Extol Sports February 2018 | Page 30

Wiley Brown’s Success at Indiana University Southeast is No Surprise By Howie Lindsey of 790 KRD | Photos by Danny Alexander Wile y Brown’s success as the head coach at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) isn’t a surprise to those who know him best. And it’s not really a surprise to those he has barely met. Brown seems to have that effect on people. “My grandmother rooted me in hard work, always helping others and putting a smile on someone’s face,” he says with a broad smile of his own. Sitting behind an unassuming desk in his modest office inside the IUS Athletics offices that are attached to the Grenadiers’ home gym, Brown echoes his grandmother’s words: “Someone you 28 EXTOL SPORTS / FEBRUARY 2018 meet may be going through something worse than you are.” Brown’s quick smile and warm demeanor combined with a strong work ethic and his extensive basketball knowledge have formed a successful mix for the IUS Grenadiers the last decade. Under his direction, the Grenadiers went to seven consecutive National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament appearances from 2007-8 to 2013-14. Brown has led IUS to six River States Conference (formerly known as Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletics Conference – or KIAC) tournament titles, and he has been named KIAC Coach of the Year three times (2010, 2012 and 2014). When you ask Brown about his coaching success, he deflects the praise. “The two Hall of Fame coaches I have trained under - that’s a good way to start,” Brown said. And truly,Brown has learned from two of the best. He spent 15 seasons at the University of Louisville in various capacities, from strength training to interim assistant coach to outreach coordinator. His tenure bridged the years between