listed height is 6-feet-2. That’s why he was a guard on the Simon Kenton High School basketball team and later at Northern Kentucky University. The former Pioneers girls basketball coach is figuratively taller than that, says his father, a legendary Norse basketball player.
“He stands the test of time,” said Jeff Stowers, also a coach at Simon Kenton. “Everybody’s always liked him. He’s a very good people person. He’s not hard. Everybody’s at ease around him. He’s a kid at heart who acts like an adult. He can relate to grown-ups and little kids and everybody in between.”
When a father is an iconic figure with basketball-playing sons, scrutiny becomes a part of life for the sons.
Is Brenden going to be as good as his father? Teammates, coaches and fans wanted to know. Jeff Stowers was a smart and physical player with a flair for the dramatic during NKU’s infancy. He was the Norse’s second great player following Richard Derkson and is among NKU’s all-time leading scorers. Jeff Stowers is 6-feet-3. It’s a lot to live up to.
Is Brenden going to be able to coach as well as his father? Athletic directors and coaches wanted to know. Jeff Stowers won more than 400 basketball games at Simon Kenton, 527 overall, and plenty of championship hardware.
Is Brenden good enough to play in the pros? Coaches wanted to know. Jeff Stowers didn’t go pro. Brenden, a Division II all-American at NKU and a Great Lakes Valley Conference co-player of the year, made the attempt. He played for a short while then took the coaching path.
Is Brenden going to make it back to the NCAA Division I level as coach? He had a brief stint at Xavier University, where he was video coordinator for two years. Local scrutinizers wanted to know.
Now they know. Brenden Stowers is back at NKU as a women’s assistant coach. He was previously a men’s assistant when NKU was still in Division II.
It’s not easy being a lifelong subject of scrutiny. Even so, Brenden Stowers never saw it as a rude guest. He welcomes it like he welcomes people in his life. Besides, dealing with scrutiny isn’t so difficult when you’ve already passed muster with your demanding parents.
Is Brenden going to have good manners, treat people with respect and be nice? That’s all his mom wants to know. Eventually, there was no question. Mary made sure he acted with dignity. She is an expert on how to keep the Stowers kids in line while having a big heart. Her goal is having loving, caring, highly self-actualized children.
Mission accomplished.
“All of us kids are a coach and help other kids,” said Brenden, who taught special education at Simon Kenton. “This is something I learned from my parents. Everybody thinks everybody is a good person in their circle. But you should be a good person to everybody in your circle and outside your circle. It’s not that hard. It should come naturally.”
Authenticity means a lot to Brenden Stowers, who’ll turn 44 during the basketball season. He likes to keep it real while treating others really well. It’s something people have picked up on, even new NKU women’s basketball coach Jeff Hans. He knows the Stowers. Jeff Stowers sent nine Simon Kenton basketball players to Hans when Hans coached at Thomas More University.
Hans’ chore at NKU is taking women’s basketball to a new level and also changing the culture. NKU players need to feel comfortable so the program can grow with its players, Hans said.
“We look forward to creating a positive culture through integrity, trust and gratitude that will lead to success,” said Hans. “Brenden will be instrumental in our player development.”
At Thomas More, Hans put together a winning percentage of .889. He was unbeaten when it came to being professional. By every measure, Hans is a gentleman coach. He thrives with similarly comported people, and he wins over others by sheer force of personality.
Like Hans, his first three hires, Stowers, Gabby Johnson and Molly Bateman, have sterling reputations as coaches and people.
“Everybody knows Gabby’s great. Molly is really sweet. And they can coach,” Brenden Stowers said. “Everybody’s on the same page. We want to get it right.”
If right makes might, NKU may have something on its hands with Hans and company. It could be a championship women’s squad in the future with the right group of talented players.
“That’s the goal, win the Horizon League and go to the national tournament,” Brenden Stowers said. “Right now, we’re off to a good start. In our coaches meetings, it’s been like we’ve known each other for years. It just feels natural as we discuss things. We all want the best for the girls.”