Ken Brace at Magruder High School
Photo by Brian Lewis/Gazette
BRACE STARTS ANEW AT MAGRUDER
by Jason Gindele, Staff Writer
The Gazette - Wednesday September 4, 1996
Three years ago, Ken Brace [Teacher] was preparing to ease his way into coaching
retirement after a 4A state title with the Watkins Mill football team.
he resigned from his football post in 1994, stayed on as baseball coach
for the 1995 season, and then took over the athletic director position
at the school for what he thought would be a comfortable exit from the
sidelines.
But once a coach, always a coach. Brace grew restless behind his desk,
and when Jamie Hunter resigned as Magruder football coach this spring,
Brace jumped at the opportunity.
"I just decided that after being an athletic director for a year that I
think I'm happier and think I'm more valuable coaching rather than
being an administrator," Brace said.
This fall, he'll be back on the sidelines at Magruder, his home
district and the school from which his two sons graduated with football
state titles. The decision to go back was an easy one.
"It's my neighborhood, it's where my kids went to school -- I've got a
little history there," he said. "Plus, it's a place I think potentially
could be very good again. They've had a good tradition over the years
and I think that I can come back.
Under Hunter, the Colonels were a dismal 1-9 last season. Magruder
athletic director Rick Grimsley looked at 10 applicants for the position
but knew -- especially after several players came in and requested Brace
-- that Brace was the perfect person for the job. What the team needed
was a new leader after two disheartening seasons.
"When Jamie (Hunter) and his coaching staff came in, they entered under
some hard conditions," Grimsley said, referring to the departure of Roy
Lester, who left with a state title. "He did a good job, all things
considered."
That may be disputed by the players. Hunter was reportedly not ready to
lead the team, which appeared to take the field ill-prepared and
unmotivated. Talent may not have been the problem.
"Whether players like it or not, players resemble their coaches," said
senior Mike Herway, the team's starting running back and cornerback.
"Last year we had practice for an hour and a half and no one really
cared. Now we go out and practice for three hours and everyone's
excited and going from start to finish."
The attitude has changed at Magruder. The expectations on Brace to
return the Colonels to repectability are ever-present, and in the back
of everyone's mind, the expectations to take the team to the state
playoffs linger in the future.
"People shouldn't expect him to turn it around, but I think he will,"
Herway said.
Brace doesn't mind the pressure. "I hope they have an expectation that
I can turn it around a little bit, or at least they'll be competitive
this year," Brace said. "The kids are doing a fairly decent job but we
have some work to do. Coming back from 1-9, there are some obstacles to
overcome."
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