BROWNSTOWN
While Brownstown Central’s new varsity girls basketball coach knows that perfection isn’t attainable, he says he still plans on holding himself — and his team — to high standards.
“We’re going to be the hardest working team in the state,” Braves coach Brandon Allman said. “We’re going to get after it and do things the right way. We’re going to be positive, passionate and persistent. We can’t have girls that are afraid to make mistakes. They’re going to happen, and it’s going to be about how we respond to those mistakes.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
The Brownstown Central Community School Corp. board of trustees approved the hiring of Allman during a meeting Tuesday night.
Allman has coached the BCHS boys freshman team and also worked as a varsity assistant for the past nine years.
The Braves won the Mid-Southern Conference Tournament in five of eight appearances with Allman at the helm. Overall, Allman has a coaching record of 111-31 at BCHS as the freshman coach.
Over the past four years, the Braves have won the MSC each year while compiling a record of 59-6 under Allman.
“I like to think I’m a players-first coach,” Allman said. “I’m a positive, upbeat guy, and I’m very passionate. You’re going to see a guy that’s out there for the kids. I want kids to buy-in, which is why I think my teams have been successful. This isn’t my team and program, it’s our program. I want our kids to have leadership and ownership.”
Allman replaces Karla Rieckers as head coach of the Braves. Rieckers coached the Braves from 2008 through this past winter. In her 12 years at the helm, she had a coaching record of 193-90. The Braves had just two losing seasons under Rieckers, and made a state finals appearance in 2011.
“When I first saw (the position) open, it took a lot of thought and consideration,” Allman said. “ I grew up here, played here, and graduated here. I’ve coached here for along time now. This is really where my heart is. I’ve had a couple different opportunities to coach other places, but God steered me to stay here. This is home.”
The Braves finished 16-9 during the 2018-19 season with three losses in overtime games and finished runners-up in the sectional.
“We’re planning on playing an exciting brand of basketball. We’re going to get up and down the floor, play pressure defense, and get after people,” Allman said.
Allman said he’s in the process of assembling a coaching staff, and plans on having most of the summer basketball schedule completed this week.
Allman has taught language arts at Brownstown Central Middle School since 2009. He coached seventh grade basketball before moving up to the freshman team.
He graduated from BCHS in 2003, and played football, basketball and golf in high school. He was All-Mid-Southern Conference in football one year and All-MSC in golf for two years.
“We are excited about having Brandon Allman accept the challenges of being our next head coach of our girls basketball program,” BCHS Athletic Director Mark DeHart said. “Being a former Brownstown student/athlete, a current BCMS teacher, and a current BCHS coach in the sports of golf and boys basketball makes coach Allman a good fit for this position.”
After graduation from BCHS, Allman attended University of Southern Indiana, where he graduated in 2008.
Allman then taught, and coached golf and basketball, in Evansville until 2009 when he moved back to Brownstown to work at BCMS. Allman led Evansville North to a runner-up finish at state finish in golf in 2009 and had a boys freshman basketball coaching record of 21-18 in two years.
Allman said that he’s been fortunate to work under a tree of successful coaches over the years.
“First and foremost, my dad (Tom Allman),” Allman listed. “He coached me growing up, and to me he was my ultimate role model to get started. In my coaching career, I can’t come up with enough words for (boys) coach (Dave) Benter, and what he has meant to me. He’s a guy with amazing morals: with God first, family second, and then his job and coaching career. That’s exactly how I have tried to live my life over the past 10-12 years. Coach May also, he is so detail-oriented and taught me a lot over the years.”
On top of coaching basketball, Allman has led the Braves’ golf programs.
Allman began coaching the boys golf team in 2012 and started with the girls golf program in 2015. He has won two MSC boys tournaments and has had one team qualify for the regional.
“He has experienced success in every facets of his professional and personal life and has certainly earned this opportunity,” DeHart. “His passion, knowledge, and respect for the game of basketball, in addition to his skilled teaching abilities will provide him with a strong foundation necessary to have a long and successful head basketball coaching career.”
Allman said he plans on continuing to continue coaching golf this upcoming school year.
DeHart said Allman has represented BCHS in a positive light as a student, teacher, and coach.
“I have known Brandon for 24 years,” DeHart said. “He happened to be a middle school student when I first arrived to Brownstown in the fall of 1995. I have had the pleasure of watching Brandon proudly represent BCHS as a three-sport athlete and return to Brownstown as a successful teacher, coach, and community member. He is and will continue to be a great role model for his student-athletes.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Pull Quote” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
"We’re going to be the hardest working team in the state. We’re going to get after it and do things the right way." – Brownstown Central girls basketball coach Brandon Allman
[sc:pullout-text-end]