It’s been a reoccurring theme in the current high school football coaching hiring cycle in Northern Kentucky.
Former player comes back to coach his alma mater, Terry Brown adding to that list as he was named the Newport Central Catholic football coach on Friday.
Brown, a 2000 graduate at NewCath, was on Bob Schneider’s staff when the Thoroughbreds won the 2005 state title. He’s been the defensive coordinator at Covington Catholic since 2015 under another NewCath alum, Eddie Eviston.
“This was a tough decision, but some opportunities are bigger than comfort,” Brown said in a press release. “Working the past 11 years at Covington Catholic for Mr. Rowe and his administrative staff have been wonderful. The knowledge and experience I gained while working with Coach Eviston will always be cherished and I can’t thank him enough both as a coach and a friend.”
Brown was head coach at Pendleton County from 2010-14 and has also coached at Campbell County. After graduating from NewCath, Brown played in college at Campbellsville University.
Brown takes over for Stephen Lickert, who resigned earlier this month due to his new administrative duties at Withrow High School in Cincinnati. Lickert led the program the past eight seasons to a 68-34 record which included a 30-0 record against district opponents. They won seven postseason district championships and two region titles during that time.
It’s an exciting time for the future of NewCath football as they’re set to play on “The Hill” next season on their brand new complex and playing surface.
“He brings outstanding knowledge of the game and will continue the tradition of developing our players into outstanding young men,” NewCath Athletic Director Jeff Schulkens said. “We are looking forward to Coach Brown leading our team in the fall in the opening of The Ciafardini Family Athletic Complex.”
The ‘Breds are coming off a season in which they finished 8-5 and a loss in the region championship round to Campbellsville for the third straight season. They had 46 players on the KHSAA roster, 12 of them seniors which include starting quarterback Emmanuel Miles, leading rusher Eddie Bivens, their top five receivers and standout offensive lineman William Sandfoss, who will continue his playing career at Marshall University.
“I am looking forward to getting to work right away on setting both the standards and work ethic needed to reach our goals as a program,” Brown said. “Friday nights on “The Hill” are going to be special and I am honored to be part of this special place.”
On top of Brown coming back to lead his former school from their playing days, Campbell County’s Rich Honaker, Bishop Brossart’s Jacob Martin and Holmes’ Emanuel Golsby have all returned to their alma mater to lead their respective programs.
In addition to coaching football, Brown will be joining NewCath’s teaching staff, bringing with him 20 years of teaching experience. He earned his Masters from Xavier University in 2012, Secondary Education Degree in 2006 from Northern Kentucky University, and Business Degree from Campbellsville in 2003.