Don Brandon
Donald P. Brandon (born c. 1941) is an American former college baseball head coach and former college athlete. He coached at Anderson University in Indiana for 38 seasons.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1941 (age 82–83) Vinemont, Alabama, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
|
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1959–1962 | Anderson (IN) |
| Basketball | |
| 1960–1963 | Anderson (IN) |
| Baseball | |
| 1960–1963 | Anderson (IN) |
| Position(s) | End (football) Pitcher (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1964 | Anderson (IN) (JV) |
| 1965–1966 | Anderson HS (IN) (assistant JV) |
| 1967 | Anderson HS (IN) (JV) |
| 1968–1975 | Anderson (IN) (assistant) |
| 1976–1977 | Anderson (IN) |
| Basketball | |
| 1968–? | Anderson (IN) (assistant) |
| Baseball | |
| 1965–1967 | Anderson HS (IN) (assistant) |
| 1968–1971 | Anderson (IN) (assistant) |
| 1972 | Anderson (IN) |
| 1973 | Anderson (IN) (assistant) |
| 1974–2010 | Anderson (IN) |
| Track and field | |
| 1965–1967 | Anderson HS (IN) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1975–1978 | Anderson (IN) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1,110–588 (.654) (college baseball) 6–12 (college football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCCAA National Championship (1991) | |
| Awards | |
| Football 2× All-Hoosier Conference (1961–1962) Baseball 2× All-Hoosier Conference (1962–1963) | |
Biography
Brandon served as head coach of the Anderson Ravens baseball team in 1972 and from 1974 to 2010.[1] He recorded 1,110 wins and 588 losses, for a .654 winning percentage. He led the Ravens to 13 conference titles, 12 NAIA District titles, 5 NAIA World Series appearances (1984, 1987, 1993, 1998, and 2003) and the 1991 National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship.[1]
Brandon attended Anderson University and Ball State University, where he earned degrees in 1963 and 1967, respectively.[1] He later earned a doctorate at Springfield College in Massachusetts in 1976.[1] While a student at Anderson, Brandon earned varsity letters in baseball and football, and also played on the basketball team.[1] Anderson's baseball coach at that time was former Brooklyn Dodgers player Carl Erskine.
Brandon first coached at Anderson in 1968, as an assistant with the football and basketball teams.[2] He later was an assistant baseball coach under Erskine.[1] Brandon served as head coach of the baseball team in 1972, with Erskine coaching a final season in 1973.[1][3] Brandon then was head coach from 1974 through 2010.[1]
Born in Vinemont, Alabama, Brandon graduated from high school in Cullman, Alabama, in 1959.[4] He was inducted to the Cullman County, Alabama, Sports Hall of Fame in 2011,[4] and the Anderson University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.[5] Brandon married in 1962; he and his wife have two children.[1]
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Ravens (Hoosier–Buckeye Conference) (1976–1977) | |||||||||
| 1976 | Anderson | 3–6 | 3–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1977 | Anderson | 3–6 | 3–5 | 6th | |||||
| Anderson: | 6–12 | 6–10 | |||||||
| Total: | 6–12 | ||||||||
References
- Foley, Brian (September 12, 2009). "Longtime Anderson University Coach Don Brandon Announces Retirement". collegebaseballdaily.com.
- "Don Brandon Named To AC Athletic Staff". Anderson Daily Bulletin. Anderson, Indiana. July 19, 1968. p. 9. Retrieved September 6, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- "Anderson Names Former Raven Star Head Coach". The Indianapolis Star. AP. June 2, 1973. p. 30. Retrieved September 6, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- Graves, Justin (April 18, 2011). "CULLMAN COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Brandon led Ravens to 14 HCAC titles". The Cullman Times. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- "Dr. Don Brandon – 2010 Coach/Athlete". prestosports.com. Retrieved September 6, 2020.