It came as no surprise that on the night of his coaching milestone, John Brady chose to reflect on many of the people who helped him become the coach that he is today, and has been through 14 seasons.
Beneath the fiery exterior that can transform him from raving maniac tostand-up comic is a coach who believes in the never-too-old "we're ateam" philosophy.
Brady took the momentous occasion, his 300th career win Monday night, to talk about former players and coaches, family and friends, including two late, great coaches in Al Laramore and Dick Hart.
Onlytwo games into his 15th year as head coach of the Annapolis Panthersboys basketball team, John Brady has achieved 300 career wins. No. 300 came by a 75-74 score over Brady's alma mater, Mount St. Joseph ofBaltimore, almost 14 years to the day from his first win.
While he was the center of attention in a post-game ceremony that included aplaque presentation by Principal Laura Webb and Athletic Director Fred Stauffer, and a banner with "300 wins Coach Brady" and Panther paws on it, Brady could only think of the support his "team" has given him.
"I really appreciate the support I've gotten over the years here at Annapolis and certainly have to thank the players and assistantcoaches I've had over the years," said a mellow Brady, attired in a Panther maroon crew neck sweater while sitting in his office.
He also thanked his current assistants, Roy Brown and Ken Gonz, for theirhelp.
After clicking off the names of such former assistant coaches as John Makell, Roy Skiles, Leon Washington, Ed Shuttleworth, Calvin "Flipper" Vain, Ken Kazmarek, Bob Carter and the late Laramore, the Annapolis football coach whom Brady succeeded as hoops coach 15 years ago, but who came back to run the Panthers JV for one year, Brady credited many others often forgotten.
"I've got to thank Al for starting the tradition at Annapolis and laying the foundation," Brady said. "I came into a very good situation thanks to Al and Dick Hart, who got me ready for it."
Hart (330-294) was Andover's coach for 28years before dying Feb. 2 of this year. The former Andover mentor took Brady, fresh outof the University of Maryland at College Park, under his wing and taught him the finer points of man-to-man defense.
Mike Hart, Dick's son, who's now an assistant coach at Washington College on the Eastern Shore, was there Monday night to shake Brady's hand, along with other well-wishers like Kazmarek (now head boys basketball coach at Broadneck), Jack Jordan of South River and Jimmy Savage, son of Loyola High coach Jerry Savage who was Brady's JV hoops coach at Mount St. Joe.
"They were all a big part of it, and certainly, I've been fortunate to have four principals (Richard Ensor, Ken Nichols, Ken Catlin and Laura Webb) who have been behind me all the way," said the silver-haired coach.
"I've never had any problems withany of (the principals) and Fred Stauffer (Annapolis athletic director for the last 19 years) has always been very cooperative. And my family has always supported me in all 22 years of coaching."
Brady'smother and father, John and Clare, have attended most of their son'sgames in his 15 years at Annapolis and seven years as JV coach at Andover.
"My father told me tonight he's never coming again," laughed Brady, after the Gaels got off a desperation shot at the buzzer that fell only a couple feet short.
"I hope they're not all going to be like that," his father said.
The coach cited the importance of family support as another reason for his extraordinary success in becoming the fourth coach in county basketball history to reach the 300-win plateau, but the fastest to do it. His career record of 300-50 easily gives him the highest winning percentage in county history at .857.
"My mom and dad have always been there and my wife (Sharon) has been very understanding during basketball season, never putting anypressure on me," said Brady.
"She knows there is a lot of pressure on me during the season, so she doesn't put any undue pressure on me and expect me to do things like pick up my clothes."
It was Dec.9, 1977 at old Annapolis High that Brady notched the first of his 300 victories, 84-60, over Bel Air of Harford County. Dan Ruland, who would go on to star at James Madison University and later play in Europe, poured in 24 points.
Two Jeff Browns, David Kirby and Len Knight played on that team, which Brady calls his "most talented."
"I remember that team and game well," he said. "It was at the old schooland Jeff Bullis (of Bel Air) was on that team and we played very well. We had just gotten our brains beat in by St. John's (D.C.) in the first game I coached. We lost by 19 points, so that first win felt good." Brady's first team went 21-5, winning county and region titles before losing to Winston Churchill of Montgomery County in the state semis, 85-78, in March 1978.
