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Brence wears many caps while strengthening PISD’s athletic family
By Damon Sayles, dsayles@acnpapers.com
With everything on the plate of Plano ISD athletic director Gerald Brence, it’s a wonder when he sleeps.
It’s also a wonder when he’ll stop, because when someone loves an occupation as he does, it’s no longer classified as work.
“When I look back at what I do,” Brence said, “all I can say is that I’m a lucky man.”
It’s no secret that if someone asked Brence to take on additional tasks, chances are that he’d oblige.
He’s just that kind of person.
“Thinking back on it, it’s pretty awesome knowing your dad has such a big impact on the community,” said Collin Brence, the youngest of Brence’s three sons and a senior safety for Plano Senior High. “A lot of people know who I am because of my last name, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Life as an AD
Brence, a native of Cordell, Okla., has built a hearty reputation on the sidelines. He has nearly three decades of coaching experience, and he’s been a part of three Plano state championships (1986, 1987 and 1994). He took over the head coaching job in 1992 and compiled a 120-70-2 record, second all-time only to one of his mentors, Tom Kimbrough.
Brence resigned as head coach in 2007 to take over athletic director duties for the Plano ISD — and he’s had the time of his life since.
“I don’t really have the 1-on-1 relationship with players, so I do miss that and going out to practice and being physically on the field,” Brence said, “but other than that, I’m really enjoying being the AD. The best thing about it, I get to serve the entire community of Plano. I take a lot of pride in that.”
Kimbrough has served both as Plano’s head coach and the Plano ISD athletic director, so he knows all about Brence’s transition. Brence was hired by the Plano ISD to work at Vines High School in the early 1980s, and Kimbrough moved him to Plano as an assistant coach shortly after.
It didn’t take long for Kimbrough to notice that Brence had an “it” factor about him, and once Brence became head coach for the Wildcats, Kimbrough knew that, because of Brence’s personality and noticeable interest in a variety of sports, he would make a solid athletic director when he was ready.
“In our particular system, there are two challenges,” Kimbrough said. “No. 1, you have to make sure people know you are interested in all three clusters. The other is to make sure people know you’re interested in all sports, not just football. I know he does an outstanding job with that.
“Those are some of the challenges faced with being an AD, and it’s a challenging job. But as time goes by, I guarantee you’re going to root for those people who do that. He has an interest in everything Plano ISD, in all three clusters.”
Motivation, leadership and coaching
Brence’s book, The 70-30 Split, is a guide for all who look to combine motivation, leadership and coaching on all levels — in and away from sports. A former English teacher who loves to read and write, Brence originally wrote the book for younger readers who have an interest in athletics.
Kimbrough said the book shows one of Brence’s main strengths.
“He definitely was a student of the game, and he was enthusiastic, which was contagious,” Kimbrough said. “He was always positive about whatever task he did, whether it was writing or coaching. That’s something that a supervisor of any type is always going to look for.”
The book, which balances motivational messages with humorous overtones, also has garnered the attention of business professionals, classroom teachers and those in corporate America. It has become a hot topic at local Barnes & Noble locations, the Plano Sports Center and on his website, GeraldBrence.com.
“Back when I was a head coach, I always talked about writing a book someday,” Brence said. “It took about six or eight years for me to finally do just sit down and do it, but then one day, it all just fell into place. Once I started it, I wrote it in three months.”
Brence admitted to not promoting the book as much as he should, but he has been satisfied with book sales. While sales have been productive, Brence said the best part of having the book has been sitting back and appreciating what he calls his “labor of love.” Christmas Eve of last year was the day he received the first copy, and the book now is in its third edition. Brence added that he wants to write another one soon.
If nothing else, Brence has at least one fan of the book.
“I loved it,” Kimbrough said. “I thought it was really good, especially the part he wrote about me.”
Latest innovative projects
Among the many projects Brence oversees as athletic director is the department’s video-on-demand program. Plano broadcasts its athletic events live on the Internet, making the PISD one of the more up-to-date districts in the state.
“A company came to us this summer and asked us to pilot a program,” Brence said. “The idea was to put games on live stream, and that caught our attention immediately. We’ve moved at our own pace, but things have picked up quickly.”
For the general admission price at a football game, an individual can watch a game without leaving his or her couch. Brence said the district is working on finding a way where individuals can purchase multiple games at once.
“This service is for the players and their families, but mostly, it’s about Grandma and Grandpa in Oklahoma City or the big brother in Houston who can’t come to every game,” Brence said. “Plano is a very mobile town, and a lot of parents travel and can’t see every game. This is the next best thing.”
Originally thought to broadcast varsity football games, the video-on-demand program has experimented with middle school and high school sub-varsity events. Brence added that he wants sports such as basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball to receive similar treatment.
“We love the fun factor with this,” Brence said. “The more exposure, the more interest that’s going to involve the community. It also gives an opportunity to include the band, drill teams and cheerleaders. They’re just as important as our football teams.”
