How the Philadelphia 76ers Brett Brown is Unlike Chip Kelly

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown is now the longest tenured in Philadelphia pro sports. But how is he different from recently fired Chip Kelly?

Chip Kelly exits Philadelphia with a winning record in three seasons after taking over a 4-12 team. Where’s the love?

Brett Brown remains in Philadelphia with less than a winning record.

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Obviously, the coaching situations and contexts for each franchise are apples and oranges, but I do think it’s worthwhile to notice how Brett Brown is storing up goodwill whereas Chip Kelly struggled with “goodwill,” according to the media at least.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown is an Eagles fans. You can say out of obligation, but he is a fan and a friend of Chip Kelly.

Coach Brown is a Boston University graduate and knows Chip Kelly, a University of New Hampshire graduate, from way back.

Brett Brown has said that:

"“many years ago, [Chip] roomed with my closest high school friend at the University of New Hampshire and I was down the road at Boston University . . . my friend went to UNH on a football scholarship and played with Chip and they roomed together. To look back, I spent 17 years overseas, following Chip with all of his college success and then me coming back to the United States, for us to end up in the same city is quite unique.”"

Brown furthered marveled at the Kelly approach:

"“When I look at his values and how he likes to play his sport, they very much replicate how I like to play mine. I’m very interested in sports science. All of my Olympic games influenced me tremendously on the importance of wellness and how sports science has really taken over — how do you keep the modern day athlete healthy. That’s a huge part of my culture and how I’m trying to grow our program. He’s as good as it gets in sharing that same interest.”"

Brett Brown is now the longest-tenured professional coach in Philadelphia.

Brett Brown is also disappointed in the firing. Only because his wished it worked out for his friend.

Coach Brown makes good points about Chip Kelly. He remarked how respected Chip Kelly is in coaching circles. He commented that Chip Kelly’s approach to a practice structure impressed not just other NCAA and NFL coaches, but caught the eye of NBA franchises.

Chip Kelly had college success and branded a style of play that developed a trust in his acumen and generated deep amounts of theoretical affection from coaches for the knowledge and philosophy he possesses. On paper. (mostly)

So why is Brett Brown not a hated man?

Part of it is because the emotional investment in the Sixers does not rival the Eagles; or Phillies or Flyers for that matter. Brett Brown can be a basketball purist and develop players and guide the young Philadelphia 76ers and his ability to coach will not, and should not really come into question.

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Chip Kelly, I believe, is all of those positive things that Brown states. Their friendship, I also believe, is partially rooted in the concept that the coaches have an enlightened vision of sports, players and teams, while the fans (and management for that matter) are unsophisticated outsiders and amateurs from afar. And to some extent that is largely true.

Much of coaching too, has to do with perceptions of the personality. Coach Brown is intense but seems reflective and calm, a teacher. ESPN blogger Ted Miller described Kelly, before he was an Eagle, as being “funny, biting, pithy, strange, fiery and surprising when talking to reporters.” But I guess a coach’s personality is immaterial when they win.

This year was a losing year for every Philly team. Perhaps Brett Brown goes under the radar however, per his approach and mindset, I don’t know. For example, if Brett Brown entered Philly like Coach Kelly, it might look something like this:

Brown might use the franchise’s desperation as leverage to get player control.

Brown might assume that since the Sixers have not won a title since 1983, anything he did and said would be accepted.

Brown might, more than subtly, remind Philadelphia fans that he is from both the Rick Pitino tree and the Gregg Popovich tree. In other words, he knows what success looks like, he does not need to be educated by reporters and the fan base.

Brown might trade Nerlens Noel, not to get more players, but to set an example that if you didn’t execute exactly what was needed, a lesser player could replace you.

Brown might keep a player who made hurtful, stupid, insensitive remarks, then dealt away the oppressed talent en masse.

Brett Brown almost never carries himself like this.

Maybe he never had the choice or power to.

But I think he entered his first professional head coaching job with wisdom and got lost in his work.

This focus provides a good way to be, and, in this regard, Brown’s a role model for us all in this current age of managerial sadism.

Go Sixers.