Oakland Mills' Thomas Browne Named 2014 Ravens High School Coach of the Year
Thomas Browne, varsity head coach of the Oakland Mills (Columbia, Md.) Scorpions football team, has been named the 2014 Ravens High School Coach of the Year. Browne is the 18th recipient of the annual award.
Finishing with a 9-2 record this season, Browne returned the Scorpions to success last experienced at Oakland Mills over a decade ago. Earning a trip to the state playoffs this year, the Scorpions completed their first winning season since 2003. A former standout wide receiver for an Oakland Mills team that won the 1A State Championship in 1998, Browne's return to his alma mater was a job he had dreamed of for years.
"I had such a positive experience as a student-athlete at Oakland Mills," Browne explained. "I played for a head coach in Ken Hovet who I deeply respected. After college, I followed my old head coach to Marriotts Ridge for a few years before he passed away in 2010. It meant the world to me to be able to come back and teach history and coach football at Oakland Mills like Coach Hovet."
A fourth-year head coach, Browne orchestrated a high-powered offense that accumulated 467 points this season. Led by senior QB David Pindell, the Scorpions' 42 points per game ranked first among Howard County teams. Browne and Pindell arrived at Oakland Mills together in 2011, and under the head coach's tutelage, Pindell has developed into a standout performer and highly-touted college prospect.
"He saw the potential in me and pushed me to reach my best," Pindell states. "I owe a lot to Coach Browne. He developed me from a sidearm thrower into a real quarterback. He dedicated himself to me during the season and in the offseason, and I'm grateful for him."
Each week during the season, the Ravens honored a high school coach who made a significant impact on his student-athletes. Each winner was in attendance at the Ravens-Jaguars home game on Dec. 14 for the naming of the Ravens High School Coach of the Year. In addition, each coach received a $2,000 donation to his school's football program and an award from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
As the 2014 Ravens High School Coach of the Year, Browne received an additional $4,000 donation toward Oakland Mills' football program.
The Ravens High School Coach of the Year Award has been a fixture in youth athletics since 1997. Previous recipients include: Augie Waibel of Poly (1997), Nick Arminio of Eastern Technical (1998), Pete Pompey of Edmondson-Westside (1999), Dominic Damico of McDonogh (2000), Steve Turnbaugh of Hereford (2001), Dave Eubank of Dundalk (2002), Gene Brown of South Carroll (2003), Ben Eaton of Dunbar (2004), Brad Wilson of Westminster (2005), Dante Jones of Edmondson-Westside (2006), Lawrence Smith of Dunbar (2007), Tony Shermeyer of Century (2008), Rick Conner of Linganore (2009), Damon Bomar of Forest Park (2010), Roger Wrenn of Poly (2011), Reggie White of Milford Mill (2012) and Elwood Townsend of Douglass (2013).
2014 Ravens High School Coach of the Week Recipients:
Week 1 Brad Wilson Westminster High School
Week 2 Marc Mesaros Eastern Tech High School
Week 3 Thomas Browne Oakland Mills High School
Week 4 Greg Long Havre de Grace High School
Week 5 Gene Liebel North Harford High School
Week 6 Dom Damico McDonogh School
Week 7 Keith Rawlings The John Carroll School
Week 8 Rob Harris Broadneck High School
Week 9 Bruce Strunk Howard High School
Week 10 Patrick Nixon Mervo High School
