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WORCESTER — Ryan Brown coached the Assabet Valley boys’ basketball team for four years and elevated the Aztecs from a two-victory team in 2022-23 to a Division 4 state tournament qualifier that won 18 games this past season.
Along the way, Brown imparted his passion while teaching his players not just skills, but the importance of hard work and commitment.
“My seniors who graduated last year saw that,” Brown said, “and they were like, ‘Wow. It’s a lot harder than we thought. We have to put in the work.’ It was a good experience, and I learned a lot.”
Brown’s time at Assabet was impactful, he said, and an opportunity that prepared him for what is next.
On April 11, Quinsigamond Community College named Brown its new men’s basketball coach.
“When I got the call,” the 37-year-old Brown said, “it was a blessing, and it’s an honor to coach in the city that I proudly call home.
“It’s not another job,” Brown said. “It’s another chapter in my journey.”
Six years ago, Brown, a graduate of Holy Name High — where he was a 1,000-point scorer — and WPI, started the Go Hard or Stay Home (GHOSH) basketball program for local kids to play, practice and develop, while also providing mentorship, tutoring and encouragement, and helping others.
Throughout the year, GHOSH runs a number of community events, including a backpack drive, Thanksgiving meals and gift cards for families in need at Christmas.
Since its inception, GHOSH has mentored hundreds of kids in basketball and life skills. Currently, the program has more than 100 participants.
Brown runs GHOSH out of the gym at Wesley United Methodist Church on Main Street, and, on April 15, Brown was preparing to host GHOSH clinics for three age groups (K-3, 4-6, 7-12) like he does every Monday and Tuesday.
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On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Brown oversees his AAU Lady GHOSH program, which has 62 players.
Brown works full time as a computer analyst at the U.S. Department of Transportation at Volpe Center in Cambridge.
“As soon as I get home,” Brown said, “I’m here.”
The same level of dedication will go into coaching QCC.
Brown succeeds Bob Merhi, who served as interim coach last season. Merhi had been a QCC assistant under John Preziosa.
Preziosa guided the Wyverns for three seasons and led the team to back-to-back Region 21 semifinal appearances. Preziosa stepped down before the start of the 2024-25 season.
Brown said several prospective QCC players reached out to him after seeing news of his appointment on social media.
“(The Quinsigamond job) is an opportunity where I can help more kids,” Brown said. “Some kids might come in for one year or two years, and they might come in undecided about their future. I want to be part of helping them figure out what they want to do and help them get there.
"It’s bigger than basketball," he added. "It’s on and off the court. It’s in the classroom. I want to give them guidance and help them look at options for where they can go after two years, depending what they want to study.”
Brown, who grew up in Worcester, was born with hearing loss and attended the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton for eight years. Brown was 5 when he spoke his first words, and at the Clarke School, he said, he developed his verbal communication skills.
When Brown was ready to mainstream in seventh grade, his parents, Ronnie and Tracy, chose Holy Name, where he excelled as a four-year honor roll student and two-time T&G Super Team selection in basketball. He helped the Naps to consecutive Division 1 final appearances. Brown was part of two Division 2 Super Bowl champion teams, and he also played baseball.
Brown earned his bachelor’s degree in management engineering from WPI in 2011.
“Don’t let a disability or a disadvantage stop you from achieving what you want to accomplish in life,” Brown said.
Brown looks forward to inspiring a new group of players next season at Quinsigamond.
“Teaching life lessons and building communication,” Brown said, “coaching them, giving them confidence and pushing them to the point where they say, ‘I can do it.’ ”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Quinsigamond CC turns to Worcester native Ryan Brown as next men's hoop coach
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