Away from the office
Brence’s weekdays are as hectic as they come, and when he’s not focused on improving Plano ISD athletics, he’s working on multiple strategies with the Gridiron Club of Dallas. He’s been the club’s president for a little less than a year now.
When the weekend arrives, Brence’s priorities change, and his down time kicks in. He enjoys spending quality time with his family at home. If he isn’t reading, he can be seen watching the big game on TV, whether that game be football or baseball. He also has a passion for home landscaping.
“He loves to work in the yard. I’ve always been thankful for that,” said Elizabeth Brence, his wife of 25 years. “I love to make inside of the house pretty, and he loves to make the outside pretty.”
Collin Brence added: “He never tries to be Coach Brence at home. He loves talking football and hearing about schemes, but when he’s at home, he’s Dad. I still ask him questions because I know he can help, but he just wants to be the best dad he can be, and he’s an awesome dad.”
Brence said the grind of being an athletic director has similarities to the grind of being a coach. The hours are comparable Monday through Friday, as he checks in early and gets home late. The biggest difference is the time off on weekends.
That, and the fact that he doesn’t have to lose sleep about his team performing anymore.
“I’ve always been a worrywart. I don’t have that anymore,” Brence said. “I’m very passionate about all my teams now. I suffer with them, and I celebrate with them. Mainly now, the players I coach are the coaches in the school district.”
Maintaining positivity
For Brence, life as an athletic director is a lot easier knowing he has a family who supports his every move. The supporting cast includes his wife, a teacher at Rice Middle School, and their three sons, Ryan, Beau and Collin. All three sons have put on a Plano Wildcat varsity jersey.
The oldest son, Ryan, graduated from West Point and is currently based at Fort Hood in Killeen. The middle son, Beau, is a two-way player at UNLV. He lines up at fullback and defensive end for the Rebels. Brence’s youngest son is a senior strong safety at Plano.
“If we had a girl, I always thought she would have been a cheerleader to fit in,” Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth rarely missed a game Brence coached, even though she’s not the biggest sports fan. Supporting her husband while he was coaching was easy, primarily because she enjoyed watching him have fun.
Credit that to Brence’s consistently positive attitude. Even when the team went winless in 2003, Brence kept a smile on his face and always commented on what the team did to improve versus highlighting the negative points.
“The 0-10 season was hard on him,” Elizabeth said, “but the good thing about it, everybody supported each other. The kids were a good group of kids, and their parents were amazing. Everyone was in it together.
“With Gerald, he’s always been a glass-is-half-full kind of guy. He’s always optimistic for the most part, and he’s always been a man of his word. That’s one of the things that really attracted me to him.”
One of the things Brence promised the underclassmen that year was if they believed in turnaround, it would come. The following year, Plano won four games. In 2005, the Wildcats were 13-1 and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
Meeting Jaydon McCullough
Current Plano head coach Jaydon McCullough met Brence by way of his wife. McCullough and Elizabeth Brence then were teachers at Ford Middle School in Allen, and McCullough had an opportunity to see how much of a character Brence could be.
“When I met him, Plano was preparing to play Odessa Permian,” McCullough said. “We both laughed because for whatever reason, he was wearing a Mojo cap.”
That initial meeting has budded into an unbreakable and respectable relationship. McCullough has worked with Brence since accepting a position at Schimelpfenig Middle School in 1993. McCullough was moved up the following spring and coached the offense alongside current Plano West coach Mike Hughes. The ensuing fall, Plano won a state championship.
Brence and McCullough’s relationship, however, may have heightened in 2008 — the first year that Brence’s youngest son, Collin, played varsity football. Collin, now a senior for the Wildcats, was the only child that Brence didn’t give instruction to as Plano’s head coach.
“At first, it was really a concern,” Brence said of not coaching Collin. “Coaching my first two sons was a great experience, but it’s a great feeling knowing that Jaydon McCullough gets to coach Collin. I know Collin loves Jaydon and all the coaches at Plano, and I know they love him back.”
McCullough added: “I look at it as a huge honor and privilege. Collin’s an awesome player and the leader on our team, and I’m not just saying all this because he’s my boss’ kid. Collin’s the kind of kid who makes everyone better.”
Early retirement? Not likely.
Once Brence decides to retire altogether, he will have built a legacy that few can match. Once he makes that decision, don’t expect Brence, however, to take sole responsibility for his multiple achievements.
“First of all, it’s a team effort. It’s always going to be a team effort,” he said. “You have to look at our entire staff; I’m just a part of a team, a great team. I believe in [assistant athletic directors] Chris Feris, Russ Schuler and Sharon Rollins and people like that to make the right decisions.
“There are times when the decision has to be bumped to me, but for the most part, this isn’t all about me.”
Until that day comes, expect Brence to keep one thing on his mind.
“My main objective is to maintain the integrity of athletics in Plano,” Brence said. “It’s an ongoing battle, but it’s a lot of fun.”
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