The RoundHouse | 11/20/2020 4:27:00 PM

 
Isaac Brown is the interim coach of Wichita State men's basketball, which means a photo update is necessary. Brown gently protests, because plenty of photos exist and he's got video to look at and sitting for a picture feels like it's about the spotlight and that is not Brown's way.
 
He answers questions on the way to the photo studio in the Student-Athlete Center, politely resisting attempts to talk about how he feels or his path to this moment. 
 
The story is not me, he repeats.
 
And that is the Isaac Brown story. 
 
"He really cares all of us, one through 16," Shocker guard Tyson Etienne said. "He is always checking on us. Making sure we're feeling all right. How are we doing in our day-to-day lives? Making sure if we need anything. I'm grateful he's come into my life."
 
The Isaac Brown story, friends and co-workers agree, is not about the man everyone knows as "IB." It is about how IB makes it about the Shockers, just as it was about the players at stops such as Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, Arkansas and South Alabama. 
 
"I enjoy seeing a young man comes in and when he leaves, he's a man," Brown said. "My college basketball career was great. I want them to have a great experience."
 
Brown will admit that he sees himself in some of the Shockers. That motivates him to help shepherd them through college.
 
"Some of these guys are the first ones in their family to get a degree," he said. "They're changing their family's entire life. Me being a guy that came from a single-parent home, I always felt education was a way out. I want to help ensure they get their college degree."
 
On Thursday, Brown's day in the office started around 8:30 a.m. He works out of the conference room in the basketball suite, which gives him plenty of space to socially distance. He is on his computer, breaking down practice video and preparing for a busy day. He meets with interim president Rick Muma. He does the photo shoot. He does an interview and prepares for more on Friday. He meets with the Shockers. 
 
Brown, announced as interim coach on Tuesday to after the resignation of Gregg Marshall, came to Wichita State as an assistant coach in June 2014 to replace Chris Jans. During his seven seasons at Wichita State, Brown added to his reputation as a player's coach and an even-keeled professional trusted with big-game scouting reports. Brown, 51, never chased the spotlight. He worked to support those who were out in front.
 
"Once you're in there, IB treats you like you're his kid, his brother," said Jeff Chapman, Wichita State's video coordinator. "He cares about every one of these kids. The first day that he found out was interim – he scheduled meetings with all of our guys and called all of their parents. He wants the kids to know 'Hey, I'm in your corner.'"
 
Brown, from Pascagoula, Mississippi,guided former Shockers such as Darral Willis and Rashard Kelly through ups and downs. He paid special attention to those who came from tough backgrounds or need special attention to survive the adjustment to college.
 
"Darral Willis was IB's guy," Chapman said. "He took care of him. He was always pulling him in the right direction. When Darral thought he was kind of getting casted out, IB was always there for him. Same with Rashard, early on. That's just how IB is. He sees the down-and-out kid as himself, because he was kind of that down-and-out kid."
 
Rob Evans remembers Brown as a scoring guard, athletic and cerebral, during Brown's playing days at Texas A&M and Louisiana-Monroe. Evans, former head coach at Mississippi and Arizona State, saw Brown as a future coach. He worked with Brown for four seasons at Arkansas.
 
"It's never been about Isaac," Evans said. "He's always about the players, always about the program. The main thing is, he wants those players to have the same experiences that he had in college. That comes across very, very vividly."
 
Brown started coaching in junior college. He coached at his high school for one season before returning to junior college. Evans remembers watching him on the recruiting trail, often asking questions of other coaches and preparing. When they joined coach John Pelphrey's staff at Arkansas in 2007, Brown asked those questions of Evans.
 
Brown and Evans talked frequently in recent weeks. Evans tried to help prepare him for moving from assistant to head coach. He reminded him that moving to the big seat means demanding respect and continuing to communicate. The head coach is in charge of playing time, Evans said, and while players may not always enjoy hearing the truth, they will appreciate and respect that approach.
 
"He's prepared himself for this," Evans said. "The biggest thing that a lot of coaches fail to realize is – they don't listen. They're not good listeners. Isaac is a very good listener. He will listen to different people. He will listen to the players."
 
Brown listened this week to the Shockers and their families. He is meeting regularly with the Shockers to check on basketball, academics and life. 
 
"I wanted to focus on these kids," he said. "It wasn't about me moving one seat over. It was about keeping my focus on these kids and a focus on us practicing and a focus on making them try to have an incredible experience."
 
When Brown met with the Shockers earlier this week, he started with a message he hopes will pull them through these challenging circumstances.
 
"The thing that will help us more than anything else is coming together," he said. "That will help us so much, if we get everybody in this room coming together as one."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.