Don Brandon
Don P. Brandon (born c. 1941) is an American retired college baseball head coach and former college athlete. He coached at Anderson University in Indiana for 38 seasons.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1941 (age 81–82) Vinemont, Alabama |
| Alma mater |
|
| Playing career | |
| 1959–1962 | Anderson Ravens (football) |
| 1960–1963 | Anderson Ravens (baseball) |
| Position(s) | End (football) Pitcher (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| c. 1968 | Anderson (asst. football) |
| c. 1969 | Anderson (asst. basketball) |
| c. 1969 | Anderson (asst. baseball) |
| 1972, 1974–2010 | Anderson (baseball) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1,110–588 (.654) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCCAA National Championship (1991) | |
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]
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.