Damian Brown joins Mullen staff

 

Prior to returning to his roots, Damian Brown dabbled in business and athletic training. Owning a mortgage company and a crossfit gymnasium simply weren’t fulfilling.

He wanted a change.

Heading back into schools, Brown, a proud Colorado native, said “I remember hearing about all of these schools and they meant something. Adams City meant something, Montbello meant something ...”

And Mullen meant something. So much so that Brown has been named Mustangs athletic director.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “You have to remember these schools and how we’ve grown as a school, as a city and as a state.”

Truth is, he added, “I didn’t even know this position was open, but once I did I was interested. I received a lot of phne calls about it. I thought it would be a great opportunity for the school and myself.”

Said Mullen principal Jeff Howard:  "Damian Brown is going to be a terrific addition to the team at Mullen. He's clearly got a plan and he's ready to work, there's no doubt of that. What impresses me most about Damian is his passion for student-athletes. And I love his philosophy for building a program. He knows who we are. He knows our history. He's going to be a terrific part of our future!"

A former star running back at Eaglecrest in Centennial, as a junior Brown led the Raptors to a Class 5A championship (in the last year of a four-year 6A system) in 1993, rolling to a state-high 2,025 yards rushing, more than 400 yards receiving, 34 touchdowns and more than 10 yards per carry. He was an All-Colorado choice and named offensive player of the year.

Ironically, Brown was more interested in basketball than football upon entering high school, but his success, prowess and talent also allowed him to split college time between Iowa State and Northern Colorado with a torn knee ligament in between.

Always a strong student-athlete, Brown earned a degree in speech communication and later added a masters’ in athletic administration. He began teaching physical education and spent a combined seven years with Adams City and the Far Northeast Warriors, and is entering a Mustangs community that yearns for new athletic leadership.

“We need someone with his vision and experience on the high-school level,” new Mustangs football Jeremy Bennett said.

Joe Welling, assistant principal and head coach of Mustangs cross country, said “being on the interview committee, I see he brings an energy and a passion to bring people together.

“I think as a coach and administrator, he’s somebody who’s going to understand our core principals and our kids, and bring a togetherness that complements our athletes inside and outside of the class room to make the fabric of Mullen stronger. He’s a positive guy.”

Brown said he’s eager to begin and beams with confidence and anticipation when looking forward to his new position with the Mustangs.

“I loved Montbello, it did a lot for me, the people were great, the kids were great,” he said., “but sometimes you also have to make moves for yourself. I knew it would be a good opportunity. And this is it.

“In my interview, one of the parents said they wanted someone who thinks big, very big, and that intrigued me. I want us to be the best athletic program in the state of Colorado hands down, then the best in the nation for us, for our school and for all of the community members. We’ll do it together and we need to get to work as a team.”