Anyone who has attended a Lynnville-Sully sporting event in the last half century would find it hard to miss a cornerstone of the school’s athletic program – Duane Brand. Today, step one foot in the gym or on the field and it will be hard to miss seeing or hearing the former L-S teacher, counselor, and coach – affectionately known as Mr. B – shouting out words of encouragement to his beloved Hawks. How-ever, it’s the 50 years the man has spent on the other side of athletics as an official that is bringing honor and recognition to the multi-sport athlete, coach, and fan.
Brand was recently honored at Iowa High School Athletic Association’s (IHSAA) 22nd Annual Officials’ Banquet for 50 years as serving as an official. Brand, who started officiating in 1965, was one of eight men honored and presented with a prestigious plaque. Part of a letter from Alan Beste, executive director of the IHSAA, to Brand reads, “In all honesty, it is our honor to have had you as an official serving our schools all these years. We know it takes people like you to make it happen and for that, we are truly grateful.”
Hours in the gym, on the field
Serving as an official all across Iowa in high school football, basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball, and track, as well as semi-pro football, has led to many hours in a gym or on an athletic field. The role of an official is only one facet of Mr. B’s storied career in athletics. Fifty years ago, Mr. B was the pioneering force behind many L-S athletic programs.
Starting in 1960, Brand coached all junior high sports as well as the high school girls basketball team, a program he led until the mid-1990s and returned in 1996 for a short stint as an assistant coach. In 1974, Mr. B started the high school girls softball program and was at the helm for nearly two decades. He’s coached six-on-six and five-on-five basketball, enjoyed winning and losing seasons, started programs from scratch, and has every one of his teams’ stat sheets since 1959 filed away in the basement of his Sully home. It would be impossible to count the number of hours Mr. B has spent in the gym or on an athletic field.
“Since 1959, I bet I haven’t missed 10 games,” shared Brand. “I never stayed home from an L-S activity. The wheels on my vehicle have been to a lot of activities, home or away.”
Wearing the stripes
Brand believes being on both sides of the fence – as a coach and an official – made him better in all areas. It was back in 1965, six years after his coaching career began, that Brand registered with the IHSAA as an official for both boys and girls sports. Football is the first sport he officiated, and probably his favorite. Intense, rivalry-heated games are easy to remember, and Mr. B can spout off game facts and statistics from decades ago like it just happened yesterday. Brand officiated football with the same crew of men he still calls friends today and fondly recalls games when the officials had to handle jeers and spitwads from the crowd, as well as big rivalry games where Brand and crew “got the heck out of there as fast as we could.”
“I’m sure not everyone agreed with everything we called,” said Brand. “But I can’t think of any negatives of my time as an official. I gained the most friendships and acquaintances from all over the state.”
A family affair
The hours spent away from home at sporting events was only possible thanks to a supportive family unit. Brand gives credit to his wife Donna for always being by his side in his career as a teacher, coach, and official.
“Donna allowed me to do this. She enjoyed it too,” said Brand, who retired in 2001 as a teacher, counselor, and coach for the Lynnville-Sully School District. “I don’t think I’ve been to five games in my lifetime as a coach or scout that she didn’t go along.”
Brand’s cooperating family during those years also included his children, Tammy Vos and Troy Brand. If he wasn’t coaching his own children, he was in the stands as a number-one fan. “As the kids went through school, we made things work so I didn’t miss their games.” Years later, Brand still beams with pride remembering when his grandchildren sported Lynnville-Sully blue and gold as successful student-athletes. Four of his five grandchildren are L-S graduates with one still competing as a Hawk at the junior high level.
Officiating also became a family affair when Brand teamed up with daughter Tammy to officiate volleyball. The two spent five to six years traveling northern Iowa as a team of volleyball officials. Looking back, Brand recalls the two shared great experiences and witnessed many great athletes in action. Brand continued to officiate Lynnville-Sully junior high volleyball until approximately three years ago.
Phasing-out program
Brand, who is still a registered official with the IHSAA, claims he is on a “phasing-out program.” While he no longer officiates many games, Brand is still a certified official at track meets, mainly helping out at Lynnville-Sully home meets. For many years, Brand’s trademark 1973 Trail 70 moped zipped him around track meets, from start-ing lines to finish lines and every-where in between. Today, Brand’s Trail 70 has been replaced with a lawn mower that gets him from place to place. “I like the lawn mower now so I can sit on it!” said Brand with a chuckle.
Even though he isn’t on the court or field making the calls, Brand still keeps up to date with all of the latest rules, changes, and protocols. It’s the true understanding of all aspects of the game that garners the respect of peers Brand has officiated or coached with and against over the years. Jeff Corbett, a teacher and coach at Lynnville-Sully who is also an IHSAA-registered official, recalls Brand being a mentor to many in the field. “Celebrating 50 years for Mr. Brand is significant,” said Corbett. “There are very few officials who meet this standard. He was a mentor to me when I began officiating, and he really enjoys being involved in athletics and with young athletes.” Corbett was also recently recognized at the IHSAA 22nd Annual Official’s Banquet for his 15 years as an official with the organization.
As Lynnville-Sully student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom and in sports alongside their coaches, there is one man who has made an impact on nearly every one of their lives – either as a founder of the school’s program, coach, official, or supportive fan. Thanks, Mr. B, for always making the call to support the Hawks.
