McCracken boys basketball coach Brower retiring

McCracken County head basketball coach Burlin Brower announced Monday to his team that he will be retiring from his coaching and teaching positions.

Brower said the decision was a difficult one, but there's many more things he wants to spend his time doing.

"I got my years in to retire and when you do that, you have options," Brower said. "I'm going to pursue other options in life like horse racing and expanding my time with it as well as being with my family." "My wife has always taken a second seat to basketball and I'm excited to spend more time with her and my kids."

Brower became McCracken County's first boys head basketball coach in 2013, coming from Heath High School which consolidated into McCracken County High School. In 13 seasons as head coach at Heath and McCracken County, Brower compiled a 313-128 coaching record (227-69 at McCracken County, 86-60 at Heath) and averaged 24 wins per season as head coach.

In nine seasons with McCracken County, Brower has won four regional titles, six district titles, and a 130-29 record against 1st Region opponents, including 51 consecutive wins against 1st Region opponents from 2019-2022.

In 13 years as a head coach, Brower only had one losing season, his first season as head coach at Heath in 2008.

"I've loved coaching all of these kids and getting to see this program go from the ground-up, starting it from Day 1, and seeing where it is today has been a lot of fun," Brower said. "I really feel being able to keep my coaching staff together all of these years has helped to our consistency of winning at McCracken County."

McCracken County has competed in the 1st Region championship game five years in a row and seven times in the last 9 years under Brower. In terms of overall winning percentage of programs in Kentucky, McCracken County is currently 2nd statewide in overall winning percentage among active schools, trailing only Louisville Ballard.

McCracken County Activities Director Geno Miller had nothing but praise for Brower. "Coach Brower is really going to be missed," Miller said. "I don't think folks realize how difficult it was to bring three successful basketball programs together in 2013 and immediately do so well in boys 1st Region Basketball. He'll forever be on the Mount Rushmore of coaches that have coached at this school."

Miller said the search for the next varsity boys basketball coach at McCracken County High School will begin immediately. 


PHOTO - McCracken County Mustangs Basketball Faceobok page