‘Man in Black’ Brien Crowder Delivering Plenty of Victories For Rhea Co Hoops
Evensville, TN-(WDEF-TV) Rhea county head basketball coach Brien Crowder coached Rhea Co in the early 2000’s.
Now the ‘Man in Black’ has returned to coach up the Golden Eagles once again.
Crowder: “When you wear black, you don’t look as big on TV. But you know, they call me the man in black because I’m not here to make friends. I’m not, you know, I’m not the bad guy, so to speak. But one day, I guess I’ll change the black hat for the white hat and right off on the horse.
Rhea County basketball head coach Brian Crowder, nicknamed the man in black, is leading Rhea County to its best season in years.
Crowder: And you can see the kids and it lights up in their eyes and they believe in each other and they believe in team and that carries on into their adulthood. And he’s preparing this team for potentially another state appearance. I’m trying to sell it to the kids. 1984, Mr. Eastman with Andy Kelly on the team, they went to the state. Uh, 2004, we went to the state here and then it’s 2024. So every 20 years. So, uh, I That would be good. That’d be a way to, to, to put the nail on the coffin for me as far as coaching to, to go to the state.”
One more time. Crowder, as I want to call him, ‘the most entertaining man in Rhea County’ has lived quite a life.
His love of sports started back in Johnson City, where his dad was also a coach.
Crowder: “Our backyard was always full of people doing what sport it was. We had basketball go down there. Our dad got, uh, got to put the lights up. So at night, we’d play daylight to dark, and to the, to the police come by at 12 o’clock and say, Curfew.”
Crowder wanted to become a pro athlete, but once he realized that wasn’t possible, he followed in his dad’s footsteps and became a coach.
Crowder: I’ve seen the enjoyment he had and, uh, you know, and I love my coaches and still, in fact, I got to see my first coach and my last coach. Oh, about three months ago, we had lunch one day in Johnson City.
Oh, by the way, he won 234, 000 on deal or no deal.
Crowder:”The emphasis they put on, uh, the education and athletics and how important it is. Not everybody in every system understands how important athletics goes along with your academics and what it teaches you. ”
After coaching around the country in the high school and college game, he’s back in Rhea County because he says this is where he belongs.
Crowder:”I believe that I’ve been awful lucky, uh, to do that. And I was blessed because I think because I’ve, I’ve helped so many kids in school. I think if you, I’m a firm believer, if you put in good, you take out good. And, uh, I think I was rewarded for that for some of the things I did.”
