ARLINGTON — Arlington High School boys basketball coach Nick Brown, who turned the Eagles into one of the most consistent programs in Snohomish County, is stepping down after 18 seasons.
Brown compiled a 254-164 record at Arlington and qualified for the postseason in all but one of his 18 years. His accomplishments include a fifth-place finish at state in 2013, a district title this past season and a handful of league championships.
As an English teacher, father of three and devoted husband, Brown simply said “it’s just time to move on.
“I wanted to be one of the best programs around. First two years were pretty tough, and I got tired of not being as good as I wanted to be,” Brown said. “I wanted to build a program, and I did that. I wanted to get a state championship. I did not get to do that. I wanted to get a district championship, and we got that this year. … It’s cool to be able to carry on the tradition that’s been here. There’s a lot of good players and coaches that came before me, and I just wanted to do the job proud and make the fans proud.”
Brown was hired by the Arlington School District in 1995, and he coached the freshman team for three years before serving as a varsity assistant until taking over the head position in 2006.
Before Arlington, Brown coached under Pat Fitterer at Sehome High School from 1992-94. The players he coached as freshmen and sophomores went on to go 30-0 and win the AAA state championship in 1996. That Sehome team is regarded as one of the best in state history.
For his positive contributions to coaching, the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association presented Brown with the Pat Fitterer “You Gotta Love It” Award in 2019, which was special to Brown since he saw Fitterer as a big mentor in his coaching career.
Brown was also the Tacoma News Tribune coach of the year in 2013, The Herald’s coach of the year in 2013 and 2023 and Wesco coach of the year in 2022. The Snohomish County Basketball Officials Association awarded Brown the Norm Lowery Boys Coach of the Year Award in 2010.
“The relationship here is unique. … Arlington is a big school in a small town,” Brown said. “I have kids now that I coached their parents, and I knew their grandparents. And now seeing those sons and their children and grandchildren at camps, … it’s fun to watch that growth and see the families move on.”
Whoever takes over the head coaching role, Brown said it’s their show, but he’s “here if they need anything.
“The time with the kids and my staff, it’s been priceless,” Brown said. “Doing things as a group and being successful or not successful and growing from that, that’s just always the fun part.
“I want to say thanks to the band, the admin, the custodians, (the fans, parents, players) and everybody who helped, especially my wife, my family and my children,” Brown continued. “They’ve been phenomenal. They’ve supported me the whole time. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
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