Alumni Athletic Honor Society Class of 2013
Allan Brown Hon. 1689 distinguished service award John DeSantis OPC ’74 played varsity catcher for five years – all with Allan Brown as his coach. DeSantis, now senior vice president and editor with Xpressbet.com, an online horse wagering site, entertained the crowd at the Union League with a humorous and heartfelt tribute to his former coach. Beware of jokes about age: Allan Brown is, after all, the most senior of PC faculty/ administrators/coach with 52 years of service to the school. DeSantis’ remarks: He’s devoted decades of service to Penn Charter athletics, including 11 years as varsity baseball coach, with five Inter-Ac championships. He’s been an assistant varsity and Middle School basketball coach and – in a rare display of Ripken-like durability – Mr. Brown has been the varsity basketball timekeeper for 35 years… Which is interesting, because I always assumed the scoreboard did that. Then again, Mr. Brown may have had the job before electricity.
Allan Brown Hon. 1689 received the Athletic Honor Society’s Distinguished Service Award.
Some of you know tonight’s award winner by different names. Mr. Brown, Allan, Alonzo and even Brownie. I spent five formative years with Mr. Brown as Penn Charter’s varsity baseball
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coach, and clearly his managerial style wasn’t crafted in the image of fiery motivators like Billy Martin or Earl Weaver. Although once, at a critical moment in an important game, he did raise his voice from the bench, “C’mon guys, let’s be cognizant out there!” Good thing we were Penn Charter or we wouldn’t have known what the hell he was talking about. Mr. Brown instead preferred a more relaxed and deliberate approach. He relied on patience and determination to guide his teams. He’d smile and nod at positive plays. Sigh, wrinkle his nose and shake his head at bonehead mistakes. Perhaps, the ultimate example of his patience is that for nine consecutive years he endured a DeSantis behind the plate – yours truly immediately followed by my brother Frank. Many would suggest serving that neardecade long sentence alone qualifies him for tonight’s honor. I know my mother would. Buff Weigand, who joins Mr. Brown each year in Florida at major league spring training games, received this award in 2011. That night I greeted Buff as he entered the building. He informed me that he and Mr. Brown had reminisced about PC athletes they had coached in their lengthy collective tenures. “Allan and I agreed,” Buff said, “that in a critical situation, with the game on the line, of all the players we coached, you were the one we’d want at the plate.” I was moved and thanked Buff for the honor. Then he asked, “So, how’s Vegas?” “Buff,” I replied, “You and Mr. Brown must
be thinking of my brother Frank.” Buff was embarrassed. And that made two of us. So when I learned Mr. Brown had chosen me to introduce him tonight, well, I figured maybe I should call Vegas just in case. Mr. Brown is a complete sports fan. During high school, PC classmate and fellow South Philly resident Craig Sabatino and I would visit Mr. Brown between periods at his Flyers season ticket seats. Unfortunately, Mr. Brown found that a convenient time to remind us about upcoming papers, tests and past-due assignments. We finally quit visiting him. I believe back then such an experience was known as a “bummer.” In conclusion, let’s be clear. Mr. Brown won’t be celebrated alongside William Penn and Richard Mott Jones in the annals of Penn Charter history. Even though I’m pretty sure Billy Penn never kept time for any sport. Mr. Brown has shared his heart, mind and soul with student athletes for decades. In that fashion, he stands as an outstanding example of what makes Penn Charter a spectacular educational and athletic institution. Congratulations, Mr. Brown. Well done.
Art and design teacher Randy Granger Hon. 1689 and Head of School Darryl J. Ford enjoy the tributes.
