Memories of Dick Brock — 1928-2008

(The Chronicle, file photo)


Below, former players and assistant coaches of Dick Brock share their memories of the legendary coach at Tenino. Feel free to do the same in the 'comments' section of this post, or email me at cbreakey@chronline.com and I'll add them here.


“Dick continually sought new ideas and new ways to teach the skills of basketball. He was a very fundamental coach. His teams were disciplined. They played tough defense and had some outstanding offensive players…

Even in football, Dick used pass patterns I had never seen. I worked with the QBs, and Dick had a specific way he wanted things done, and he was a very detailed person. I think he got a lot out of each of his ballplayers…

If you wanted to find him at the state tournaments, you could find him there. White hat, down on press row. He had a spot there. He was always there…

There was a genuine respect for him. His players knew he would bring them along and make them the best they could be."

— HAL WILLIAMS, former assistant football and basketball coach



"He spent his career in a little town in a little program, but he was well known around the state and people would go to him with questions about the game. You would always see him working with kids in the gym until he could hardly walk…

Out of all the people I’ve met in the game of basketball, nobody had a better basketball mind than Dick Brock…

He was all about kids. He would put so much time and energy into working just with kids. He loved the high school game. There’s no question in my mind that he would have been the prototype assistant basketball coach at the Division I level. He understood defenses so well, but he also understood post play. He could have been a head coach, too. I guess he just felt he could have a bigger impact on kids staying where he was…

I consider him my mentor. He’s just a very wise person."

— BRENT WILLIAMS, former player and assistant coach



"He was a great teacher of the game, and a lot of the time he didn’t have a whole lot to work with. He got the most out of his players, and in a good way, too.

He’s always been a mentor in working with guys. He was a post player in college, and he just really had a lot of good moves, and he taught them to guys like Gordy Harris"

— BILL BRONSON, former player



"I’m just amazed and grateful for people like him in his profession, who spend time with kids…

He was not considered what you would call a large man, but he played post and taught me a lot of moves. I know people say you can’t teach touch, but I actually think he did teach me. He had an eye for what was wrong with somebody’s shot…

He was nothing if not competitive...

Best advice he gave me was to get off the football field and get on the court."

— GORDY HARRIS, former player



"He had a huge impact on my life. I ended up doing exactly what he did — teach history and basketball…

He’ll be missed. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who was as passionate as him in basketball. That was his love…

He was absolutely the most passionate overseer of basketball I’ve ever been around."

— JIM SOLLARS, former player