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Video Transcript
This seven months has been probably the most remarkable of my professional career.
It was one of the joys of my life - really the greatest joys of my life; I've never been part of something like this as a coach.
I just haven’t.
A moment, when you realized, “This is it. This is something really, really special.”
Vandy! [laughter] [cheering]
We held them to 31 points, first of all, which is pretty impressive. That just showed that we can play defense for sure.
Yeah, I think it was just like a big statement.
Even when Coach Mock with this being her first year, her coming at the last minute, it was just like, “Dang.” Like, then we go and beat an SEC team, we're just like, “They hanging with the big dogs.”
So it was like, if we can beat them, then we - you know!
I don't think anyone, including myself, expected to finish 25 and 10 and to accomplish the most wins in program history.
We were flying the plane while we were building it.
I love seeing things come to life.
That's the great story that everybody loves to see, right?
The redemption stories.
So we did figure out at some point, hmm, we're pretty good.
My biggest accomplishment this season, being one of the best rebounders in the country.
I think for me, mine would be making All-Defensive team.
We got through the non-conference, and it was win after win.
The standard was raising.
When you get Coach of the Year, nothing is done in isolation.
I like to say “Coaches of the Year.”
To be encouraged by the team and the staff was really one of the most memorable moments of the season.
That’s when you know you’ve really won.
They’re special; they really are.
We've really been blessed with who we have.
They love us on the court, off the court.
Can't say enough.
These kids, the staff, the collaboration, the heart, the effort, the willingness to welcome me, the willingness they had towards each other, to show grace, to forgive, to listen, to learn how to communicate.
This is my second school, my third head coach, and the best experience I've had.
We can go out and play together and do things off the court together.
That's how we find our success.
The ETSU women's basketball team is constantly trying to get results through relationships.
I coached an hour from here for eight years, and I've always looked over that mountain and been a little bit envious of how much Johnson City just loves East Tennessee State.
The community's support was just tremendous, and we felt it every step of the way.
Part of the reason why we love home games is to play in front of them and play for them. But it's not just us.
We want the whole community to feel all the success.
I encourage my staff and the kids to really reflect on what they've accomplished because it's nothing short of remarkable.
I mean, you see how wonderful they are.
People want to be around them.
They want to support them.
Finishing the season on a high note, beating two really good teams is going to be a catalyst for what we're trying to do next year.
“Hey, Coach, what's there left to do?”
Well, there's the obvious benchmark: SoCon championship.
Yeah!
SoCon championship.
SoCon championship, so, NCAA appearance.
That’s next.
And that ring.
It gotta be.
So, a ring somewhere!
Yeah. Somehow we got to have it.
[laughter]
In the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, excitement continues to brew for a basketball team after a record-shattering storybook 2022-23 season.
And in the heart of East Tennessee State University’s community, you will find a coaching staff and dedicated teammates changing the game plan at ETSU – and setting their focus on achieving bigger dreams.
In her first season at ETSU last year, Coach Brenda Mock Brown led the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball squad to a staggering 25-10 record following the team’s 6-22 showing the previous season. Even more impressive, she took the helm in August 2022, just 88 days before the Bucs’ first game.
Just three months later, the Bucs scored a historic 44-31 win over Vanderbilt at home in Brooks Gym, marking the university’s first victory over an SEC opponent since 2008 and ETSU’s first win over Vanderbilt in more than 40 years.
Coach Mock Brown's unparalleled coaching skills did not go unnoticed and earned her 2022-23 Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors, solidifying her position as a true game-changer.
“When you get Coach of the Year, nothing is done in isolation. I like to say ‘Coaches of the Year.’ I encourage my staff and the players to really reflect on what they’ve accomplished because it is nothing short of remarkable,” said Mock Brown.
The camaraderie of the team, the unwavering support of blue and gold fans, and the belief of Coach Mock Brown culminated in an unforgettable season for ETSU, and the Bucs are determined that this is just the beginning of an incredible journey.