Mel Brown, legendary McGavock baseball coach and longtime Mt. Juliet High principal, dies at 78

Andy Humbles
Nashville Tennessean
Mel Brown

Mel Brown, a retired Mt. Juliet High School principal and Hall-of-Fame McGavock High baseball coach who won more than 500 games over two decades, died late Monday night after a long illness. He was 78.

Brown taught 14 years at Mt. Juliet High School, retiring in 2018.

Brown won 582 games as the McGavock High School from 1972 to 1992, which included three state championships. Brown’s teams also had three state second-place finishes and won 17 district titles.

“One of the most natural and incredible educators I’ve had the honor of working with,” said Donna Wright, who retired as Wilson County Director of Schools last year.

"He never gave up coaching. It just became a bigger arena for him. I’ve known a lot of administrators. I don’t know if I’ve known anyone as impactful in so many ways. You just didn’t want to disappoint Mel Brown.”

Retires:Principal Mel Brown to retire from Mt. Juliet High to cap renowned career as educator, coach

Mt. Juliet High School held its 2018 graduation ceremony at Murphy Center, on Sunday, May 21, 2018.

One way Brown motivated students at Mt. Juliet High was to give incoming freshmen an index card with several questions. The card was returned to Brown who asked each student to commit to their education with a firm handshake.

“He was kind of larger than life, but very down to earth at the same time,” said Carrie Johnson, a retired Metro Nashville school teacher for 30 years who was also a Brown student. "Of course he taught us subjects. But he also taught us life lessons. He never judged us. But he directed us. He wanted to help us along the path.”

Brown started as a teacher and coach at the former Two Rivers High School before going to McGavock. Brown started an administrative career, which began at Metro's Hillsboro High School as an assistant principal in 1992.

That was paused when Brown was hired to coach baseball and teach in the education department at Lipscomb University, where he stayed from 1996 to 2000.

Mel Brown coached baseball at Lipscomb University from 1996 to 2000.

Brown also was inducted into the Lipscomb Hall of Fame as a baseball player at the school, playing from 1962 to 1966.

Brown eventually returned to public education as an administrator in Wilson County, first at Lebanon High as an assistant principal in 2003, before being named as head principal at Mt. Juliet High in 2004.

“He showed us you have so much more in the tank than you think you do,” said Mel Brown’s son Carmon Brown, who also played baseball for his dad in he 1980s at McGavock. “You couldn’t outwork him, but he was always there to help you do your best.”

“Evolving from a coach into a principal where he cared about every little thing that went on the school,” said Troy Allen, now the Green Hill High boys basketball coach who was at Mt. Juliet High during most of Brown’s tenure.

“Every organization, every teacher, every kid. He treated high school like a big team. He was just the head coach of a big team now.”

McGavock High School head baseball coach Mel Brown receives gifts after the team's 11-1 win over Hunters Lane on April 21, 1989, for his 500th career win at the school. The 45-year-old Brown has spent 18 seasons as the Raiders' coach.

Steve Radley played on Brown’s first state championship team at McGavock and continued as a family friend. Radley helped Brown as an assistant coach at McGavock and the two coached a summer league team Post 88.

“He has touched so many lives it’s unbelievable,” Radley said. “And in a positive way. He loved young adults and he was able to touch their lives way beyond the baseball field."

Brown is survived by his wife Carroll, sons Frank and Carmon, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Brown lived in Hermitage.

Mike Woodward played for Brown at McGavock, graduating in 1986.

“It’s a city-wide loss,” Mike Woodward  played for Brown at McGavock, graduating in 1986. “All the lives he affected. Not just baseball coaching skills. But teaching, too. He cared about everybody whether you played sports or not.”

Plans for a Celebration of Life service were still being finalized.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.