Coach Mike Papa Brown -MSA Scholarship Fund
Donation protected
For 26 years (from 1984-2010), Mike Brown was the head coach at the Albuquerque Academy, where he led the Chargers to winning six consecutive (4A) basketball state championships from1989-1994. His teams were in the state championship game 11 times and appeared in nine consecutive state championship games. Coach Brown finished his incredible career with 442 wins and as a result, was selected to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
His sons Greg (current head coach at Volcano Vista) and Danny (current head coach at Sandia, former head coach at Highland High) were teammates on the Chargers 1991 championship team.
Mike has been a great mentor for some of his former assistant coaches who have gone on to be head coaches in New Mexico, like his two sons, Greg and Danny, plus Roy Morgan (Albuquerque Academy), Joe Coleman (Valley High School), Travis Julian (Los Lunas High School) and Dominic Romero (Manzano High School). Two of his former players are now coaches in the NBA, James Borrego, who is the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets (also a part of two championship teams) and Cody Toppert, who was an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns.
Coach Brown's biggest accomplishment is his family. He and his wife Carol have been married for 52 years, meeting each other for the first time as freshmen at St. Pius. Shawn, Greg and Danny have been his greatest supporters and have blessed him with his 8 grandchildren: Maddie, Dani, EJ, Kennedy, Hudson, Houston, Chloe and Isaiah. Over the years, Coach Brown has been fortunate in experiencing so many other wonderful and fulfilling relationships with his friends, coaches, teachers, players and his students. The impact he's had on so many is extraordinary.
Unfortunately, a couple years ago, Coach Papa Brown was diagnosed with Parkinsonism with MSA (Multiple System Atrophy). This is a horrifying disease that slowly affects all the systems in the body and eventually shuts them down. Coach Papa began having issues with the muscles in his arms and legs. Back on November 9th, he had a spinal stroke. He hasn't been home since.
After having emergency surgery to clear the clot, Coach Papa battled through a tracheostomy, 2 pulmonary embolisms, the loss of use of his right side, a feeding tube, the slow loss of his voice and fought to get off the ventilator 3 separate times. He is a true warrior, like no one else we know! The facility he's been in for the last couple months has been unworthy of their name...Kindred. As a family, we have had to battle the staff on a regular basis to advocate for Coach Papa Brown's care. It has been a huge learning lesson for our family in regards to how severely flawed our health care system is. However, we have also learned how truly unbelievable and how unbreakable our family is.
It's our intention to use these funds to work directly with the MSA Foundation and create a scholarship for student athletes who demonstrate the same incredible characteristics of Coach Papa Brown. There will be more to come on this as we make our way through the process.
Thank you so much for your love and support of such a great and worthy man. Coach Papa Brown is a living legend.
His sons Greg (current head coach at Volcano Vista) and Danny (current head coach at Sandia, former head coach at Highland High) were teammates on the Chargers 1991 championship team.
Mike has been a great mentor for some of his former assistant coaches who have gone on to be head coaches in New Mexico, like his two sons, Greg and Danny, plus Roy Morgan (Albuquerque Academy), Joe Coleman (Valley High School), Travis Julian (Los Lunas High School) and Dominic Romero (Manzano High School). Two of his former players are now coaches in the NBA, James Borrego, who is the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets (also a part of two championship teams) and Cody Toppert, who was an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. Coach Brown's biggest accomplishment is his family. He and his wife Carol have been married for 52 years, meeting each other for the first time as freshmen at St. Pius. Shawn, Greg and Danny have been his greatest supporters and have blessed him with his 8 grandchildren: Maddie, Dani, EJ, Kennedy, Hudson, Houston, Chloe and Isaiah. Over the years, Coach Brown has been fortunate in experiencing so many other wonderful and fulfilling relationships with his friends, coaches, teachers, players and his students. The impact he's had on so many is extraordinary.
Unfortunately, a couple years ago, Coach Papa Brown was diagnosed with Parkinsonism with MSA (Multiple System Atrophy). This is a horrifying disease that slowly affects all the systems in the body and eventually shuts them down. Coach Papa began having issues with the muscles in his arms and legs. Back on November 9th, he had a spinal stroke. He hasn't been home since.
After having emergency surgery to clear the clot, Coach Papa battled through a tracheostomy, 2 pulmonary embolisms, the loss of use of his right side, a feeding tube, the slow loss of his voice and fought to get off the ventilator 3 separate times. He is a true warrior, like no one else we know! The facility he's been in for the last couple months has been unworthy of their name...Kindred. As a family, we have had to battle the staff on a regular basis to advocate for Coach Papa Brown's care. It has been a huge learning lesson for our family in regards to how severely flawed our health care system is. However, we have also learned how truly unbelievable and how unbreakable our family is.
It's our intention to use these funds to work directly with the MSA Foundation and create a scholarship for student athletes who demonstrate the same incredible characteristics of Coach Papa Brown. There will be more to come on this as we make our way through the process.
Thank you so much for your love and support of such a great and worthy man. Coach Papa Brown is a living legend.
Co-organizers (4)
Shawn Marie Brown
Organizer
Albuquerque, NM
Camille Brown
Co-organizer
EJ Jordan
Co-organizer
Maddie Brown
Co-organizer