The following season, Brady came within seven seconds, two free throws and an injured star guard, Barry Booth, of winning a state championship, as the Panthers bowed, 55-53, toMontgomery Blair of Montgomery County in the state final.
There would be eight more trips to Cole Field House, two of them to the finals, before Brady bagged that elusive state championship on March 10, 1990, by 106-102 over High Point of Prince George's County in what many have called "the greatest game ever played" in state public high school history.
Along the way to winning 13 county and 11 region titles in 14 seasons, Brady's teams kept piling up the victories.
No. 50 came on Jan. 25, 1980, by 68-40 over Northeast, with "Bone" Brown, now a Washington disc jockey, scoring 24 points. By Feb. 19, 1982,Brady had No. 100, an 81-53 rout of Chesapeake. Teddy Watson bagged 30 that night and Junior Day scored 12.
David "Manzie" Chapman netted 17 points, while Steve Foley and the late James Butler scored 15 points each on Jan. 4, 1985 in a 71-54 romp over Glen Burnie -- Brady's 150th win.
It was on the night of Feb. 4, 1987, that Brady would get No. 200 by 67-50 over Old Mill. Jody Beck scored 23 points.
A little-known fact is that Brady possibly would have had 300 wins when his Panthers went to Cole Field House last season had it not been for three canceled games because of snow back in the 1978-1979 season.
Instead, Brady finished last year with a 62-60 loss to eventual state champion Parkdale of Prince George's County in the semis, leaving the coach at the 298 mark. At 21-4, Brady had racked up an unprecedented eighth consecutive 20-win season.
In joining Tom Albright of Southern (368-205), Butch Young of Meade (342-181) and Hart (330-294) as 300-game winners, Brady is the only one never to have had a losing season. His worse season of 17-7 in 1982-1983 would be a great season for most coaches.
That year, Young's Meade Mustangs pulled off a feat not duplicated by any other county team -- the 'Stangs beat a Brady-coached Annapolis team three straight, including the region final.
Also, Brady is the only coach in county history to reach theregion final in every season. Besides the region final loss to Meadein 1983, the only other two times Brady lost the right to advance toCole Field House was in 1981, when Annapolis dropped an overtime thriller to Severna Park, and again to Meade in 1988.
When it comes to coaching excellence, Brady stands alone. And if Stauffer succeeds in keeping the raging bull around a few more years, he should end up the winningest coach in county history.
"John means so much to the program and to this school, and I want him to be basketball coach as long as I'm A.D. here," said Stauffer. "Those of us in the know are aware of all he does for the kids, and I don't just mean basketball."
Brady is one of those who has always gone the extra mile to help aplayer get into college. Eight seniors from last year's team are in college.
I think it is safe to say that John Brady is in the imageof Al Laramore. Brady is to basketball and Annapolis High what "Big Al" -- how he is referred to by those who were close to him -- was tofootball and Annapolis High.
Two words describe the pair: discipline and excellence. They stand alone.
JOHN BRADY'S CAREER AT ANNAPOLIS HIGH SCHOOL
Year .... .. Record . Accomplishments
1977-1978 .. 21-5.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . .. . . semis
1978-1979 .. 20-3.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . finals
1979-1980 .. 19-5.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . semis
1980-1981 .. 22-2.... County champs, lost in region finals
1981-1982 .. 21-4.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . .. . . . . . semis
1982-1983 .. 17-7.... Lost in region finals
1983-1984 .. 22-4.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . finals
1984-1985 .. 22-3.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . semis
1985-1986 .. 23-2.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . semis
1986-1987 .. 23-2.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . semis
1987-1988 .. 21-3.... County champs, lost in region finals
1988-1989 .. 23-3.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . finals
1989-1990 .. 23-3.... County, region & state champion.
1990-1991 .. 21-4.... County and region champs, lost in state
. . . . . . . . . . . semis
1991-1992 .. 2-0..... Won 300th game, 75-74, vs. Mount St.
. . . . . . . . . . . Joseph
TOTALS:.... 300-50... One state, 11 region, 13 county titles