DUBOIS – Garrett Brown ventured off for his first year of college, but soon, he found himself back where it all began for him.
(Photo submitted)
Today at 26, the 2013 DuBois Area High School graduate has returned to his alma mater to take over the Beavers’ wrestling program. This comes after his last eight years featuring a stint trying to play college football, a quest to become a United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national champion in wrestling, two USCAA Small College World Series titles in baseball, and successfully becoming an entrepreneur.
It is a lot of living, and a lot of trying in eight years, but it has shaped Brown into the man he is today. His journey in college began in August 2013 at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) where he tried to walk-on to the football program. His quest was unsuccessful, and it did not take him long to realize that IUP was not the right place for him.
For a year, he took time to figure out what was important to him. After noticing common high school opponents’ success in USCAA wrestling for the Penn State DuBois Nittany Lions, Brown decided it was time to head back to school, but this time, to become a national champion wrestler.
Brown made a successful run all the way to nationals, but unfortunately, it ended in heartbreak. He would not reach his goal of being a national champion, and the devastation mixed with not having a partner to wrestle in practice for the 2016-17 season made him decide to step away from wrestling as a competitor. However, there was another sport in the mix that also helped him decide it was time to hang up the headgear for the last time.
This sport was baseball; a sport Brown played almost his entire life. It was also a sport that helped introduce him to one of the biggest mentors in his entire life at an early age. This man is Penn State DuBois Head Baseball Coach, Tom Calliari. Without Calliari, Brown would have never become a college baseball player, and therefore, he never would have become an All-American or a two-time national champion.
“I knew Coach Calliari my entire life. He was my travel coach growing up, and to this day, he is one of my biggest mentors. I had just lost in nationals in wrestling, and I was devastated. My heart was broken, and he wanted me to be at baseball practice not long after. He told me to come and see if I liked it, and the rest was history.”
Over four years for Penn State DuBois, Brown played in 132 games and accumulated a .312 career batting average, 125 hits, 102 runs, and 54 runs batted in. He also served as the primary center fielder for the program from 2016 to 2019, and his speed was feared around the Pennsylvania State University Athletics (PSUAC) and the USCAA during that time. His 83 stolen bases still stand as the all-time record for the program going into the 2022 campaign. Some additional achievements from his time in college baseball include a USCAA All-American selection and a selection to the PSUAC All-Decade team; honors that make him the most proud because it proves the hard work he put in was recognized all around the state and the nation.
“It is a special place and a special program to be a part of,” Brown said. “It takes a special kid to want to play baseball there. The program is entirely based on relationships and how the upperclassmen continue to build that camaraderie with the new guys. The group is like a family and we are all there to make each other better players and people along the way.”
Today, Brown serves as a volunteer assistant baseball coach for the program, but spends most of his time working with the team when high school wrestling is not in season. In May of this year, Brown took over as the DuBois Beavers head wrestling coach after spending the last couple of seasons as an assistant coach.
During his time as a high school wrestler, he eclipsed 100 career wins (106 total), won two District 9 titles, qualified for regionals all four years, and made it to the state tournament his senior year. However, he nearly could have been a three-time state qualifier if he would have won the third/fourth place match in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He found himself in the same situation as a high school senior, but this time, he “got over the hump” as some would say to make it to Hershey.
“That was so much hard work and something I had dreamt about,” he said. “I just did not want to be that guy who made regionals all four years and did not make states. I can remember that last match at regionals my senior year and almost being in tears because this was my moment.
When it was all tied up after the second period, I just remember listening for and hearing Pete Morelli’s voice when I was out there on the mat. Pete (Morelli) passed away not too long ago, but I will never forget his voice. It was the only voice I could hear when I wrestled.
He yelled I needed to take a shot. I did, and I picked the kid up and put him right on his back. I ended up pinning him and the entire gym erupted. I ran and jumped right into my coach’s arms and then went right into the stands to hug my parents. Sharing that moment with my parents and the DuBois community is something I will never forget.”
It is from these moments as a wrestler and because of the community support that he wanted to step up and become one of the younger head wrestling coaches around. At just 26, he is not that far removed from his days as an athlete and still remembers vividly the highs and lows sports can bring.
“This is a special opportunity for me as a young coach,” Brown said. “I can relate to these kids and I know I can bring the best out of them. I hate to see people go through tough times, but if they do, I want to be one of the people there to help them learn from it and become the best versions of themselves. I want to relay my struggles and the adversity I have faced to them to show them why it is important to not walk away and how to power through adversity.”
Though coaching takes up a great bit of his time, he recently started his own landscaping company and also works as a substitute teacher in the DuBois Area School District. Becoming a full-time educator is something he is considering for his future.
The rest of his time is spent out in the wilderness, primarily hunting and fishing, with archery season being his favorite. He also remains active in baseball by playing in the local federation baseball league, something many current and past college players from the area continue to play in each summer.
For future college athletes, Garrett Brown says it is about finding the right environment that makes someone comfortable and a school that is going to invest time into helping that athlete become a better person and player.
Better yet, for college students who are taking a gap year or may become a non-traditional student, Brown says, “I believe it is never too late. It starts with taking a deep look inside at what is truly important. It is tough taking a gap year or time away before going back to school or starting school, but I believe if people will work their tails off, it is worth a shot and it is never too late for that chance.”
There is plenty to Brown’s story at just 26 years old, but a new chapter awaits as his time as a first-year head wrestling coach has arrived. For many more years, he hopes to be making a difference in the community and in the lives of young people.
