PHOTO: Former Albuquerque Academy head coach Mike Brown, seated, third from left, is pictured with his Chargers in 1990. (ChuckFerrisSports.com)
By Edward Nunez
Enchantment Sports Staff Writer
Mike Brown has many basketball memories.
From 1984-2010, he was the head coach at the Albuquerque Academy, winning six consecutive (4A) basketball state championships from1989-1994. Brown finished his incredible career with 442 wins and as a result, was selected to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.
“Winning became contagious (during that championship streak) we were lucky, we had to get the right bounce, the right draw, we also had a lot of skill” said Brown.
His sons Greg (current head coach at Volcano Vista) and Danny (current assistant at Sandia, former head coach at Highland High) were teammates on the Chargers 1991 championship team. “Greg hurt his ankle, missed two games, we lost to Highland and West Mesa. He came back and we beat Highland in a return match and we rolled to the title,” said Brown. “That 91 championship team is pretty special, because it was the last time my mother and father got to see Danny and Greg play together, they passed away the next year.
“Danny and Greg always had the coaching bug in them, then they went to Oklahoma Christian and played for Dan Hayes there and he took them to another level” said Brown.
Current Charlotte Hornets head coach, James Borrego also played for Brown at the Academy, and was a part of two championship teams. “James was a quiet leader, he possessed everything, I knew he’d be around the game for a long time.
“James and I still talk and text, and he told me he wished he could have been there when the Hall of fame announcement was made, but he had to get ready for the Knicks and Lakers” said Brown. “I feel so honored to be going in to the Hall of Fame.
“I started my career in the parochial league and coached against Frank Castillo there,” said Brown. “Over the course of my career, I might have beat Jim Hulsman, three times, I learned so much from him and Ron Geyer.”
The journey is complete, congratulations to Mike Brown!
Ed Nuñez is a play-by-play announcer for ProView Networks and a staff writer with Enchantment Sports. If you have information, tips or questions for Ed, please send to EnchantmentsportsNM@gmail.com.
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